1991 Investigations at Fort Gibraltar I
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I I I I 1991 INVESTIGATIONS I AT FORT GIBRALTAR I: I THE FORKS PUBLIC ! ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT I I I 1 I I Sid Kroker Barry B. Greco I Kate Peach 1 I I I ABSTRACT During the summer of 1991, funding from Canadian Parks Service, The Forks Renewal Corporation and Historic Resources Branch of Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Citizenship enabled the implementation of a 12-week Public Archaeology Program. The program provided a hands-on archaeological experience for more than 645 individuals, through general public participation and school program components. The cumulative number of visitors to the project over the three years of operation has reached 100,000. The 1991 project was again conducted by a staff of professional archaeologists, assisted by a participant coordinator and two tow guides. A ratio of two participants for each profes- sional was maintained, both in the excavation component and the laboratory component. This ratio resulted in close supervision and the maintenance of professional standards. The enthusiasm and intense concentration displayed by the participants resulted in work of very high quality. The excavation was a continuation of the 1989 and 1990 projects conducted at The Forks National Historic Site. The 1991 project continued to uncover further evidence of the major events that occurred in this area. The major natural event, the flood of 1826, was identified in the soil stratigraphy. Four cultural events, documented by stratigraphy and recovered artifacts, were the Railway Period (1888-1988), the construction of the B&B Building (1888-1889), the Hudson's Bay Company Experimental Farm (1836-1848) and the Fort Gibraltar I Period (1810-1816). Structural remains of buildings of the fur trade post were recorded. Evidence was recovered which suggests that the location was occupied prior to the construction of Fort Gibraltar I. More than 25,000 artifacts were recovered. cataloeued and analvzed. The~ artifacts~ consist~ ~~ " ~ ~, of material from recent railroad operations to trade items and faunal remains from the first North West Company fur trade post at The Forks. The continuing enthusiasm of the public, both as participants and as observers, makes it imperative that this project be continued under the leadership of The Forks Public Archae- ology Association. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The 1991 Public Archaeology Project had two distinct foci, each with its own specific goals and objectives. The primary focus was the continuation of archaeological research in order to obtain additional data regarding Fort Gibraltar I (1810-1816)-the structures and the people who lived in them. In addition, the project was envisioned as an interpretation vehicle, wherein members of the public and the school system could participate in the hows and the whys of archaeology. The secondary focus, that of public education, was carried out in conjunctio~iwith the archaeological research program and in such a manner that the scientific integrity of the research was not affected. The goals of the research component of the project were: 1. to obtain artifactual and stratigraphic evidence that would provide detailed evidence concerning the buildings and/or palisades of Fort Gibraltar I, in order to accurately determine the location of the fort and its internal design; 2. to obtain data that would help clarify the complex soil stratigraphy at the site and correlate the soil levels and riverine deposition sequences observed in 1984,1989, and 1990; 3. to correlate artifact recoveries with those from 1984,1989, and 1990 in order to develop a more complete picture of the activities which occurred at Fort Gibraltar I; 4. to further investigate features which had been recorded during the 1989 and 1990 projects; 5. to obtain further data concerning the events that had occurred in the area, before, and after the establishment of Fort Gibraltar I (A.D. 1810); 6. to facilitate interdisciplinary investigations into the natural history of The Forks. The goals of the public component of the program were: 1. to fulfill the public mandate of historic interpretation at The Forks for the community and visitors; 2. to demonstrate the role of archaeological fieldwork in the recovery and interpretation of heritage resources at The Forks; 3. to provide hands-on experience for interested members of the public who wished to participate in archaeological studies under the supervision of professional researchers; 4. to obtain tangible historical evidence that The Forks was used as a meeting place and to provide a link between the past, present and future; 5. to make the public aware of the significance of The Forks and its in situ archaeological resources; 6. to provide an opportu~utyfor school groups to use the archaeology project as part of their social science curriculum; 7. to determine the appropriate mechanisms for future public archaeological program- ming at the site; 8. to involve the community-at-large in heritage programming at the site; 9. to help make downtown Winnipeg a focus of attention for residents and visitors. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The senior author wishes to acknowledge the invaluable work and dedication of his co-authors [Barry Greco and Kate Peach] and the other contributors to this document. Donalee Deck undertook analysis of charcoal and Shannon Coyston examined the seed recoveries. Pamela Goundry provided major input during the preparation of the document. Catherine Flynn produced the computer graphic representations of profiles and features. Angela LuverA drew the artistic representation of the reconstmcted recovered pipe bowl. Leigh Hambly prepared the report in a desktop publishing format. In theplanningand implementation of aproject of this magnitude, the efforts of many more people than the immediate staff are necessary. Sincere thanks are extended to the senior personnel of Canadian Parks Service, The Forks Renewal Corporation and Historic Re- sources Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Citizenship for their contributions to the project. Special gratitude is acknowledged to Ellen Lee, RickStuart, Liann Roberts and Mike Fay [Canadian Parks Service], A1 Baronas and Nick Diakiw [The Forks Renewal Corpora- tion], and Gary Dickson and Donna Dul [Historic Resources Branch] for their considerable efforts expended during the planning of the project. In numerous ways, the staff of the project were assisted by agencies and members of the archaeological community of Manitoba. Materials and supplies were provided by Cana- dian Parks Service, The Forks Renewal Corporation and Historic Resources Branch. Pri- mary funding derived from these three sources. Display materials and publications for the Kiosk were provided by The Forks Public Archaeology Association and the Manitoba Archaeological Society. Post-field season laboratory and research facilities at the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature were provided through the efforts of Dr. E. Leigh Syms. Special thanks are extended to the Manitoba Heritage Federation who provided funding for the purchase of a new tent to shelter the project, as well as for laboratory equipment. Gratitude is acknowledged to the Manitoba Archaeological Society Executive, especially Peter Filopoulos, for the implementation of the MHF grant. Theassistance of many individuals was greatly appreciated. Contributionsby the following people are matefullv acknowled~ed:Paul Soeidel. Lee-Anna Smith. Lori Dueck. Catherine A Flynn, ~au;a ~ac&an,Darrin henson, kilbert Chartrand, ~harbn~homson, Shannon Coyston, Eric Sionds, Karen Lawlor, Pamela Goundry and Vernon Nawagesic [project staffl; Peter Priess, Gary Adams, Kevin Lunn, Mary AnnTisdale, Jennifer Hamilton, S. Biron Ebell, Debbie Cochrane and Linda Seyers [Canadian Parks Service]; Gary Dickson, Pat Badertscher, Peter Walker, and Gordon Hill [Historic Resources Branch]; Dr. E. Leigh Syms and Joanne DiCosmo [Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature]; Dr. C. T. Shay [University of Manitoba]; Shelley Bellchamber, Anna Davies, Marilyn Edmunds and Eva Boldt [The Forks Renewal Corporation]; Manitoba Archaeological Society Executive; Liam Roberts, Linda Suttelin and the interpretive and maintenance staff at The Forks National Historic Site; and members of the Board of The Forks Public Archaeology Association. Apologies are extended to anyone whose name has been overlooked. Last, but definitely not least, the staff of the 1991 Forks Public Archaeology Project wish to thank theenthusiastic participants and the interested members of the uublic who made this a most rewarding archeological experience. CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..............................................i GOALS AND OBJECTIVES .....................................ii ... ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................III CONTENTS .............................................iv FIGURES ..............................................viii LIST OF TABLES ...........................................x 1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................... .I 1. 1 Planning for the 1991 Project ................................1 1.2 Scope of the 1991 Public Program .............................2 2.0 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND .................................4 2.1 The First Inhabitants (8000 t3.C.-A.D.1737) .........................4 2.2 Contact Period (1737-1821) ................................5 2.2.1 Fort Gibraltar l(1810-1816) .............................6 2.3 The Transition Period (1 821 -1 870) .............................7 2.4 Industrialization and Immigration Period (1870-1888) ...................8 2.5 The Railway Period (1888-1988 ..............................8