Fishy Business: Investigations At The Fairchild Fish House, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin

Author(s): Carrie A. Christman

Year: 2018

Summary

In 2015 and 2017, Commonwealth Heritage Group excavated the Fairichild Fish House, a mid- to late-nineteenth-century family homestead and fishery, within the boundaries of the large pre-contact site 47SB0173 in southeastern Wisconsin.  The site is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan and protected by a large dune. The Fairchild family was part of the first Euro-American settlers in area. They practiced pound net fishing, a historic and lucrative commercial fishing technique in the region. The Fairchilds appear to have benefitted from this profitable business enterprise, allowing them to acquire additional landholdings and employ a servant. Research and analysis focused on illuminating how the family structured their domestic and commercial fishing workspaces, including both formal and non-formal spaces. In addition, archaeological research and artifact recovery aimed to further understand the Fairchild’s socioeconomic status within the local community.

Cite this Record

Fishy Business: Investigations At The Fairchild Fish House, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. Carrie A. Christman. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441465)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 878