The Gwinnett Archaeological Research Society has scheduled a field trip to the Roswell Mills site for Sunday, November 15. Archaeologist Jim D’Angelo, who conducted limited excavations at the site in 2008, will lead the walking tour, which will follow existing trails, including the recently constructed trail through the ruins of second 1853 mill. The tour will begin at 1 pm departing from the Old Mill parking lot at the end of Mill Street. Click here, here, and here for general information on Roswell and the mills, as well as directions.

Though this field trip is limited to historic sites along the Vickery Creek trail, there is a lot more to see in Roswell including Barrington Hall, the Visitor’s Center at the head of Sloan Street and other sites. The tour will only be a couple of hours so you may want to take in some of these other points. The Visitor’s Center will have information on these. In fact, if you can get to Roswell a half hour before the tour, it would be worthwhile to stop in the Visitor’s Center as they have a scale model of the mills along the creek and other information on the mills.

Elberton is a community east-northeast of Atlanta, not far from the state line. Elberton is atop the northern end of a subterranean deposit of granite that extends southwest past Lexington. Scientists refer to this as the Lexington-Oglesby Blue Granite Belt; it is at least twenty-five miles long and as wide as fifteen miles.

For over a century, Elberton granite has been commercially quarried and used to clad buildings, for burial monuments, and for statues.

If you are lucky enough to travel to Elberton, try to visit the Granite Museum. Last time I was there they had a bin of spalls, or waste chips from a quarry, and you could take one as a souvenir. This is the one I picked!

You can see that Elberton’s granite is mostly gray, and is often described as blue-gray. This granite is composed of three different mineral grains, all visible to the naked eye, and in this sample. The white grains are feldspar, and they are the most abundant. The light gray, shiny grains are quartz. The black, flake-like bits are biotite, or black mica. All together, they present a very pleasing appearance.

Italian stone cutters emigrated to Elberton in the early 1900s, making its inhabitants rather different demographically than those of other rural communities in Georgia.

Fact: in the quarries, they use very high-powered and focused jets of water to cut pieces of stone away from the geological deposit.

Bottle photograph from Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website.

If you’re interested in historic bottles, you may enjoy browsing the Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website. The website aids visitors in finding out how old a bottle is, and what type it is. The website is limited to bottles made in the USA, and to some extent, Canada, between about 1800 and the 1950s. That’s still a lot of bottles, and some major changes in bottle making technology!

Why, you might wonder, is this information presented via a website, and not a more traditional printed publication? The website states:

In order to answer or address questions related to the dating and typing a bottle, a lot of information must be presented in a way that is accessible to the user of this site. A major benefit of using the internet to accomplish this task is the ability to use hundreds (or thousands) of illustrative pictures that would not be possible (or affordable) if published in book form. Another benefit of the internet is the relative ease of revising and/or adding information to a website as corrected or new information becomes available. As soon as the information is added it is available to everyone immediately; an attribute not possible with a printed publication. Finally, the ability of the internet to easily reach more potential users than any other communication medium makes it the most powerful tool of education and enlightenment available today.

You might especially enjoy perusing scanned pages of the 1906 Illinois Glass Company Illustrated Catalogue and Price List. Thumbnails of the scans are on this webpage.

The website is sponsored by the Society for Historical Archaeology and the Bureau of Land Management of the US Department of the Interior. Click here to visit it.

Editor’s Note

Back in late March 2009, GAAS and SGA member Dick Brunelle issued a challenge to thesga.org readers. He had read a January Weekly Ponder on a Copeland-Inglis brick found in an Atlanta brick street, and responded by asking who made the brick he had photographed at Hills and Dales, the Callaway family home in LaGrange, which had “LACLEDE KING” stamped on it. As a tease, he noted: The brick is more closely related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition than it is to covered bridges in Georgia. Member Jim D’Angelo was the only one to log in and comment on these brick controversies, among other things noting that he has a biography of John Randolph Copeland (1863-1935), partner in Copeland-Inglis Brick company. Now, Mr. Brunelle reveals the whoe story behind that enigmatic brick….

The answer…

Laclede Fire Brick Company as it appeared in 1854. On the hill behind the plant, can be seen the old Sublette mansion and nearby buildings of the sulphur springs resort. Clay was mined between the plant and the mansion.

The Birthplace of the Laclede King Brick

Bridge builder Horace King practiced his craft up and down the Chattahoochee River before and after his emancipation from slavery. The Townsend Truss structures he specialized in building required solid piers of durable material. Knowing he headed a family enterprise, brick making did not seem beyond possibility for this one time resident of LaGrange, Georgia.

At least, this is what I thought when I spotted the Laclede King brick at the beautiful estate of Hills and Dales in LaGrange. However, a search of Horace King family members did not come up with anyone named Laclede. Casting my net over the Internet, I fished up one Pierre Laclede Liquest.

We find that this enterprising man, a native of France, came to New Orleans in 1755. Soon, he dropped the Pierre from his name and his associates dropped the Liquest. This sort of name dropping was common among the early French in Louisiana. Laclede married an unattached woman in New Orleans, who was also enterprising and had accumulated money trading furs and other goods. She had previously been married to Auguste Rene Chouteau, and her son Auguste was now Laclede’s stepson. To further complicate an already confusing family relationship, stepson Auguste Chouteau had a half brother named Pierre. Some surmise he was a son of Laclede, but he was called Pierre Chouteau.

Laclede supposedly obtained trading rights from the last French governor for all the territory along the Missouri River. He and his stepson Auguste Chouteau established a trading post that Laclede named St Louis in April 1764 in honor of King Louis IX. Between the time he first set foot there, at the end of 1763, and the time of his death in 1788, Laclede had built up his name enough to bequeath it to things both material and political. As we now suspect, this includes bricks.

But, how can the name on our brick be close to Lewis and Clark? This clue was mainly intended to get the ponderer in the correct geographical area. However, both Chouteaus could not get any closer to William Clark than they did in September of 1797. Clark had been across the river trying to gather information to help out his older brother George Rogers Clark, who was in deep doo-doo for spending too much government money embarrassing the British while venturing into their territory.

Feeling the urge to party, William went to St Louis to scope out the town. There, he had a ball (literally) at Pierre Chouteau’s place with “all the fine girls and buckish Gentleman.” Now that they were drinking buddies, Clark would not forget his new friends when he came back across the river years later with Meriwether Lewis. The Spanish governor would not allow the Corps of Discovery to come ashore, but did accept a courtesy visit from Clark, who used the occasion to affirm his friendship in an aside with Auguste Chouteau. Meriwether Lewis used what influence he had to get Pierre Chouteau appointed Agent of Indian Affairs for Upper Louisiana in 1804.

The Chouteau brothers had considerable economic and political clout to go with their immense knowledge of the country and inhabitants of the Missouri and points west. It would take all of this to compete with the companies and political entities trying to control trade with the Indian nations. In turn, the Chouteau brothers made alliances with groups and individuals they deemed most capable to meet the challenges. One of these was William L. Sublette, previously a competitor. He became “their man on the ground” to deal with the most dangerous situations. Bill Sublette used shrewd strategy and good business ability, along with superior frontier skills, to stay alive and come out ahead.

After he gave up mountain man life, it would be Bill who would become owner of the ground that would one day yield the clay for our Laclede brick. Surprisingly, Bill aspired to create his own little utopia close to the city of St Louis, rather than live in Big Sky country. He chose a pleasing valley with a sulphur spring and “a river runs through it.” The “clear crystal stream” was called “River Des Peres”. This piece of property just happened to once belong to the husband of Auguste and Pierre’s sister Victoire Chouteau, Charles Gratiot, who had received it in a Spanish land grant of about 8000 acres.

In 1835, Bill had several log cabins and a large stone manor built on his 779 acre arcadia sanctuary. Sublette immediately put into play a gentleman farmer economy; exploiting natural resources of the property. Along with agricultural, livestock, and lumbering operations, mining of coal and clay was started. As it turned out, the clay was found to be the best in the country for making firebrick.

Gratiot’s son Paul had a fire brick kiln as early as 1837. We do not know, however, if Bill Sublette himself did anything but mine the clay. Soon, Bill’s arcadia had a menagerie of Wild West animals and a sulphur springs health resort for 60 boarders. Sadly, the healing waters did not restore health to Bill during an illness; so, he sought help in the East, but died in a Pittsburg, Pennsylvania hotel during his travels, on July 23, 1845.

William L. Sublette’s earthly remains were brought from Pittsburg and interred on his estate.

Soon, another utopia seeker was on the move in the person of Etienne Cabet. A French experimenter in communal living, he coined the word communisme; which became communism. Called the Icarian Movement, he lead his followers to found a colony in America; first in the Texas Red River Valley, then to the recently vacated haven of Brigham Young in Nauvoo, Illinois. Alas, Arcadia was not found there. The fragmented Icarians that still followed Cabet moved on to St Louis; but Cabet died at the end of 1856.

The remaining Icarians struggled on and in two years bought Sublette’s place, which was then on the block. Ironically, unhealthy conditions at the health resort were one reason that the colony to disbanded. Even more ironic, Bill Sublette’s mortal remains could not stay because of the demand for clay around the cemetery that contained them. Forced out at the point of a shovel, Bill’s remains were moved to Bellefontaine Cemetery in St Louis city in 1868.

Resting on 80 acres of land close by, Laclede Fire Brick Manufacturing Company was inhaling clay from the old Sublette Estate and exhaling an array of brick products. Thus, neither William Sublette nor Etienne Cabet found a final resting place in that place first called Sulphur Springs, then Cheltenham, and finally Dogtown.

However, one brick made from the clay of that place rests in the garden walk of a little arcadia created by the Callaway family in LaGrange, Georgia, where it proclaims to all that take notice: Laclede Brick is King!

Ponder, for a moment, this brick.

When I saw it in the garden walk at Hills and Dales, the Callaway family home that was built on an old plantation property in LaGrange. I guessed it to be made by a family member of a famous craftsman who once lived in LaGrange.

Hint: Expect the unexpected.

Another hint: The brick is more closely related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, than it is to covered bridges in Georgia.

Editor’s note: SGA and GAAS member Dick Brunelle sent this to me after reading about this brick I saw in an Atlanta street. Comments are enabled so you can submit your hypothesis/guess.

Fascade of Callaway family home, Hills and Dales.

Give up? Read the answer here; it’s a fascinating story….

Southern Research has recently carried out a number of projects in Georgia that may be of interest to the members of SGA.

Barnes Cemetery Relocation, Bibb County

The Barnes Cemetery was first recorded in 2007 during a reconnaissance for the Macon-Bibb Industrial Authority conducted by Southern Research. The reconnaissance was required by a site certification program for Georgia Allies and the Georgia Department of Economic Development. The Authority gained the important certification and began to market the property for development. When Kumho Tire Corporation selected the Authority’s Property to build a new manufacturing facility, plans to relocate the Barnes Cemetery were developed. In April 2008, Southern Research delineated the cemetery and conducted genealogical research for the Authority. The Industrial Authority petitioned the Superior Court of Bibb County, Georgia for a permit to disinter and relocate the human remains present in the Barnes Cemetery, an Abandoned Cemetery as defined by state law (OCGA 36-72). The Court issued a Consent Order permitting the activity as proposed in the Permit Application’s Disinterment and Relocation Plan. The Authority enlisted the services of Southern Research to carry out the Court’s Order. The Disinterment and Relocation was conducted in late October (yes, on Halloween) and early November 2008. The work discovered 13 individual graves interred in the Barnes Cemetery: four adults, one adolescent and eight children or infants. The results of this effort determined that the living direct descendants included Mr. Thomas Carlton Barnes, his children and grandchildren who live nearby. Based upon the genealogical research, we determined that the individuals were interred between the 1880s and 1907.

Fort Valley State University Reconnaissance Survey, Peach County

During the first two weeks of June 2008, Southern Research, Historic Preservation Consultants, Inc. conducted a Level One Archaeological Reconnaissance at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia. This effort was part of the development of the first Campus Historic Preservation Plan by a team of preservation professionals. The purpose of the reconnaissance survey was to conduct a literature and records search to determine if previously identified archaeological sites had been recorded on the university campus and to assess the potential for as yet undiscovered sites to be present. The archaeological reconnaissance survey recorded artifacts and features dating from the establishment of Fort Valley High and Industrial School (started in the early twentieth century) as well as evidence of earlier mid-nineteenth century occupations. Using the 1920 Sanborn Insurance Map, we projected the footprints of earlier buildings long since demolished, onto a modern aerial photograph using ArcGIS 9.2. Locating the earliest features of the school contributed to the sense of place that will enhance the students, faculty, staff and alumni’s appreciation of the school’s history as well as what came before.

Don Carter State Park Survey, Hall County

Southern Research has completed the fieldwork and laboratory analysis for an archaeological survey of the portions of Don Carter State Park. A Draft Final Report is in preparation. The area surveyed for the Don Carter State Park consisted of three separate parcels encompassing approximately 400 acres belonging to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District (USACE). The land lies adjacent to Lake Lanier in northeastern Hall County, Georgia. The tracts that were surveyed are where the first improvements will occur on the largely undeveloped property. The land belonging to the USACE was surveyed under Archaeological Resources Protection Act Permit Number DACW01-4-09-0457 issued to the DNR. The survey resulted in the identification of 20 previously recorded archaeological resources: 18 sites and two artifact occurrences. Site 9Hl530 is a cemetery with at least 15 marked and unmarked graves dating to the mid to late nineteenth century. Additional unmarked graves are likely present. Archaeological sites 9Hl537, 9Hl540, and 9Hl542 are house sites that date to the mid nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. All three have retained some integrity as witnessed by intact stone and/or brick ruins and have the potential to yield important information about the history of Hall County. Archaeological sites 9Hl538 and 9Hl540 are prehistoric artifact scatters that yielded pottery sherds from the Middle Woodland Period. These two sites also produced quartz and chert lithic artifacts, fire-cracked rocks, and charred plant remains in sufficient quantities and in context that would suggest they have retained enough integrity to yield important new information regarding prehistory in the Upper Chattahoochee River Valley. Other archaeological sites included quartz lithic scatters of unknown age.

Survey of the Mountain Creek Drainage, Harris County

In 2008, Southern Research conducted a reconnaissance survey of private property located on and adjacent to Pine Mountain in Harris County, Georgia. The work included a search of archaeological records for information regarding past archaeological research on the property and in the region. Historical research in the Harris County Court House yielded important chain of title data for several land lots on the property. During a fieldwork, archaeologists examined at a reconnaissance level, approximately 1,000 of the 8,000 acres. Two previously recorded archaeological sites are located on the property and the field crews found 52 previously unrecorded resources during the survey. These include Native American camp sites, a stone mound, a prehistoric quartzite quarry, historic house sites, cemeteries, a steel truss bridge and a water powered mill site. Most of the sites are disturbed to the extent that little important scientific information about the past remains intact. Poor agricultural practices in the nineteenth century and subsequent timber harvesting activities have contributed to the erosion and disturbance. These resources are for the most part small Native American camp sites probably from the Archaic and Woodland periods. There are some very important resources that are judged to be significant or potentially significant with further investigations. These include the previously recorded archaeological sites, the stone mound, eight cemeteries, a Champion steel truss bridge, the small water powered mill site and four archaeological house sites. These resources are unique, or have retained enough integrity to be able to contribute substantially to our understanding of the past through additional research. The property owners intend to protect and conserve the sites.

How Hoboken got its name

Southern Research recently conducted a cultural resources survey for a client in Hoboken, Georgia. While no archaeological resources were discovered, our historian uncovered the origin of this South Georgia town’s name. Historical research was conducted using traditional published sources, online sources such as NAHRGIS, and informant interviews. It is the latter interviews that proved so interesting. Below are excerpts from some of the informant interviews (edited for general audiences).

One informant suggested that the town was named for Hobo Ken, a country music singer who appeared on the Grand Ole Opry in the 1940s. Another informant countered that Hobo Ken was a professional wrestler on the Southern circuit back in the 1950s to early 1980s. This elderly gentleman went on to say “I went up against him a few times when I was on the circuit, wrestling under the nom de guerre Buddha the Magnificent back in the mid to late 1970s. He was getting on in years back then, while I was an up-and-coming slab in my late 20s. You might have caught us out at the J & J Center on the Commerce Highway (north of Athens) on Tuesday nights back then.”

Another informant suggested that while he had not actually seen the match, he had heard that Hobo Ken whupped Buddha’s a**. Another old timer who said he witnessed the match added “… it’s been many a year since I thought of ‘Buddha’ the Magnificent and his match with Hobo Ken. First off, and this is a fact, ‘Buddha’ started his career as Bubba the Magnificent. But the kid was dyslexic, often getting his b’s and d’s mixed up. So when he wrote his name in Elmer’s glue and glitter on the back of his bathrobe, it came out ‘Budda’ the Magnificent. Now, concerning his match with Hobo Ken at the J & J, it wasn’t really an a** whuppin’, with bodies bouncin’ off the ropes and lots of blood and all. Ken just applied his own form of the ‘sleeper’—a hobo armpit over the nose. It was over in a couple of seconds.” Informant Buddha disputes this version in a tersely worded retort that cannot be repeated here! Further research uncovered this fact: “Hobo Ken” is track 4 on the A side of Ain’t But the One Way written by Vaetta Stewart (aka Vet Stone), little sister of Sylvester Stewart (aka Sly Stone). This was the last album by Sly and the Family Stone released in 1983. Vet Stone was with the vocal group Little Sister which sang backups for Sly and the Family Stone and also did their own thing. Little Sister included Mary McCreary who married Leon Russell, which some say resulted in the recording of the “Wedding Album.”

Finally, our historian settled on this version: Hoboken, Brantley County was incorporated as a city August 16, 1920. This town in the western part of the county may have been named for the city in New Jersey, which was named from the Algonquian word hopocan, meaning “tobacco pipe” or “pipe country.”

Now, who you gonna believe?

Before there was blacktop, some streets were paved with stone or brick. East of Piedmont Park, in Atlanta, is a street that still is paved with bricks. It’s named Cooledge Avenue, and is marked on the map below.

Most of the bricks are plain, but a few are not. This paving brick has letters molded into its surface. They say COPELAND-INGLIS arched across the top of the brick, and B HAM ALA in a straight line across the bottom, when the brick is held sideways. Apparently, Copeland-Inglis shipped bricks across the Southeast. They were used in Chattanooga’s freight depot in the late 1800s. They also were used in Tampa, in the driveway of a 1891 building that was once a hotel, and is now a museum on the University of Tampa campus.

I find this quite interesting. Bricks are heavy, making them relatively expensive to ship. However, the best clays for bricks are not available everywhere. Still, it’s very curious that Birmingham, Alabama, bricks were shipped across the Southeast in the late 1800s.

This does leave one question: why were streets paved?

View of part of the Roswell Mill ruins from the end of the tailrace.

TRC recently completed archaeological monitoring at the 1854 Roswell Manufacturing Company ruins (9FU205) in the City of Roswell’s Vickery Creek Mill Park, in conjuntion with work to make the site accessible to the public. Dr. Jim D’Angelo, our resident industrial archaeology specialist, observed what was uncovered, conducted limited salvage work in part of a wheel-pit and tailrace, and recovered selected artifacts, which have now been conserved. Jim’s observations, supplemented by documentary research, revealed new information about the history of the facility, some of which contradicted earlier reported interpretations.

The Georgia Mountains Chapter continues with the members’ interest and research into the Gainesville limestone and lime production industry. Most work lately has been into the historic records of the industry in the Gainesville area, and crews have revisited the kiln reported here earlier, and found additional constructions in the vicinity. Some members are also recording old boat remains along the streams and rivers of north Georgia. Now that the water levels are so low, it is possible to see, measure, photograph, and record wrecks and remains of boats, dredges, rafts, and so on along the river bottoms.

The September meeting was indoors due in part to the heat, and focused on the recording, mapping, and reporting of sites found, and how to fill out site forms for the Georgia Archaeological Site File. There was also a report on recent archaeology in Peru, with photographs by chapter advisor, Jack Wynn.

One of the most exciting steps GMAS members have taken recently is the establishment of the chapter’s own website, by chapter President Dan Page and member Brian Babcock. It is now up and running, with loads of photographs, and will continue to be improved and updated from time to time. To see what they have produced, and to follow current and planned activities, see http://GMAS.clubspaces.com where Dan and Brian are sharing the latest adventures of the chapter members in the Elachee Nature Preserve as well as along the streams of northern Georgia.

GMAS meets the first Saturday each month at 10 AM at the Elachee Nature Science Center, south of Gainesville, and new members are welcome. For additional information see our website.

The GMAS Archaeology Chapter met on Saturday, July 7, 2007 at the home of Jon Hoekstra, professor at Gainesville College, and resident of Chicopee Mill Village, which is adjacent to Chicopee Woods. Jon hikes in the woods and often ambles along stream beds in the area in search of interesting flora and fauna. One day while hiking, he spotted a rock wall and went to investigate. He was intrigued by the design of the structure, which was more than six feet high and contained two semi-circular openings. He presented pictures of the structure to the chapter meeting, and members determined that the ‚“rock wall” was actually a kiln of some sort.

The purpose of the July meeting was to investigate the structure, clean, measure, and photograph it. GMAS and Elachee Board members hiked to the site, south of the Gainesville airport. The kiln was overgrown with poison ivy vines and Virginia creeper. Fallen trees and thick brush covered access to the two kiln openings and made ground reconnaissance difficult. GMAS volunteers used rakes to clear away leaves and other debris, while other volunteers pulled vines and cleared brush. No artifacts were noted on the surface.

Overall kiln measurements were taken, as well as measurements of the two ‚“eyes”, the openings which help to regulate air flow (Figure 1). Measurements were also taken of the top of the kiln, which was a bowl-like depression in which a large tree was growing. The roof of the kiln was thought to have collapsed on itself, but later research has indicated that the structure was open to the elements in order to regulate the fire. Brian Babcock created scaled CAD drawings from the measurements (Figure 2), to be included in the report on this project.

Figure 1. View of ‚“eyes” for ventilation and access on front of Chicopee Lime Kiln.

Reconnaissance was also made of a nearby undeveloped property, which was found to contain large limestone outcroppings. The existence of these outcroppings near the kiln indicates that the structure was used for making lime rather than pottery or some other function. Limestone from the adjacent property is thought to have been transported to the kiln and then fired into lime.

A small stream that parallels the kiln had a man-made rock wall along it, which might have served as a base for a wheel or flume to bring water to the kiln site.

In addition, Jon Hoekstra has indicated that a similar facility, possibly another limestone kiln, is located nearby, but is extremely overgrown.

Further work on the lime kiln will include close-order shovel tests between the kiln and the stream, research on land ownership, and further research on the construction and function of limestone kilns and their use in the community.

Following the field exercise, chapter President Dan Page began library and local-informant research and learned the following details about the kiln.

This structure is referred to as a ‚“groundhog” kiln, since it is set partly into the hillside. This is an early style, single-charge kiln, which fired only one load at a time. It used wood as fuel, and was unloaded through the vent holes or ‚“eyes” near the base. The open top allowed the lime to be piled from above the ‚“kettle” area. Limestone was available within 100 yards of the kiln, and is still visible. Many local farms had similar small kiln facilities near limestone outcrops to produce lime for their own use.

Figure 2. CAD drawings of Chicopee Limestone Kiln.

Later the lime industry expanded, providing a large source for cement, fertilizer, and other uses. Transportation improved, other fuels became available, and many of the kilns became free-standing structures. These were capable of continuous firing, and did not have to be closed down to empty or refill the ‚“kettles.”

Further background research on limestone kiln operation and its economic and social importance is continuing by chapter members. Further field research will wait until fall leaf-off, to allow easier access and visibility in the area.

Southern Research, Historic Preservation Consultants, Inc. has conducted historical research and field survey of a tract in Fort Gaines along the Chattahoochee River. Our research included a search of Georgia’s Historic Preservation Division’s National Register of Historic Places files, the Georgia Archaeological Site Files, The Georgia Department of Archives and History’s Virtual Archives, and the Digital Library of Georgia. We have also conducted an on-the-ground archaeological survey of the complex.

The area we call the Fort Gaines Historic Industrial Complex is located at the end of Troup Street below the bluff in Fort Gaines. Our best evidence for the history of industrial development in Fort Gaines comes from a series of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps spanning the period 1884 to 1922 and available online from the Digital Library of Georgia (http:// dlg.galileo.usg.edu/sanborn/). The 1895 Sanborn map shows no development in the area; however, by 1900 the Sanborn map shows the presence of the Fort Gaines Oil and Guano Company. This complex included an Oil Mill and a Ginnery, both steam powered, with separate guano, seed and hull warehouses present. A man-made pond furnished water for fire suppression. Although the map is not specific, we presume that cottonseed oil was the primary product based upon the presence of two seed houses. The complex was served by a Central of Georgia Railroad spur from Cuthbert to Fort Gaines.

By 1905, the two smaller hull houses were replaced by one larger structure with the same function but now including an office. The oil mill had been modified with two steam boilers in place and a new black smith shop on site.

By the 1911 Sanborn map, the complex was listed as the Southern Cotton Oil Company. Significant additions appeared on the map including the Paullin and Vincent Fertilizer Plant, the Central of Georgia’s Railroad Depot and the Fort Gaines Pumping Station.

By 1922, the Paullin and Vincent Fertilizer Plant was no longer in operation. The hull warehouse is now called the finished product warehouse and it appears to have been modified with a cupola being added to the roof. Additions to the industrial complex include a reservoir to the Fort Gaines Pumping Station (which now is also referenced as the City Water Works), the Fort Gaines Ice Company and the Standard Oil Company’s Oil Depot. Many of these changes probably came about due to the change from processing cotton and cottonseed to peanut processing. The Sanborn map referenced a peanut shelling room, confirming that the primary product had become peanuts, which were being processed into oil. The Southern Cotton Oil Company still ran the complex, which stretched for nearly a quarter of a mile below the bluff at Fort Gaines. The Central of Georgia Railroad had at least three sidings off the main spur by 1922. Our preliminary research indicates that nearly all of Fort Gaines’ industry was located here, the exceptions being the Columbian Peanut Company, a later development north of town, and the brick kilns located between Cemochechobee Creek and the Chattahoochee River.

In 1984, the Fort Gaines Historic Industrial Complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the greater Fort Gaines Historic District. The Historic District includes over 50 structures and buildings that include most of the present city.

Our work documented that the standing structures that remain today were part of the Southern Cotton Oil Company, the City Water Works and the Paullin and Vincent Fertilizer Plant. Also presently standing is a peanut ginnery built after 1922 over an older and smaller ginnery shown on the 1922 Sanborn map. The Southern Cotton Oil Company’s mill lies in ruins, but with most of the brick piers present. The peanut warehouse and the Paullin and Vincent Plant and warehouse have been reduced to archaeological ruins with brick and concrete foundations remaining. There is clear evidence of the locations of the City Ice Company the Central of Georgia Railroad Depot and the various rail spurs and sidings on the ground. We did not locate the Standard Oil Company’s Oil Depot as it was outside of our survey area. Overall, the archaeological ruins are well preserved.

The remains of Fort Gaines’s Historic Industrial Complex are very significant. The Southern Cotton Oil Company stood in the forefront with the development of the commercial cottonseed oil and soap industries, as well as many other industries. Wesson Oil, Snowdrift and Ivory Soap are familiar products that were developed by the Southern Cotton Oil Company. From the lowly cottonseed came oils, soaps, fertilizers, varnish and paints, fibers for rope, string, and insulation, movie film, and explosives, to name only a few of the many products developed from the seeds of cotton.

The standing structures of the Fort Gaines industrial complex, while deteriorated, are worthy of rehabilitation and reuse. They are an impressive reminder that Fort Gaines prospered in the past as an important industrial center during the early twentieth century. The archaeological ruins of this once busy and productive place are also worthy of study and interpretation. Southern Research is currently working with the owner to reuse the standing structures and interpret the early industry at Fort Gaines.

Members of the Bulloch Hall Archaeology Society, the SGA Chapter based in Roswell, organized a cleanup workday at Roswell Mill, on 11 January 2003. It was a bit cold, but, thankfully, sunny.

All photographs are copyright Michael Shirk.