PUBLISHED BY THE CRM CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PUBLICATION NATIONAL PARK SERVICE VOLUME 20 NO. 14 1997 To promote and maintain high standards Contents ISSN 1068-4999 for preserving and managing cultural resources DIRECTOR CRM and the History Robert Stanton of Science and Technology ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR CULTURAL RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP Foreword 3 Nice Towers, eh?—Evaluating a AND PARTNERSHIPS Maryanne Gerbauckas Transmission Line in Arizona 23 Katherine H. Stevenson Leah S. Glaser EDITOR Pierce Mill—A Past With a Future ... .4 Ronald M. Greenberg Richard Steacy To Make the Crooked Ways Straight and the Rough Ways Smooth— PRODUCTION MANAGER Preserving the History of the First Documenting 19th-century Karlota M. Koester Flight—Wright Brothers National Transportation Systems 25 Memorial 5 Billy Joe Peyton GUEST EDITOR Leonard DeGraaf Mary Doll and Jill Hanson Collecting Slime—Cultural Resources in ADVISORS Floyd Bennett Field- the Federal Fish Hatchery System . .27 David Andrews Gateway of Flight 6 Randi Sue Smith Editor NPS Liam Strain loan Bacharach Interpretive Challenges in a Medical Museum Registrar, NPS Cotton Gins and Presses— Randall J. Biallas History Museum— Historical Architect. NPS Reading Industrial Artifacts at the The Stetten Museum's Susan Buggey Magnolia Plantation 7 First 10 Years 29 Director, Historical Services Branch Richard O'Connor Michele Lyons Parks Canada John A. Bums Architect, NPS What Is HAER? 8 Mystery of the Notched Bar Harry A. Butowsky Eric DeLony at Saugus Iron Works 31 Historian, NPS Curtis McKay White Pratt Cassity Trigger for Atomic Holocaust—Aircraft Executive Director, National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Detection on the DEW Line 10 Resurrecting the Presidio's Historic Muriel Crespi David Neufeld Radio Network 33 Cultural Anthropologist NPS Stephen A. Haller Mark R. Edwards National Historic Landmarks Director. Historic Preservation Division, Bartholomew Lee State Historic Preservation Officer, Georgia Related to the History of Science and Roger E. Kelly Technology 12 Technological History as Green Space— ArcheologiscNPS Joliet Iron Works 35 Antoinette J. Lee Managing RittenhouseTown—A National Jack R. Bergstresser Historian, NPS Historic Landmark 15 John Poppeliers Coxey Toogood International Liaison Officer Notes from the Field—Industrial for Cultural Resources, NPS Preservation in Great Britain 37 Rodman—Last of the Seacoast CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Muzzle-Loaders 16 Phyllis Ellin and Dan Riss Stephen A. Morris Scott S. Sheads Certified Local Governments (CLG) Coordinator, NPS Preserving the History of Mining Anna von Lunz Kay D. Weeks Technology in the NPS 38 Technical Writer-Editor, NPS Bob Higgins Cannon and Conversation— CONSULTANTS Preserving and Interpreting Seashore Teaching Edison History Wm. H. Freeman Technological Change 19 Design. Imaging. Production-Freeman Publishing Services with Traveling Trunks 39 David P. Ogden Janice C. McCoy Beth Aukstikalnis Edrting-Editorial Notes The Japanese Village at the Nevada Test An electronic version of this Site—A Relic of Nuclear War 21 William Gray Johnson Conferences 18 issue of CRM can be accessed Nancy G. Goldenberg through the CRM homepage at Susan R. Edwards <http://www.cr.nps.gov/crm>. Cover:Thomas Alva Edison in his chemistry laboratory, c. 1920s. Photo courtesy Edison National Historic Site. Statements of fact and views are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect an opinion or endorsement on the part of the editors, the CRM advisors and consultants, or the National Park Service. Send articles and correspondence to the Editor CRM (2251), U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Cultural Resources. 1849 C Street, NW, Suite 350NC, Washington, DC 20240; 202-343-3395, fax 202-343-5260; email: <[email protected]>. 2 CRM N2 14—1997 Foreword am pleased to introduce this special theme issue of CRM on the history of science and technology. Inventions such as the telephone, electric light, and automobile have I dramatically altered our lives. Scientific advancements have not only affected our material conditions, they have changed the way we think about ourselves and our world. The recently revised National Park Service Thematic Framework recognized the significance of these topics by listing "expanding science and technology" as one of its eight interpretive themes. This issue comes at an appropriate time—the end of a year-long celebration of Thomas A. Edison's 150th anniversary. Born on February 11, 1847, Edison was one of this country's more prolific inventors. He continues to hold the record for the highest number of U.S. patents granted to an individual (1,093); and his inventions in telecommunications, sound recording, electric lighting, and motion pictures revolutionized 20th-century life. Perhaps his greatest achievements were his laboratories at Menlo Park and West Orange, New Jersey, which pio­ neered industrial innovation and served as models for the modern research and development facilities. As the steward of his West Orange Laboratory, the NPS plays an important role in preserv­ ing the Edison story. The Edison sesquicentennial in 1997, which saw a variety of special events and programs, was an excellent opportunity to continue to expand on this role. Among other things, the Edison National Historic Site enlarged its off-site educational program, held a lecture series on innovation by scientists and business leaders, and organized a three-day conference that deepened our understanding of Edison's legacy. Also, park staff continues to manage the extensive collection of Edison artifacts and archives, and the site recently completed restoration of the buildings where Edison worked from 1887 to 1931. Although Edison was a significant figure in the history of invention, he does not present a complete picture of our scientific and technological heritage. Edison did not work alone. Other people—working before, during, and after his life—also contributed to the stream of discoveries that have shaped our society. The NPS, along with its public and private sector partners, manages a variety of resources related to these themes. Some of these resources date to the colonial period, such as the indus­ trial village at Philadelphia's Historic RittenhouseTown and the iron foundry at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts. Others are of more recent vintage, like the DEW Line defense system in Canada or the nuclear test facilities in Nevada. The articles in this issue discuss some of the problems historians, interpreters, and other CRM professionals face in identifying, preserving, and interpreting science and technology- related cultural resources. While the articles cover a broad range of topics, from colonial indus­ trial practices to nuclear weapons research, this issue is not comprehensive. We hope the articles will stimulate further discussion of these important themes. Maryanne Gerbauckas Superintendent Edison National Historic Site The guest editor would like to thank Harry Butowsky, Beth Cantarella, Anne Markham, Greg Schmidl, and Ed Wirth for assisting in the preparation of this issue. CRM N2 14—1997 3 Richard Steacy tate the site. A Historic Resource Study and envi­ ronmental assessment will be written, fhe goal is to make Pierce Mill operational again, to stage grinding demonstrations, and to enhance the inter­ Pierce Mill pretation of milling technology. The rehabilitation will eventually include replacement of the water- A Past With a Future wheel, main shaft, and other wood mechanisms. Environmental concerns will require the restora­ tion of Rock Creek water to power the mill. From ierce Mill, in Washington, DCs 1971, piped municipal water powered Pierce Mill. Rock Creek Park, is a restored The rehabilitation will take about five years and gristmill based on Oliver Evans' cost one million dollars. In an era of tight budgets, pioneering mill system. Evans our partnership with the Friends of Pierce Mill will (1755-1819P) developed an automated flour mill be essential to achieving our goal. by connecting existing machinery with a system Pierce Mill, which might be the unofficial of horizontal and vertical conveyor belts, allow­ "Oliver Evans' National Historic Site," will incor­ ing grain to travel more efficiently from one stage porate more information about the inventor's life to another. Evans' system earned him the third and work it into its interpretive program. In the U.S. patent, granted in 1790, and was the basis future, the Mill will include an Evans' site bulletin of factory automation later introduced by Henry and, hopefully, sponsorship of an Oliver Evans Ford and other industrialists. Evans' published Science & Technology Fair. description of his system, The Young Mill-wright Although broken, Pierce Mill is not closed. & Millers Guide, went through 15 printings. Its technology is still "interpretable" and includes Pierce Mill operated commercially until displays, children's activities, films, talks, and 1897. When Congress created Rock Creek Park in group tours. A complete tour of the site called 1890, the Mill was incorporated into the park's "The History & Technology of Pierce Mill" is boundaries. From 1905 to 1934, the Mill served as offered every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 a.m. a tea house, which saved the structure from the Information about special programs can be found wrecker's ball. When it assumed stewardship of on the Mill's webpage, the park in 1933, the NPS decided to restore <http://www.nps.gov/rocr/piercemill>; or by calling Pierce Mill as an operating water-powered grist­ 202-426-6908. mill. A deteriorated waterwheel and main shaft forced the park to shut the mill down in 1993. Richard Steacy is a park ranger at Pierce Mill, Rock The NPS, working with the newly formed Creek Park. Friends of Pierce Mill, Inc., is planning to rehabili­ The Harold Cook Professional Library at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument he expeditions of paleontologists in search of Miocene mammal fossils at Agate Springs TRanch exposed Harold J. Cook, son of Nebraska frontiersman James H. Cook, to sci­ ence at an early age. The site is now Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska.