Participate in Garfield Farm Museum’s June 2012
Archaeological Field Session
What: Volunteers needed for Archaeological Investigation
When June 6-10 & June 13-17, 8am – 5pm
Who: Garfield Farm Museum Archaeology Program
Where: for GPS only: 3N016 Garfield Road Campton Hills, IL 60175
Contact: 630 584-8485 or info@garfieldfarm.org
This year marks the tenth field season and fourth
consecutive year of professional archaeological investigations at Garfield
Farm Museum. The museum’s Archaeological Program is under the direction of
James R. Yingst, Director and Chief Archaeologist of Chicago-based Heartland
Archaeology Research Program, and a Research Associate in Archaeology at
Garfield Farm Museum. The 2012 fieldwork will again focus on the area of the
farmstead initially occupied by the Culbertson family (1835-1841) and
subsequently by the Garfield family (1841-1846).
The Culbertson log house/Garfield log tavern stood
in the fork of the Chicago/St. Charles Road that branched northwest to
Sycamore and southwest to Oregon, Illinois. Culbertson originally claimed
440 acres of land that he improved with a log house, a dug well, and 30
acres under cultivation by mid-1841 when he sold the claim to Timothy
Garfield for $650. The Garfield’s immediately saw a lucrative opportunity in
establishing an inn to capture the business of the numerous farmers hauling
wheat past their house to Chicago’s port. Documentary sources suggest the
expanded structure measured about 20 by 50 feet. The house consisted of two
sections and a kitchen to the west. Three first-floor rooms included a
barroom; two sleeping chambers were on the second floor. The log house had
slab siding with a roof of shakes bound down by poles. Ultimately, a replica
of the original Culbertson log house, as subsequently enlarged by the
Garfield family into an inn or tavern, will be built. The archaeological
investigations are critical to this effort and provide significant clues
about not only the layout and arrangement of the log structure, but also the
day-to-day life of the Culbertson and Garfield families.
Registration is currently open for individuals who
are interested in assisting with the archaeological fieldwork at Garfield
Farm Museum. The ten-day June session is June 6 – 10 and 13 – 17. Fieldwork
begins promptly at 8:00 am and runs until 5:00 pm with an hour break at
noon. A full orientation to the Archaeology Program at Garfield Farm Museum
will be presented on Wednesday morning, June 6. If you intend on making a
serious commitment of time to the June field session, you are strongly urged
to be present for the opening day. A second two-week fieldwork session will
be offered in late September/early October. Last season volunteers
contributed over 1800 hours to the Archaeology Program.
Individuals enrolling for a minimum of 40 hours
receive a structured training involving rotation through the activities of
unit excavation, screening of excavated soil for artifact recovery, and
processing (washing and preliminary sorting) of recovered artifacts.
Participants who successfully complete 40 or more hours will receive
certificates documenting their hours of training and supervised experience
in historical archaeology.
The GFM Archaeology Program accepts volunteer of
ages 14-17 with written parental permission. Volunteers ages 8-13 must be
accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult at all times.
To register as a participant, to visit the
excavation site, or to financially contribute to the effort, contact the
museum at 630 584-8485, e-mail info@garfieldfarm.org or write to Box 403
LaFox, IL 60147.
For more information about Garfield Farm send an e-mail message to: info@garfieldfarm.org
or call 630/584-8485.
