The Fort Dade Report

( A Publication of the Seminole Wars Historic Foundation)

 

 

Field day at Fort Dade

 

Special Accomplishments:

______________________

 

  • Groundbreaking ceremony for the Fort Dade Field Project.
  • River reconnaissance trip looking for features and bridge crossing areas.
  • Continuing field survey work at the Fort Dade site.
  • Archival and artifact documentation.

 

 

Dr. Brent Weisman

gives an orientation.

Our first field day at Fort Dade on March 8th was  a resounding success, and we would like to thank all the volunteers who came out to help and made it such a memorable day.

Attendees included: Frank and Dale Laumer, Amy Laumer, Jodi Laumer Giddens, Jake Vitalle, Henry Sheldon, Brian Herzog, Debbie Roberson, Barbara Roberts, John Mahon, Jackson Walker, Dawn Hayes,Virginia Rusk, Jim and Janice McCann, Virginia Jackson, James Cusik, Lori Collins, Debbie Hinkle, Toni and Mel Carrier, Bill Keffer, and Brent Weisman.

We opened three units and the volunteers excavated with both shovels and trowels, learned mapping and recording techniques and had a great time.

Virginia Rusk, Virginia Jackson and Debbie Hinkle work on an excavation unit at our groundbreaking ceremony.

Volunteers assists with opening excavation units

 at Fort Dade.

 

 

Foster Reveals Bridge Location

Volunteers begin

 an excavation unit.

Distinguished Author,

 John Mahon shares  thoughts

on the Withlacoochee Area.

Using  measurements given in the journal of Lt. Col. William S. Foster, a field crew from the University of South Florida has tentatively discovered the probable bridge location associated with Fort Dade.  This bridge reportedly spanned the Withlacoochee River at 120 feet across and was known to be an important feature of the Fort King Road. This use of historic references integrated with archaeology is proving to be an important resource in rediscovering the Fort location and associated areas of interest.  Other techniques employed in our testing have included the use of metal detection, systematic posthole testing and surface template mapping using historic references.

 Our first field day at Fort Dade on March 8th was a resounding success, and we would like to thank all the volunteers who came out to help and made it such a memorable day.

Attendees included: Frank and Dale  Laumer, Amy Laumer, Jodi Laumer Giddens, Jake Vitalle, Henry Sheldon, Brian Herzog, Debbie Roberson, Barbara Roberts, John Mahon, Jackson Walker, Dawn Hayes, Virginia Rusk, Jim and Janice McCann, Virginia Jackson, James Cusick, Lori Collins, Debbie Hinkle, Toni and Mel Carrier, Bill Keffer, and Brent Weisman.

We opened three units, and the volunteers excavated with both shovels and trowels, learned mapping and recording techniques and had a great time.

 

 

Donation of Artifacts Helps Tell the Tale

 

Artifacts we've

 recovered from the field:

__________________

 

  • Nails (burned and corroded and detailed maps with distibution patterns noted)
  • Pipe stems and bowls
  • Glass (some burned and melted) dating the period
  • Gun flints
  • UID Hardware and metal items
  • Ceramics

 

Through the gracious donation of Clyde Southern, the Seminole Wars Historic Foundation and USF   have a better understanding of the material culture to be likely encountered in our on-going investigations at the Fort Dade site.  Clyde donated several artifacts including military buttons, lead shot, pipe stem and bowls, representative glass, ceramics, a lead flint patch and gun flint that were recovered from surface reconnaissance on the property during the 1970s (prior to the SWHF ownership of the site).

These artifacts are providing not only a  wealth of information about the site, but are also a wonderful training tool for students acquainting themselves with the historical archaeological record in Florida.

Donated artifacts from

the Southern Collection.

An eye for detail - Dr. Brent Weisman and Toni Carrier work on collecting elevation data.