The Kids are Alright: The Experiences of Children in Catoctin Furnace, ca. 1776 - 1910

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Come, Tell Us How You Lived: 50 Years of Research at Catoctin Furnace, Maryland", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The experiences of children within the archaeological record are largely absent. This paper seeks to investigate the lives of children within Catoctin Furnace in Thurmont, Maryland from the late 18th to the beginning of the 20th century, through the examination of two sites within the furnace village. Artifacts recovered, as well as their distribution, from two worker houses, designated as The Forgeman's House and The Hoke House, provide a unique insight into the lives of children during this period. Cross examination between the aforementioned sites also provides insight into the differences in upbringing due to disparities between the individuals residing in these worker houses.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Come, Tell Us How You Lived: 50 Years of Research at Catoctin Furnace, Maryland   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow