Port Tobacco Archaeological ProjectRegular updates of the Port Tobacco Archaeological Project. The Project is sponsored by the Archeological Society of Maryland, the Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco, the Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium, Preservation Maryland, and Preserve America.Dr. William R. Wilmer's Lot 3- September 16, 2008 The other day Pete posted some of Elsie's research on Dr. Wilmer and then followed up with a photograph reputed to be Wilmer's office. That building, as Pete noted, has collapsed and lies just north of Stagg Hall and the barn on Chapel Point Road. I did a little title searching today and found that Dr. Wilmer owned Prospect Farm, a tract he acquired from the heirs of George Dent, and Lot 3 in Port Tobacco.The Port Tobacco deed (GWC 1408) is dated 31 March 1864. Dr. Wilmer purchased the land...http://porttobacco.blogspot.com/2008/09/dr-william-r-wilmers-lot-3.html Carter Griffin- September 15, 2008 Mr. Griffin was a resident of Port Tobacco from around 1840-1860. He is mentioned in all three censuses in that timeframe. The 1840 census doesn't give us much information to go on other than his name and possible age (35). The census of 1850 lists him as 45, and the 1860 census as 55 years old.So what's so special about Carter Griffin From the census data, the only thing that stands out is his financial state in 1850-1860. During that time, his personal value almost tripled from $2500 to...http://porttobacco.blogspot.com/2008/09/carter-griffin.html Native American Spiritualism- September 14, 2008 As archaeologists we are accustomed to analyzing data...the potsherds, flakes, nails, brick, and other flotsam of human occupation that we recover...in terms of function. More specifically, we look at our data in terms of economy...how did the acquisition, use, and discard of an artifact help a group earn a living. When dealing with Native American sites, especially those that predate European contact, we take more of an ecological approach, but that's just another way of saying economy. But...http://porttobacco.blogspot.com/2008/09/native-american-spiritualism.html Traveling Exhibit Debuts- September 13, 2008 The Port Tobacco Archaeological Project's new traveling exhibit premiered this weekend in the Flowers Building at the Charles County Fair. The exhibit poses questions about the effects of human occupation on the Port Tobacco Valley and shows how archaeological research has produced data that allow us to document and date significant environmental events.The Charles County Garden Club invited us to present the exhibit in their hall at the fair, and I am very grateful for the invitation and their.http://porttobacco.blogspot.com/2008/09/traveling-exhibit-debuts.html Wilmer Office- September 12, 2008 Wilmer Office Originally uploaded by Port Tobacco Archaeological ProjectYesterday I told you about Dr. William Wilmer. Above is a picture of his office as it looked in the 1970's. The building is no longer standing but remnants of it can be seen along Chapel Point Rd just north of an old barn and just south of the one room school house. It was this office that he left when he moved to Baltimore. Whether or not the office stayed in his possession after his move is something we haven't...http://porttobacco.blogspot.com/2008/09/wilmer-office.html Dr. William R. Wilmer- September 11, 2008 Dr. William Wilmer was the son of the Rev. Lemuel Wilmer of Port Tobacco. He also appears to have been a prominent citizen of the town. While he isn't famous, he did achieve a large amount during his lifetime.Pouring through the census along with information gathered from the PT Times abstracts (Thank you Elsie) gives us a view of some of the things that happened to this particular citizen.Starting with the 1860 census, he was a 30 year old physician in Port Tobacco and again in the 1870...http://porttobacco.blogspot.com/2008/09/dr-william-r-wilmer.html When Mountains Move- September 10, 2008 The recent series of tropical storms and hurricanes traversing the Caribbean have caused considerable loss of life and property. Pictures of Haiti in the news media show extensive flooding, destroyed buildings, and homeless people wading through ankle-high and deeper water. Some of those pictures also show mud-filled streets.One of the causes of the flooding and sedimentation is the loss of vegetation on the hillsides. Haitian colliers have cut down stands of trees to make charcoal, an...http://porttobacco.blogspot.com/2008/09/when-mountains-move.html Unit 13 East Wall Profile- September 9, 2008 Unit 13 East Wall Profile Originally uploaded by Port Tobacco Archaeological ProjectThe updating of maps continues. This week I am focusing on the profile drawings and getting them digitized using AutoCAD. Some of the drawings are very simple which makes it easy to recreate them on the computer. However, some (like the one pictured below) of the drawings are more complicated. One of the challenges I have encountered is in trying to decipher the drawings. This is due to the lack of...http://porttobacco.blogspot.com/2008/09/unit-13-east-wall-profile.html Edelen South Contours- September 8, 2008 As part of our one-year birthday celebration, we are trying to improve the quality of our images in the Port Tobacco blog. We are trying to upload our images from our Flickr.com site instead of from our local area network or individual hard drives.The image that you see below is not a file, but a link to the Flickr site. If you click on the image, you will be automatically directed to that image on the Flickr site where you can see a larger view and have the ability to save the image to your...http://porttobacco.blogspot.com/2008/09/edelen-south-contours.html An Act Concerning Religion, 1649- September 7, 2008 Much has been made, over the years, of Maryland's primacy in promoting religious freedom. One readily turns to the act of the General Assembly titled "An Act Concerning Religion" that was enacted in 1649 with the consent of Caecil, Lord Baltimore. Unfortunately, the act is not all it has been portrayed to be; indeed, it is vicious law that guaranteed freedom of worship only to those who espoused Christianity, and a narrowly defined Christianity at that. Here's a URL link to the Act on the...http://porttobacco.blogspot.com/2008/09/act-concerning-religion-1649.html |