Our club had a busy fall season starting off with our October 18 tour, where we visited the Effingham Old Jail Museum and the Reiser-Zoller House to see an amazing array of 19th and early 20th century tools and household furnishings—the stuff we often dig up in its fragmentary, rusted, and broken state! The Fall Meeting was held at “Vernon Hall” in Vernonburg, just outside Savannah, within a stone’s throw of what is supposed to be the final resting place of the “Water Witch”, a Union blockade vessel scuttled in the Vernon River in 1864. Our new Underwater Archaeologist, Chris McCabe gave an excellent talk on his search for the “Water Witch” and other projects. With our club members, Vernonburg neighbors and other invitees, we had standing room only. We are so indebted to Jeff and Ellen Bolch for their hospitality in lending their wonderful house (ca.1840, remodeled in 1875) for this meeting.

Other events included the Oyster Roast with the Elderhostel at the Marine Extension Service on Skidaway Island, and just recently, a chance to hear of some new research by local historian Barry Sheehy on Civil War battlefield sites and buildings associated with the slave trade, 1830–1860. Coming up this spring, CGAS will co-sponsor a talk at the Savannah College of Art and Design by Dan Elliott on archaeological work he has done on the slave row at North End Plantation, Ossabaw Island. The talk will take place on Wednesday, April 8, at 6:30 PM at 120 Montgomery Street, Savannah. Anyone in the Savannah area wishing to join us is welcome. Please contact Chica or Carl Arndt at (912) 920-2299 or Carndt2651@aol.com for more information.

Posted online on Friday, March 13th, 2009