CRM Bulletin Vol. 8, No. 5

cnm B U L L E T I N Volume 8: No. 5 Cultural Resources Management • A National Park Service Technical Bulletin October 1985 will be adapted for contemporary RESTORING THE HISTORIC SCENE uses. The Historic Site is planning to lease approximately 10 houses AT LINCOLN HOME for low-key business, commercial, George L. Painter or professional use. This can be done under the provisions of the 1980 amendments to the National Historic Preservation Act. As part of the program, the lessee must preserve, restore, and maintain the exterior of the structure during the term of the lease. In turn, the lessee will be permitted to adap- tively restore the interior, subject to the restriction that major architec tural features must be preserved. In early 1985, the Site launched the program by announcing that the Corneau and Stuve Houses would be made available for leas ing. From 1855 to 1860, the Cor neau House was the residence of Lincoln's friend, pharmacist Charles Corneau. Historic records show that the Lincoln family purchased such items as "Cough Candy," "Caster Oil," and "Hair Balsam" at the Corneau and Diller drugstore. The Stuve House, on the other hand, was constructed more than ten years after Lincoln's One-half million people visit the Lincoln Home in Springfield, IL each year departure from Springfield. The house has been preserved within the Historic Site as an excellent ex Springfield, Illinois, was home to The National Park Service has ample of the Italianate style of ar Abraham Lincoln for nearly 25 preserved some of the neighbors' chitecture of the 1870's. years. He moved to the city in homes within the four blocks of 1837, married Mary Todd in 1842, Lincoln Home National Historic Prospective lessees of the Cor and purchased the only home he Site; others disappeared before the neau and Stuve Houses received ever owned two years later. Here, establishment of the Historic Site in copies of requests for proposals. on the corner of Eighth and Jackson 1972. In addition to the Lincoln These packages described the ar Streets, Lincoln enjoyed 17 years of Home, the Site contains seventeen chitectural features of each struc family life before he became Presi historic structures, including twelve ture, as well as the preservation re dent. By 1860, the year he was residences of Lincoln's neighbors. quirements and tax incentives of nominated and elected to the These houses and outbuildings are the leasing program. Because the Presidency, 9,400 people inhabited important resources because they houses are included on the Na the thriving community. Like most compose an integral part of the tional Register of Historic Places, a of the city's residents, the Lincoln historic scene surrounding the Lin corporation, group, or individual family had become well-acquainted coln Home. leasing a structure may take advan tage of tax incentives. By the provi- with their neighbors and enjoyed In order to help preserve the friendships with many of them. historic structures, their interiors continued on page 4 Volunteers Crucial in gathered by the professional ar cheologists and their troop of un Custer Battlefield Dig paid volunteers. "We could not have done the Warren E. "Sandy" Barnard project without the volunteers," Scott says. Ron Nichols is an engineer with unknown from the Custer battle For one thing, funds weren't a California-based aircraft manu storybook. available for hiring more ex facturer. "One of my long-term goals since perienced individuals. Perhaps more important, it would have John Husk of Englewood, Colo I came to the Custer Battlefield has taken much too long to train pro rado, is a consulting geologist who been to have an archeological proj fessional archeologists to handle works for the oil industry. ect, and the fire provided that op portunity," Court says. metal detectors as skillfully as Murray Kloberdanz practices law seasoned veterans Irwin and Riva in Osage, Iowa. His brother, Mike, So for five weeks in May and Lee of Turlock, Calif. handles hospital computer supplies, June 1984, archeologists and based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. volunteers—many using metal The Lees spent all five weeks detectors—searched the main battle And Brian Pohanka is a writer- with Scott and company and field, and uncovered more than researcher for Time-Life Books in directed the metal detecting at the 1,100 battle-related artifacts, in Washington, D.C. Reno-Benteen site. The main battle cluding hundreds of cartridges and All people of varying back field itself had been swept a year numerous pieces of bone material. grounds. What brought them ago. together—along with nearly 60 So successful was that initial pro Metal detecting hobbyists and ar other men and women from 16 ject that the Custer Battlefield cheologists mix about as well as states and England—was the 1985 Historical and Museum Association, gasoline and fire, but in two years which had funded the first "dig", archeological project at the Custer at the Custer battlefield, a new ap agreed to support a second one for Battlefield National Monument near preciation has grown up between May and June of 1985. Crow Agency, Montana. the two sides. The second year's harvest of ar All the volunteers provided from "My attitude has changed," Scott one to five weeks' service in the tifacts is still being studied, prin cipally at the NPS Midwest Ar said. "We've learned that these field, assisting archeologists from people know what they are doing." the National Park Service and the cheological Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. But Court and NPS Ar- And they can be trusted with University of Nebraska in their historical artifacts, Scott came to search for clues as to what cheologist Doug Scott agree that realize. happened to Lt. Col. George Arm this year's project was even more strong Custer and every man in successful. One metal detector pro, Val five companies of his 7th U.S. Some 3,100 artifacts, including a Gass, was asked by a television Cavalry. record 373 on May 21, the hottest news reporter if he ever were On June 25, 1876, Custer and day in the five weeks, were tempted to steal artifacts. some 210 men under his direct command were wiped out in a legendary encounter with Plains In dians recorded in history as the Battle of the Little Big Horn, better known as "Custer's Last Stand." Almost 50 others died in a separate nearby engagement at what is today called the Reno- Benteen Defense Site, where two of Custer's subordinates and nearly 350 men fought off the Indians for two days until relief parties arrived. What actually happened to Custer and his men remains as much a mystery today as it was in 1876, but that doesn't keep history buffs from speculating. When a prairie fire swept across the main battle field in August 1983, removing sagebrush and grasses that had gone undisturbed since the battle, Battlefield Supt. James V. Court realized that what was first viewed as a disaster actually offered an op Archeologists have uncovered more than 4,200 artifacts. Shown here is a picket pin, Indian portunity to peel away some of the wire bracelet, pocket knife, cavalry spur, harness buckle and horseshoe. 2 MANAGING ORCHARDS - A DIFFICULT RESOURCE John Donahue John Muir National Historic Site, located in Martinez, California, was the home of the founding father of our nation's conservation movement. This nine-acre memorial was once part of Muir's twenty six hundred-acre fruit ranch. The grounds contain the Victorian mansion where Muir wrote most of his major works. The site also has a wide variety of orchards and a vineyard which help recreate the historic scene reminiscent of the "John of the Mountains" residence in Martinez. The plantings provide Metal detectors proved invaluable around marble markers showing where Custer's soldiers an econiche for many creatures and were killed. native vegetation as well as creating the ambience that visitors find so memorable. Looking at her incredulously, he Perhaps the most disappointing Our site is small in acreage, but responded, "Heavens no, that's a aspect of the two digs was the rich in its diversity of species and part of history and it's exciting just failure to locate in Deep Ravine the the associated problems. Caring for to see these items coming out of remains of 28 missing men of a variety of species obviously the ground after 109 years." Custer's Company E. Soil studies requires a sophisticated It's also more important to allow in the ravine by geomorphologist management approach. Developing the artifacts to be studied so that C. Vance Haynes of the University a plan for the management of any future generations can benefit from of Arizona were productive this orchard is a difficult task at best. A the knowledge, the retired railroad year as he located what may have National Park site usually has the man from Salt Lake City, Utah, been the 1876 ravine floor. added burden of having the added. Court wants more exploration orchards zoned as historic and No one went into either dig ex conducted in Deep Ravine as well categorized as a cultural resource. pecting to unravel the mystery of as around the 260 marble markers Facing the paradox of caring for a Custer's last fight, but the new in on the field. Twenty-six of the living, growing community of formation is already proving markers, which purportedly in creatures, while maintaining the valuable. dicate where Custer's troopers historic scene, can test the patience "It appears likely that Custer was died, were excavated under the of the best manager.

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