Social Negotiation & Drinking Spaces in Frontier Resource Extraction
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W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects Summer 2018 On The Table and Under It: Social Negotiation & Drinking Spaces in Frontier Resource Extraction Communities Megan Rhodes Victor College of William and Mary - Arts & Sciences, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons Recommended Citation Victor, Megan Rhodes, "On The Table and Under It: Social Negotiation & Drinking Spaces in Frontier Resource Extraction Communities" (2018). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1530192698. http://dx.doi.org/10.21220/s2-zjty-y220 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. On the Table and Under It: Social Negotiation & Drinking Spaces in Frontier Resource Extraction Communities Megan Victor Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Master of Arts, The College of William & Mary, 2012 Bachelor of Arts, The University of Michigan, 2010 A Dissertation presented to the Graduate Faculty of The College of William & Mary in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Anthropology College of William & Mary May 2018 © Copyright by Megan Rhodes Victor 2018 ABSTRACT Current research on frontiers describe these spaces as zones of meeting, interaction, dynamism, and change. Further, the geographic, ecological, economic, and political processes that are inherent within these locales shape them, rendering them far from static. These current scholars of frontier theory have sought to fight the image of frontier spaces as locations needing civilization, which is how they used to be approached. They have also stressed the presence of frontier locales outside of the United States, which was the focus of Frederick Jackson Turner's seminal work. Leonard Thompson and Howard Lamar, two prominent figures in the New West approach to frontier theory, argue that the only effective way to study frontiers is to do so through the use of comparative studies. While comparative studies are common in cultural anthropological research on frontiers in North America, the extant archaeology done has not taken a comparative approach nearly as often. My study takes steps toward reintroducing a comparative approach to frontier archaeology. examine the way that the actions of frontier inhabitants (including negotiation, conflict, and cohesion) combined with geographic and ecological factors within two specific locations: Smuttynose Island, Maine, and Highland City, Montana. To make the comparison across space and time between these two locations, I analyze them through the framework of informal economy, trade and exchange networks and the negotiation of social capital through commensal politics. I argue that the inhabitants of frontier settlements interact with the processes at work within frontier zones in such similar ways that it materializes in the archaeological record. I explore tavern assemblages left behind by these frontier inhabitants, with a specific focus on ceramics and glass. Through an examination of the drinking spaces within both settlements, I shed light on the microeconomics of these two locales and of frontier spaces more broadly. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ii Dedications iii Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. Pushing Boundaries: A Theoretical Approach to Frontier Communities 6 Chapter 3. Over the Table and Under It: Commensal Politics within Drinking Spaces 40 Chapter 4. “Fishermen, Sailors, Smugglers, and Picaroons:” The Isles of Shoals Fishing Station 66 Chapter 5. Gold Towns & Ghost Towns: The Mechanics of Mining in the American West and Highland City 87 Chapter 6. Archaeological Research 189 Chapter 7. Highland City Artifact Analysis 213 Chapter 8. Conclusions 465 References 478 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Megan Victor wishes to express her appreciation to Dr. Neil L. Norman and Dr. Danielle Moretti-Langholtz, whose patience, guidance and thoughtful commentary proved invaluable in the completion of this work. The author is also indebted to Professors Marley Brown, III and Kelly J. Dixon, for their careful reading and criticism of the manuscript. In particular, Megan would like to thank the following individuals, without whom this work would not have been completed: Steven McCollum, Nancy McQuinn, Kelli Cassias, Tammy Cherullo, Dennis Leopold, Ryan Powell, Dave Shimamura, Meredith Gajovski, Mari Crumpton, Sami Taylor, Victoria Gum, Connie Victor, and Anne Benear Additionally, Megan would like to thank Dr. Nathan Hamilton, the Shoals Marine Laboratory, the US Forest Service – in particular tthe Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest – the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives, the Montana Historical Society Research Center, J. Dennis Robinson, Nick Jacques, Liane, and Jason from the Barrister Bed & Breakfast, Bill Predergast, the World Museum of Mining, and Americorps St. Louis. ii This dissertation is dedicated first and foremost to my wife, my biggest source of strength, my rock, and my ladybug, Anne. Additionally, I dedicate this work to my hound (and secret co-author), Bannack, my parents – Cindy Victor & Steve McCollum and David & Dianne Victor, my sister, Connie, my Nana, my Grandma, Nancy McQuinn, & Shayna Cohen, without whose support I never would have achieved this goal. Finally, a hearty thank you goes out to Starbucks Coffee, Bastille, Plethyn, and Jason Isaacs. iii LIST OF TABLES 1. Table 7.1: Highland City Artifact Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 213 2. Table 7.2: Highland City Artifact Class Totals 214 3. Table 7.3: Metal Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 215 4. Table 7.4: Hardware and Tools Totals 216 5. Table 7.5: Hardware and Tools 217 6. Table 7.6: Accessories & Fasteners Totals 220 7. Table 7.7: Cookware & Household Objects Totals 227 8. Table 7.8: Equestrian & Transportation Totals 234 9. Table 7.9: Storage Totals 238 10. Table 7.10: Ammunition Totals 250 11. Table 7.11: Glass Totals 255 12. Table 7.12: Amber Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 256 13. Table 7.13: Recovered Amber Glass Sherd Types 258 14. Table 7.14: Minimum Number of Amber Vessels Found 267 15. Table 7.15: Amethyst Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 269 16. Table 7.16: Aqua Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 270 17. Table 7.17: Recovered Aqua Glass Sherd Types 272 18. Table 7.18: Minimum Number of Aqua Vessels Found 285 iv 19. Table 7.19: Cobalt Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 287 20. Table 7.20: Pale Blue Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 287 21. Table 7.21: Recovered Pale Blue Glass Sherd Types 289 22. Table 7.22: Minimum Number of Pale Blue Vessels Found 294 23. Table 7.23: Black Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 295 24. Table 7.24: Recovered Black Glass Sherd Types: 296 25. Table 7.25: Colorless Non-Window Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 298 26. Table 7.26: Recovered Colorless Glass Sherd Types 299 27. Table 7.27: Minimum Number of Colorless Vessels Found 310 28. Table 7.28: Colorless Window Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 312 29. Table 7.29: Solarized Colorless Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 314 30. Table 7.30: Recovered Solarized Colorless Glass Sherd Types 315 31. Table 7.31: Minimum Number of Solarized Colorless Vessels Found 322 32. Table 7.32: Emerald Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 324 33. Table 7.33: Recovered Emerald Glass Sherd Types 325 34. Table 7.34: Minimum Number of Emerald Vessels Found 326 35. Table 7.35: Green Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 327 v 36. Table 7.36: Recovered Green Glass Sherd Types 327 37. Table 7.37: Minimum Number of Green Glass Vessels 330 38. Table 7.38: Pale Green Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 330 39. Table 7.39: Recovered Pale Green Glass Sherd Types 331 40. Table 7.40: Minimum Number of Pale Green Vessels 334 41. Table 7.41: Olive Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 335 42. Table 7.42: Recovered Olive Glass Sherd Types 336 43. Table 7.43: Minimum Number of Olive Vessels Founds 342 44. Table 7.44: Milk Glass Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 342 45. Table 7.45: Recovered Milk Glass Sherd Types 344 46. Table 7.46: Recovered Milk Glass Buttons 348 47. Table 7.47: Minimum Number of Milk Glass Vessels Found 351 48. Table 7.48: Bone Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 352 49. Table 7.49: Mammal Bone Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 352 50. Table 7.50: Mammal Bones, Sorted by Mammal Size 354 51. Table 7.51: Cut / Sawn Mammal Bones, Sorted by Mammal Size 354 52. Table 7.52: Bird Bone Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 356 53. Table 7.53: Other Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 358 54. Table 7.54: Recovered Other Artifacts 359 vi 55. Table 7.55: Recovered Ore Types 370 56. Table 7.56: Recovered Shell Types 371 57. Table 7.57: Recovered Synthetic Polymer Types 373 58. Table 7.58: Lithic Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 376 59. Table 7.59: Lithic Types 377 60. Table 7.60: Lithic Source Material 379 61. Table 7.61: Ceramic Totals from All Three Years of Excavation at Highland City 382 62. Table 7.62: Unknown Ceramics, Coarse Sherd Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 384 63. Table 7.63: Smoking Pipe Fragment Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 386 64. Table 7.64: Recovered Smoking Pipe Fragment Types 386 65. Table 7.65: Clay Pigeon Fragment Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 389 66. Table 7.66: Tin-Glazed Enamelware Sherd Totals, Organized by Means of Collection 392 67.