Arcadia Mill Village: Spatial Analysis of a Nineteenth Century Industrial Community

ARCADIA MILL VILLAGE: SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF A NINETEENTH CENTURY

INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITY

Adrianne Boone Sams

B.S., Murray State University, 2006

A thesis submitted to the Department of Anthropology College of Arts and Sciences The University of West Florida In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts

2013

The thesis of Adrianne Boone Sams is approved:

______John C. Phillips, M.A., Committee Member Date

______Brian R. Rucker, Ph.D., Committee Member Date

______John J. Clune, Ph.D., Committee Member Date

______Elizabeth D. Benchley, Ph.D., Committee Chair Date

Accepted for the Department/Division:

______John R. Bratten, Ph.D., Chair Date

Accepted for the University:

______Richard S. Podemski, Ph.D., Dean of Graduate School Date ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This thesis would not have been possible without the support and guidance from my committee members- Dr. Elizabeth D. Benchley, Mr. John C. Phillips, Dr. Brian R. Rucker, and

Dr. John J. Clune. Dr. Benchley, thank you for supporting me through the years and for being a role model. John Phillips, Arcadia Mill would not be what it is today without your dedication and hard work. I have learned so much from you and continue to do so. Dr. Rucker, thank you for your dedication to understanding Arcadia’s historical significance. My research would not be possible without your exhaustive efforts. Dr. Clune, thank you for providing your time and extensive knowledge of local history.

In addition to my committee members, several people have made impacts on my life and my research. Norma Harris, I have so many fond memories and I am truly grateful for your friendship. I’d like to acknowledge and thank Jan Lloyd, Norine Carroll, and Jennifer Melcher for always making themselves available when I needed help. A very big thank you goes to Karen

Mims and Cindi Jackson for always taking care of me. I’d like to thank the descendants of E. E.

Simpson for their interest and involvement in Arcadia Mill. In particular, thank you to Chuck

Simpson for our sporadic Arcadia chats that undoubtedly re-motivated me when I was running out of thesis steam. I’d like to thank the staff of West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc. and

Arcadia Mill for giving me a professional home. I am thankful for Rob Overton’s support not only as a boss, but as someone that encouraged and supported my thesis work. Special thanks go to the Arcadia Mill staff, mainly for working hard and caring about Arcadia like I do, but also for putting up with me during my bad moods and thesis crises. Thank you to all the crew members of the Arcadia Mill Village field schools over the years and a special thank you to Lee McKenzie for braving the wilderness in 1988 to provide the basis of my research. iv

Thanks to all the wonderful friends I have made throughout my journey as a graduate student especially Irina and Scott Sorset, April Holmes, Cindy Sommerkamp, Mary Furlong,

Amanda Roberts-Thompson, Larry James, Roc Jarvis, Brian Mabelitini, and Sheyna Marcey.

Thank you to Deb Mullins for teaching me the art of the “thesis sweatshop.” Della Scott-Ireton, thank you for your constant guidance and for being a friend and golf partner. Thank you to Greg and Amy Cook for the countless holiday parties and good friendship. Special thanks go to Bill

Lees and Monica Beck for their endless friendship and for embracing me as a part of their family. I’d especially like to thank Roy Oberto for not only being my steadfast coworker, but also an amazingly supportive (and tolerant) friend. Josey Walker, words can’t describe how happy I am that you came back into my life and I look forward to what the future holds.

I want to recognize and extend a very special thanks to my family who has continually supported my never-ending tenure as a college student. I’d like to dedicate this thesis to my late