ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT FORT SCOTT NATIONAL

HISTORIC SITE, BOURBON COUNTY, KANSAS: 1992

By

Caven P. Clark

Midwest Archeological Center

Technical Report No. 28

United States Department of Interior

National Park Service

Midwest Archeological Center

Lincoln, Nebraska

1993
"ABSTRACT

In November and December of 1992 trenches were dug for the installation of a new

security alarm system at Fort Scott National Historic Site, Kansas. The trenching operations

were monitored to determine if cultural features and artifacts are located in the areas of

primary impact. Several features were recorded, and a number of artifacts dating to the

military and post-military history of the fort were collected. In addition, a final portion of

this report addresses the research potential in other areas of the fort complex.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This project was undertaken during the Thanksgiving 

, 

and Christmas holiday seasons,

and the onset of winter weather conditions produced a less-than-optimal context for field

archeology and construction. The staff of Fort Scott, Superintendent Steve Miller, Historian

Arnold Schofield, Museum Aid Atan Chilton, Maintenance Foreman Mike Vachon,

Woodcrafter Mike Youngren, and Richard Armstrong (Innovative Systems, Inc.) and his

crew worked in concert between the squalls, ice storms, and mud to complete the project.

vast affay of Christmas cookies in Historic Structure 1 did much Jhe to mitigate my stay in

Fort Scott. Todd Ahlman of the Midwest Archeological Center provided the bulk of the

descriptive information on the historic artifacts. His interest and e4pertise are much

appreciated.
TABLE OF CONTENfS

Abstract ....i

Acknowledgments u

Tableof Contents ..... iii

ListofTables .....

Listof Figures ... iv

Introduction

Brief History of Fort Scott 1

Previous Research 2

Soils and Stratigraphy 3

Part I: Trench Monitoring

Field Methods 5

Results of Trenchinp 5

Discussion 14

Part II: Archeological Research Needs 15

HS-30 Trade Shop Foundation 15

Enlisted Men's Latrines 15

Officers'Row . r6

Walkway in Parade 17

Retaining Wall at Quartermaster's Quadrangle . . . L7

Prehistoric Component . . 18

HS-12 Moisture Mitigation 18

Reanalysis of Extant Collections . . . 18

Summary ...:. t9

References Cited 2L

Table 23

Figures 25

Appendix A: Annotated Artifact Catalog and Descriptions, by Todd Ahlman 35

iii
UST OF TABLES 

1. Summary of historic structures, Fort Scott, Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

LIST OF FIGURES 

1. Location of Fort Scott on the Military Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 

2. Plan of Fort Scott by Captain Thomas ·swords, 1848 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

3. Plan of buried security system trenches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

4. Typical trench segment in Parade southeast of Dragoon Stables . . . . . . . . . . 28 

5. Location of buried wall at Historic Structure 30, looking east towards 

west corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

6. Historic Structure 30, buried wall in profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

7. Historic Structure 30, buried wall tie-in to original foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

8. Artifacts from Historic Structure 6, infantry barracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

9. Artifacts from Historic Structure 4, Garden Wall, footing trench . . . . . . . . . . 32 

10. Artifacts from Dragoon Stables, Parade, and Historic Structure 1 . . . . . . . . . 33 

iv 
INTRODUCTION'

In late November and December 1992, the author monitored the installation of a

buried security alarm system. Part I of this report explains the field methods that were used

and the results that were obtained. In addition, the author discussed future archeological

research needs at Fort Scott with park staff, especially with regard to the cultural landscape.

A summary of these discussions is included in Part II of this report.

A Brief History of Fort Scott

Fort Scott was established on the Military Road, which ran from Fort Jessup,

Louisiana, to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, as one of a series of forts (Figure 1) designed to

provide a military buffer between indigenous and removed Indian groups in the Indian

Territory of the I-ouisiana Purchase, and white settlers on the frontier. The site of the fort

was selected and temporary quarters established in 1842 (Oliva 1984). The design of the

fort complex was developed by Captain Thomas Swords, and a plan map of the fort showing

the structures in various stages of completion was produced in 1848 (Figure 2).

The initial period of Fort Scott's history spans 1842 to 1853, during which time

federal policy embraced the concept of a fast-moving, mounted force. Such a force,

positioned along the Military Road, could respond quickly to disturbances along its length.

Soldiers of the First Dragoon and Fourth Infantry regiments assisted in the fort's

construction as skilled as well as unskilled craftsmen. A sawmill was established within a

few miles of the fort on the Marmaton River, where the massive walnut beams still

preserved in the original structures were cut.

Military duties included exploration and caravan escorts along the Santa Fe Trail,

where Texas raiders made traffic hazardous. In addition to its frontier peace-keeping role,

much of the garrison at Fort Scott was involved in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).

By 1850 it appeared that the frontier role for which the fort was conceived was obsolete, and

the fort was abandoned to the custody of Ordnance Sergeant McCann in L853 and the

buildings sold at public auction in 1855 (Oliva 1984).

The years prior to the Civil War saw the incorporation and growth of the town of

Fort Scott around the nucleus of the fort complex. Its location just west of Missouri brought

it fully into the often violent controversy over slavery and the role of African Americans in

the territory. Violent interactions between the Free-State and the Pro-Slavery factions

brought the military back to Fort Scott for a brief period in 1858. At this time, there were

two hotels on opposite sides of the Parade known locally as the Free-State Hotel (Historic

Structure 1) and the Pro-Slavery Hotel (Historic Structure 7) that symbolized the

divisiveness growing in the territory. The Free-State faction won control over the state in

1859 and Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state in L861,, at which time the

troubles experienced on a local level exploded into the Civil War.
Incated near the Kansas-Miss,ouri border, the town of Fort Scott was occupied

continuously by Union troops from 1860 to October 1865. The troops were billeted in tents

on the Parade and in former military buildings as well as privately-owned buildings. During

the Civil War the U.S. Army constructed many buildings and quartermaster support facilities

in the town of Fort Scott and on land adjacent to it. The army also constructed a line of

defensive earthwork fortifications which surrounded the town. Today the only existing

representation of these fortifications is a reconstructed blockhouse (Lunette Blair) that is

located southwest of the Visitor Center on Skubitz Plaza. It is also believed that the two

carriage houses (Historic Structures 31 and 32), which are located behind Officers' Row,

were constructed between 1855 and 1865.

The last episode of military concern involving Fort Scott was in L869-1873, when a

small number of troops was stationed in southeast Kansas to protect the railroad

construction crews and to facilitate the final removal of the Osages from Kansas (Oliva

1984). The end of the military history of Fort Scott does not, however, spell the end of the

archeology of these buildings and the fort complex in general. While several structures were

eventually rczed, some of the original buildings were preserved, albeit in a much altered

state. Thompson (7967, 1968) provides a discussion of these structures.

The history of the actual design and construction of the fort, and of the subsequent

alterations and demolitions, rests largely on documentary evidence and the archeological

excavations of the Kansas State Historical Society (KSHS). Today's Fort Scott consists of

eleven original and nine reconstructed structures, interpreted for the initial period of

occupation between 1842 and 1853. Table 1 provides a summary of each historic structure

to establish a context for the discussion of the artifacts recovered during the trenching

operation.

Previous Research

Previous archeological work at Fort Scott, conducted between L968 and l972by the

KSHS and reported by Reynolds (1983), was concerned with the redefinition of the historic

structure foundations and features attributable to the 1842-L853 period of construction and

use. There was little investigation of the areas between structures and no investigation of

areas around standing, original structures. Reynolds, then assistant state archeologist,

completed his report a decade after the fact and had been present for only two weeks of the

project's field phase in 1970. While his report is technically adequate and informative, there

is little of an analytical nature apart from a discussion of structural issues.

More recent work was done by MWAC Archeologist Jeffrey Richner, who monitored

the installation of gas lines in trenches in the northwestern portion of the fort complex. In

his trip report, Richner (1988) details his findings, which include an assessment of the extent

of disturbance in the area of the Dragoon Stables, Historic Structure 10.
While extensive in areal coverage, previous archeological research at Fort Scott has

lacked any particular orientation, other than reconstruction, that might be useful in

addressing historical or anthropological questions. Further research, beginning with the

monitoring project reported hereir:, must be guided by a broader design that integrates

management needs with long-term research interests.

Soils and Stratigraphy

The following description of the Clareson series is taken from the Bourbon County

soil survey (U.S. Department of Agriculttrre 1981) and includes all of the primary soil

horizons found in the Fort Scott complex.

The Clareson series consists of moderately deep, well drained, moderately slowly permeable

soils on uplands. These soils formed in material'weathered from limestone. Slope ranges from

I to 12 per cent.

A1 - 0 to 10 inches; very dark brown (0YR2/2) stony silty clay loam, very dark gayrsh brown

(10YR3/2) dry; strong fine granular structure; hard, firm; neutra| clear smooth boundary.

8L - 10 to L5 inches; very dark brown (7.5YR2/2) flaggy silty clay loa-, dark brown

(7.5YR3/2) dry; strong medium granular structrure; very hard, very firm; about 50 per cent

limestone fragments, by volume; medium acid; gradual smooth boundary.

B2 - L5 to 25 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR3/3) flaggy silty clay, dark reddish gray

(5yR4/2) dry; strong fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; about 65 per cent

flaggy and smaller limssl6as fragments, by volume; few fine black concretions; slightly acidic;

gradual smooth boundary.

83 - 25 to 32 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR3/3) flagg5r silty clay, reddish gray (5YR5/2) drv

moderate medium subangular structure; very hard, very Fuml about 75 per cent flagg5l limestone

fragments by volume; few fine black concretions; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary.

R - 32 inches; limestone.

While virtually all of the soils encountered in the trenching project are included in

the Clareson series, some other clays were.noted in features. These "exotic" clays used in

the fort possibly originate in deposits found no closer than a mile from the fort.

The gray clay found in the fort may have come from the Osage silty clay or in the

I-anton silty clay loam substrate, both of which occur in the Marmaton River bottoms

immediately behind the fort. The Parsons silt loam substrate has a similar gray clay but has

no close sources.
The yellow clay may have beea brought into the iort from some distance. Similar

clays are found in the Tamaha silt loam substrate, with no sources close to the fort, and in

the Dennis silt loam substrate, with no sources closer than one mile from fort.
PART I: ITRENCH MONITORING

Field Methods

It was recommended that the installation of an underground security alarm system

be monitored by an archeologist to examine any previously undocumented features that

might be encountered. The trenching involved disturbance to a average ma:rimum depth

of 60 cm (2 .Mild ft) and an average mzurimum width of 15 cm (6 in), utilizing a Case 

Sneaker" in areas of generally soft soils: In more intractable areas, a backhoe was

employed. The actual location of trenchitlg is depicted in Figure 3, while Figure 4 shows

a typical trench segment running along the Parade southeast of the Dragoon Stables.

Note that, contrary to earlier practice, actual compass orientations are used in this

report. Also note that historic refers to features of the fort complex dating to the period

7842-1853, the focus of the National Park Service interpretive program at Fort Scott. In

contrast, nonhistoic is used in reference to all other features unless specifically dated to a

subsequent period. The term access point refers to the excavation made at the base of wall

foundations where a hole was drilled to permit access of the alarm system wiring into the

structure. function (Jct) is used to denote the point at which a segment of trench departs

from the main line towards an access point. I/S- is the abbreviation used in Historic

Structure designations.

Artifacts were collected from the trench backdirt and the trench itself. Some

judgement was used in collection. Small pieces of bone, whiteware, window glass, bottle

glass, and hardware were not collected. Vessel rims and bottoms were collected for their

diagnostic value. There was no attempt to separate items from various temporal

components in the field, and collections are likely to contain a large proportion of

nonhistoric materials. However, this should sewe as a means of assessing the extent of

component mixing in specific areas of the fort complex. It was not, in most instances,

possible to determine the vertical provenience of individual artifacts. Horizontal

provenience was kept for individual trench segments.

Results of Trenching

Results of the monitoring of the trench excavation are presented below in order of

excavation, utilizing the historic structure numbers and reference points of the trench

segments themselves as the provenience orientations (Figure 3). Artifact descriptions are

presented in Appendix A.
HS-9 Access Point to Parade

The trench at the southwest end of the guardhouse (HS-9) contained small amounts

of material. Soil is the dark brown clay loam "A" horizon of the Clareson series (U.S.

Department of Agriculture 1981).

HS-9 Jct to HS-6 Jct

The trench segment from the Guardhouse (HS-9) to the Infantry Barracks (HS-6) at

the southern corner of the Parade contains little material, mostly whiteware and brick

fragments. Soil is uniformly dark brown c{ay loam.

HS-6 Jct to Cistern

The trench along the southwest side of the Infantry Barracks (HS-6) contained mostly

the red clay "8" horizon from the walhruay to the front of the structure. Here the soil

changed to very dark brown clay loamwith a red clay substrate and contained more artifacts

than the first segment. A lens of coal was found at 30 cm below surface in the segment

opposite the south corner of the structure. In general, this and the following trench

segments showed buried horizons consistently at 30 cm below surface.

The trench along the southeast side of (behind) the Infantry Barrac}s is mostly dark

clay loam with a red clay substrate. Where the trench turns at the southern corner of the

structure there is a heavily mixed clay and debris anomalS possibly a trash pit, at 30 cm

below surface.

The trenching encountered a segment of a wall southeast of HS-6. Reynolds (1983:

Figure 7) shows this wall as a post-L863 feature. It was intersected at20 crtbelow surface,

5 m southeast of the southeastern (back) wall of HS-6 and 3.7 m southwest of the

northeastern corner of the structure. Other pieces of limestone suggest that a flagstone

walkway may have existed from the back doors of the Infantry Barracks to the Latrine

Complex (HS-22).

In the trench at the east corner of HS-6, even with the northwestern wall, there is an

abundance of coal and brick fragments mixed with domestic trash (e.g., porcelain) in a

matrix of dark soil. At a point 3 m southeast of the cistern there is a lens of gray clay

originating at 20 cm below surface. Thickness varies from 4 cm to 14 cm. The clay lens

overlies a deposit of red clay in which there is an abundance of brick and coal fragments.

The entire feature measures 2.2 m in length along the trench. More artifacts were

recovered here than in any trench segment in this area; some are illustrated in Figure 8.
HS-6 to HS-L2 Jct

Other than coal, there were virtually no artifacts found in the remainder of the trench

from the cistern to the access point behind HS-12. The trench cut across the roadway, still

in evidence from the brick paving near HS-30 and from the cobbles found here that were

apparently used in the roadbed. There were very few limestone slabs here as well.

HS-12 Jct to HS-30 Access Point

The trench connecting HS-12 and HS-30 encountered a concrete wall approximately

10 m southeast of HS-12 and running pardllel to the northeast-southwest orientation of the

complex. A structure, possibly a Earage, is clearly shown on a pre-1965 aerial photo of the

Fort Scott complex. As the trench neared HS-30, the ground became increasingly difficult

to excavate, owing to the amount of limestone slabs near the surface.

HS-12 Jct to HS-14 Jct

The trench segment from HS-1,2 to the junction with the pathway behind Officers'

Row contained very little material. The soil profile is homogeneous, with dark brown clay

loam and a red clay substrate. What limestone there is increases with proximity to the

pathway. There appears to be little, if any, disturbance in this part of the fort compiex. Ttre

pre-1965 aerial photographs show no standing structures in this area. A few artifacts were

collected, primarily from the northeastern third of the trench segment.

HS-14 Jct to HS-14 Access Point

The existing pathway behind Officers' Row was formerly a road [brick?] under which

a sewer line was installed during the Depression. This segment is nonhistoric rubble fill, the

soil consisting of various clays with abundant gravel, cobble, and tabular limestone pieces.

Some brick fragments and coal were noted. The area is heavily disturbed, and a backhoe

replaced the trencher in this area. A one-foot-wide bucket was used to complete this

segment. Shallow soil overlies tabular limestone bedrock at a depth of about 60 cm below

surface. The action of the backhoe against the bedrock created an uneven trench

considerably wider than one foot with an uneven profile. It was not possible to collect all

artifacts observed, due to the action of the'bucket and the continual slumping of rock back

into the trench. Although the amount of fill is less in the northwestern half of this segment,

there is very little material and no evidence of features. Some trench filI from the Parade

was moved to the trench segment between HS-14 and the Junction for backfilling.

Future researchers conducting excavation in the vicinity of HS-14 should note that

a quantity of artifacts was buried behind the bakery. Accession records at Fort Scott state:

8/L7 /81' Description: Unidentified miscellaneous fragments of metal, porcelain" earthenware,

and glass culled from objects collected on Fort Scott National Historic Site during the modern

restoration period (1972-L980)I.l Burial disposition advised by Regional Curator John Hunter
according to general curatorial policies of the NPS ancf buried at the fotlowing location:

starting at the northeast corner of the Bakery (HS-14) measure 14 feet, 2 inches in westerly

direction along the north facing of the rear wall of HS-14; then proceed in a straight line in a

northerly direction 9 feet, 6 inches to the center of the burial site that is 3 feet, 6 inches by 3

feet, 6 inches and is approximately 3 feet deep. (These buried items were part of Accession

Number 3).

HS-4 Access Point to HS-12 Access Point

The trencher was used between HS-4 and HS-12. The KSHS excavations e4posed

the foundations of HS-4 but did not eitend much beyond them. The northeastern side of

HS-4 appears to be heavily disturbed, aC evidenced by the amount of plastic refuse with

brick, shale, and wood. There is little other artifactual material present. Ceramic pipe and

metal pipes attest to the nonhistoric disturbance to this area. In a position immediately

opposite the third footing support from the northern corner of the standing structure there

iJ i Oeposit of morturedUriil, against which much of the plastic debris ioted above was

located.

A segment of historic Backyard Wall was uncovered at 10 cm below surface in its

anticipated location at the eastern corner of HS-4. The wall is depicted on Captain Swords'

1848 map of the fort complex. Existing Backyard Wall segments average 45 cm thick. The

feature uncovered by the trencher was, however, a jumble of dressed and undressed stones

in a deposit 85 cm wide. The rocks were trowelled to expose the feature and to determine

if it was intact or disturbed. The southeastern side of the wall was dressed and mortared

while the northwestern side was rough and tumble. The mortared segment was only one

stone wide (20 cm), while the remainder of the deposit consisted of undressed stone in a

matrix of yellow, gray, and red clay with large amounts of shale, and brick fragments with

mortar adhering. In order to accommodate the installation of the wires, a 5ingls dressed

and mortared block was removed. All other in situ stones were left undisturbed.

A surprising amount of artifacts was collected in the process of defining this feature.

These include a porcelain doll (Figure 9c), glass (Figure 9a,b), whiteware, cut bone, and

window glass, items which in aggragate date from the turn of the last century up to the

1920s. It is possible that the types of debris associated with this feature represent the

footing trench of the Garden Wall, which received fill material from other areas of the fort

complex, including the domestic refuse, Shale, and "exotic" clays. It is clear that these

artifacts are from the civilian community and may indicate that the wall was destroyed

earlier than the fire which claimed the southeastern half of HS-4 in 1944.

Historic footing trenches were exposed by the KSHS excavations at HS-6, HS-9, HS13, and HS-17. Discussion of these trenches (Reynolds 1983) is limited to mention of the

presence or absence of the tabular limestone foundation stones, many of which were

apparently removed for use elsewhere after the military abandonment of the fort. There

is no comment on the artifact or soil content of the trenches with which to compare the

recent find at HS-4.
The trench segment between the wall feature anO its-tZ crossed a nonhistoric lane,

under which were several metal pipes. This area is probably heavily disturbed. The

nonhistoric lane that passed between these two structures probably required gradrng, which

eliminated historic deposits/contours.

HS-14 Jct to HS-32 Jct

The trench segment from the junction near HS-14 to HS-32 was excavated with the

backhoe until softer soils allowed use of the trencher. Involvement with the wall feature at

HS4 precluded monitoring during excavation of a short segment of this trench. Aerial

photographs indicate two small structures (b.g., sheds or small garages) in the pathway of

the trench. The soils in the southeastern half of the trench segment appear minimaUy

disturbed, with the typical profile of dark brown clay loam overlying red clay subsoils. The

northwestern half lacks the red clay "B" horizon substrate and contains considerably more

artifacts. The soil is a lighter brown with smail cobbles, suggesting fill. Artifact densities

increased in front of HS-32, where considerable amounts of domestic refuse (e.g., bottle

glass, whiteware, porcelain, and cut bone and minor amounts of iron, coal, and brick) were

found.

HS-32 Jct to HS-3, Backyard Wall

Opposite the northwest corner of HS-32 a deposit of brick and stone rubble with

artifacts was encountered. This extends approximately half the distance between HS-32 and

the backyard wall behind HS-3. There is a considerable amount of rubble fill consisting of

angular rock. There is 30 cm of nonhistoric fill above a buried "A" horizon. In the

northwestern half of this segment there is less rubble and fill. The red clay substrate, absent

in the southeastern portion, is present here, indicating less disturbance.

HS-3, Backyard Wall, to HS-31 Jct

This segment coincides with a nonhistoric structure shown on the aerial photograph.

There are deposits of brick, coal, bone, and domestic refuse, especially crockery and

tableware. There is little metal of any kind, although some railroad spikes were noted but

not collected. Apart from the roadbed itself, there are portions of the trench which appear

minimally disturbed, exhibiting the tlpical profile of dark brown clay loam overlying the red

clay substrate. Tabular limestone was rare. The area in front of HS-31, on the other hand,

has about 20 cm of gravel fill overlying nonhistoric fill. Red clay was brought up from only

the extreme bottom of the trench here.

HS-35 and HS-36 Access Points to Main Trench

The short trench segments running from the main trench and connecting to it these

two small outbuildings disclosed buried features suggesting a wall or foundation. In each
case, courses of undressed and unmortared limestone were encountered at 20 crn below

surface at a distance of 2 m southeast of the back wall of the garden area. Stone was

removed by pick to complete the trenches. There is no prior record of walls or other buried

features in this area. Soils in the short segments betrpeen the walls and the roadway appear

undisturbed.

The roadbed itself appears to be rubble-filled, with little potential for preserved

archeological features. A concrete and limestone wall was hit by ihe trencher ibout 1 m

southeast of the turn. The wall runs in a northeast-southwest direction and is not historic.

It has 30 cm of fill on top. The last 5 m of this segment evidently ran nearly parallel to a

sewer line, as a considerable amount of cerdmic pipe was brought up.

North Corner Turn to HS-11/HS-1 Access Points

The northeastern end of this segment crbsses the former northwest-southeast road

which is rubble-filled. Whole and fragmentary brick, limestone, and small amounts of coal

were noted, and only a small amount of artifacts observed and collected. This area is

heavily disturbed. The trenching proceeded down the middle of the pathway, formerly a

lane running between HS-l" and HS-11. There is 30 cm of loamy clay fill and modern

pathway with XYZ fabric overlying a ca. L0 cm thick layer of rough stone and mortar (an

old roadbed), running at least half the distance from the turn to the back of HS-l. The red

clay substrate occurs almost immediately underneath the roadbed. The trencher proved

inadequate and the backhoe was called for. This was attempted for a short stretch and found

too destructive. The trencher was re-employed for about 1 m and then abandoned yet

again.

The trencher was used to complete the trench segment from the junction between

HS-1 and HS-11 northeast to a point even with the line of columns behind HS-l where the

old roadbed was hit at 44 cm below surface. At this point of contact there is a jumble of

large unmortared bricks, perhaps marking the end of the paved surface of the old road. The

bricks are impressed with Ft SCOTI BLOCK and are, according to Site Historian Arnold

Schofield, the most recent of the locally produced bricks. The bricks were deeper than the

level of the road surface. At this juncture a number of sherds of blue porcelain china were

brought up.

There is concern that this buried road feature is a part of a historic road that was

known to come near to, and possibly into, Fort Scott. There is no documentation of a road

through here during the initial period of fort construction and use. Additional archival

researches may disclose the origin of this roadbed during a later phase of occupation. The

extent of it as exposed by the trencher and backhoe runs from the turn in the trench to the

backside of HS-1. According to the Cultural l-andscape Report for Fort Scott (Bacon l9g2),

"There were no mentions of roads in the immediate vicinity of the post at all during the

primary fort period. Roads, both new and abandoned, began to appear on maps and in

articles in the 1850s and 1860s."

10
An L863 plan of the Fort Scottcomplex, including - the surrounding area, was drafted

by Captain W. Hoelcke. His map shows a road, indicated generically on the legend as

"Byroads, Footpaths, Camproads & Roads leading to Watering PlacCs for Govtr Stoclq"

passing between HS-1 and HS-l1 towards the point of the bluff. It is difficult to conceive

of an extensive paving effort for a secondary or tertiary road or pathway, unless mud

became an acute problem. Some archeological investigation near the modern bluff edge

could potentially determine the direction of approach into the fort complex.

While the composition of the road itself appears "old," there is no specific

documentation of this feature and no discussion of the types of road surfaces. More recent

(late nineteenth-century) roads within the fort complex were brick surfaced. Bacon (IggZ)

discusses at length the various hypotheses regarding the relationship of the fort to the

military road.

Note that fill obtained from trenching on the southeastern side of the fort was used

to backfill a portion of this trench segment. Some displacement of artifacts is involved.

HS-l Access Point to HS-1l [front] Access Point

A short connection between structures across the road was dug with the trencher.

The ground is undisturbed from HS-l, to about 1 m southwest of HS-11 where the extent

of excavation (1 m) by KSHS is apparent. The roadbed to the northeast does not extend

southwest between HS-1 and HS-11. All artifacts collected and observed were from the

foundation of HS-L to a point exactly midway between the structures. The soil profile here

suggests minimal disturbance, with an upper zone of dark brown clay loam and a red clay

substrate containing tabular limestone pieces. The fill around the foundation of HS-ll is

yellowish clay with dense fist-sized pieces of crushed limestone, and contains no artifacts.

HS-11 Rear Access Point

A hand-dug hole to the northwest of the heating unit on the northwest side of HS-l1

exhibited the following profile: surface to 53 cm below surface, nonhistoric fill;53-59 cm

below surface, black midden with burned and fragmented ceramics and coal; and below 59

cm, the "B" horizon of red clay. A small rim sherd dating to the historic period of military

occupation was collected from the midden'deposit. The intention of the contractor is to

enter a buried PVC pipe at this point and run the security system wires to HS-5 without any

additional ground disturbance.

HS-9 Jct to HS-8 Jct

This long straight trench was cut on the inside of the modern walk around the

Parade. Soils are reported to be largely fill. Almost without exception the profile is a

uniform dark brown clay loam; the "B" horizon was only touched in a few places. There are

11
almost no artifacts at all in this area, although one blade gunflint (Figure 10b) was collected

here. A small amount of brick and coal are present in the fill. In one axea opposite the

north corner of HS-9 and 2 m inside the Parade, a thin lens of mortax was found 27 ern

below surface.

HS-5 Jct to HS-5 Access Point

The trench segment on the back (northwest) side of HS-5 exposed a layer of red

(burned?) cherty limestone at32 cmbelow surface. Only two small artifacts were observed

and collected. Some tabular pieces of limestone were hit opposite the southwestern back

door and steps, suggesting a possible paved pathway to the former privy complex indicated

on the 1848 maps. Several utility lines converge on the western corner of HS-5, one of

which was severed by the trencher.

From the west corner of HS-5 to the junction with the main line on the edge of the

Parade the soil profile consisted of a dark "A" horizon at the northwestern end with only

traces of the red clay "B" horizon at the bottom of the trench and progressed to a shallower

"A" as the trench moved to the southeastoward the Parade. There are two distinct zones

within the "A" horizon: the upper (0-25 cm) is homogeneous dark brown clay loam; the

lower (>25 cm) is the same soil but contains red cherty limestone. This suggests more

grading of original surfaces near the Parade andf or more filling away and downslope from

the Parade. The soils contained no artifacts whatsoever, other than small amounts of coal.

In the northwestern half of this trench segment there is a weakly defined gray clay/ash lens

at 25 cm below surface, below which is some recent concrete, indicating the extent of

disturbance in this part of the site.

A few pieces of native limestone with mortar adhering were hit by the trencher at

20 cm below surface 60-70 cm southwest of the front porch of HS-5. It was not possible to

determine if these were remnants of a footing or wall. In any event, the rock and mortar

extended to a depth of 32 cm.

HS-5 Jct to HS-10 Jct

This trench segment is inside the Parade walkway. The "B" horizon is deeper here

than in the segment connecting it with HS-5: Most soil is the darker''A''clay loam. There

are few artifacts of any kind. A few Ft SCOTT BLOCKS with mortar adhering were

unearthed midway between HS-5 and HS-10. There are a number of anomalies that are

referable to nonhistoric intrusions. The trencher hit several areas of obvious fiIl, containing

crushed limestone aggregate and brown soil with the occasional Ft SCOTT BLOCK brick.

Other areas appear minimally disturbed with a normal profile, although the "A" horizon may

be somewhat truncated here by previous episodes of grading of the Parade.

T2
HS-10 Jct to HS-7 Jct

The observations made for the segment between HS-5 and HS-10 are applicable

here. There is more evidence of disturbance here, however, which increases southwest

towards the town. Only one stone marble was collected. Observed artifacts include coal

and brick, but not in abundance or concentration. Near the west corner of the Parade, the

trenching crossed into the Catoosa series of soils which, in part, includes a dark brown

(7.5YR4/4) clay subsoil (U.S. Department of Agriculture 19Si).

HS-7 Jct to HS-7 Access Point

A buried road feature was encountered at 35 cm belowsurface at apoint just outside

(southwest) of the existing walhvay around the Parade, near its west corner. This feature

is similar in all respects to the buried road feature found between and northeast of HS-1

and HS-11. However, in this instance many bricks and brick fragments were found overlying

the limestone and mortared surface (perhaps the latter served as a bed for a brick-surfaced

road). The amount of other artifacts increased suddenly outside of the Parade. In addition

to the materials collected were several unmarked bricks and Ft SCOTT BIOCK bric}s,

some white styrofoam, abundant coal, some slag or pig iron, and a car window handle. All

indications are that this area is very heavily impacted.

HS-10 Jct to HS-10 Access Point

This short trench segment from the southeast wall of HS-10 to the Parade showed

evidence of filling near the wall. The same fill was used at HS-11. A small number of

artifacts, including whiteware and a ferrous metal stirrup fragment (Figure 1"0a), were

collected.

HS-7 Jct to HS-8 Jct

This trench segment did not penetrate the old road surface even at 30-35 cm below

surface. The soil is fill containing abundant brick and rough rock with only small amounts

of twentieth-century artifacts (e.g., whiteware). Items not collected from this fill include

cigarette butts and a flash cube wrapper. While there may be undisturbed deposits located

underneath the road surface, they were not disclosed in this trench segment.

HS-8 Jct to HS-8 Access Point

This is a continuation of the heavily disturbed area in the western corner of the fort

complex. The soils were mostly fill with some clay subsoil. Artifacts included brick,

concrete, coal, and rock.

13
Discussion

One must acknowledge the limitations inherent in the type of project reported here.

That is, the present collection of artifacts can be associated only generally with a structure.

Without more specific proveniences and associations, they can be used to address only a

limited set of questions. Of primary interest is the horizontal distribution of discrete classes

of artifacts and whether they can be associated with a specific structure or feature. While

structures are handy units of analysis, the spaces between buildings can also reflect unique

activities such as discard of refuse and may indicate the presence of a nonpermanent

structure (e.g., a shed).

The artifacts recovered from the trenching project are described by Ahlman in

Appendix A of this report. A discussion of the artifacts relative to the historic structures

and features is offered below.

Very few artifacts are specifically attributable to any of the military periods of the

fort complex, and fewer yet to the military itself. Military items from the pre{ivil War

periods include the brass butt plate (HS-6) and a dragoon button (HS-l). A .46 caliber

cartridge case dates to the post{ivil War period and is the only specimen of this caliber

recovered from the fort.

Apart from the military artifacts, there are few other artifacts that unequivocally or

exclusively date before the 1860s. The wide-ranging domestic ceramic and glass wares date

to a broad span of time from initial occupation to the present. Certain pieces of yellowware

likely date to the intial period of military occupation. For the most part, however, the

domestic refuse is nondiagnostic, reflecting a continuous history of discard in a largely

residential area.

Despite the ambiguity of the artifacts recovered in the process of trenching around

the fort, several areas deserve special attention. Nonstructural features of an undetermined

nature are preserved behind HS-6 near the cistern. These features, and a midden possibly

dating prior to the Civil War behind HS-11, should be further explored. Structural features,

including the walls and privies behind Officers' Row and the buried wall at HS-30 were not

directly impacted by the trenching and are discussed in more detail in the following section

on research needs.

t4
PART II: ARCHEOI,GICAL RESEARCH NEEDS

In addition to the primary task of monitoring the installation of the buried security

line, a number of other issues were raised that involve archeological investigation. Some

relate to the Cultural l,andscape Report (Bacon Lgg2),while others pertain to maintenance

or site-improvement issues. All have the potential to increase our knowledge of the

archeological resources at the Fort Scott complex, which with little exception, is poorly

known. These issues are presented below in no implied order of priority.

HS-30 Trade Shop Foundation

When the access point into the southwest wall (near the south corner) of HS-30

(Figure 5) was excavated, a number of limestbne blocks were noted, suggesting a wall

feature not previously documented (Figure 6). A second access point was selected and the

original excavation was preserved for examination by the author.

The wall segment exposed is 140 cm in length, parallel to the long axis of HS-30

(Figure 6), and is tied in to the original foundation of the structure (Figure 7), indicating

that it is part of the 1842 construction of the Quartermaster's Quadrangle. It is, however,

outside the perimeter of the Quadrangle. The wall consists of roughly dressed but

unmortared native limestone blocks, at least three stones (60 cm) high. Fill removed to

expose the base of the wall included a high proportion of unburned coal, which is consistent

with the supposed function of HS-30 as a blacksmith shop for at least part of the miligry

and post-military periods of the fort complex. At the base of the southwest wall of HS-30

there is 25 cm of recent fill overlying the top of this new wall segment, suggesting that this

feature is well preserved. There is also the suggestion of an apron around the southwest

and southeastern sides of HS-30 as indicated by topography and vegetation, which should

be investigated in conjunction with any attempt to define the nature and function of the new

wall.

The amount of excavation required to determine the nature and extent of this feature

involves an area 3 m (NE-SW) by 5 m (NW-SE) that would expose a block at the

southwestern end of HS-30. Additional excavation of the possible apron on the southeastern

side of the building would involve another 16 square meters for complete exposure, although

a more limited approach utilizing linear trenching may be equally informative.

Enlisted Men's Latines

The park is interested in redefining the I-atrine Complex (KSHS Feature l27A and

t27B) behind the Infantry Barracks (HS-6). The feature was exposed by the KSHS

excavations in 1968 and includes a complex of dressed stone-lined pits and foundations

(Reynolds 1983). The southeastern side of the circular part of the I-atrine Complex is in

a state of disrepair with blocks of stone sloughing into the excavated pit, although there is
no evidence that the feature is in danger of collapse or significant change, as it appears to

have stabilized in its current state. However, park staff feels that the need for stabilization

and additional interpretation of the feature may be desirable.

An attempt was made to determine the relationship between the current condition

of the feature and its condition upon exposure in 1968. Photographs of the latrine complex

are inconclusive as to the precise condition of the feature after excavation. The rectangular

part of the feature is clearly shown in the KSHS photos, but the circular portion is not.

Reynolds (1983:55) describes the feature as "a circular cistern or pit toilet which had

limestone rock walls (rather crudely laid) and which had a diameter of 6 ft." No depth of J

the feature or of the excavation is given. 

Barr's 1968 field notes relate the following observations regarding this feature

complex:

...Worked [sic] continued on FeaturetTlAandWTB, the north and south compartments of the

vault complex situated 55.0 feet behind HS-6, the enlisted mens barracks. Lnfuwas completely

excavated to the floor of the latrine. Slab lined walls and slab floor characterize the physical

makeup of the feature. This feature was sub-divided due to the nature of the material and

soils. Red ashy loam with a large percentage of coal waste was encountered from the ground

surface of the feature to a depth of 2.5 feet. Below the actual latrine zone was encountered

[src] A dark brown soil with feces and lims coaceatrations constituted the second zone. On the

sacks [i.e., artifact bags] F127 is the north chamber of the latrine down to feces levd Fl27-a

is the second zone. When completed, this compartment measured 7.5 feet north-south; 2.8feet

east-west; and 3.8 feet in depth. [Barr 10/1/1%8]

...Work in the area of HS-6 produced an early latrine FlZln which is basically a small round

rock lined shaft directly to the south of Feature 127. Additional stones were uncovelsd running

north-south and east-west. [Barr 1:0/2/L96f]

...One additional latrine later in time; intersects Feature LTTB, on the southeast. Materials

indicative of the 1890s were recovered from this feature. [Barr 10/3/1%8]

The feature numbers on some of the photos that document this complex are F. 133 and F.

136 rather than the I27A and 1278 in Reynolds (1983). There is no discussion of specific

artifact associations with the latrine complex. Similarly, there is no discussion of the

treatment of the feces level material. Future research involving human waste should take

advantage of the opportunity to investigate dietary practices as well as possible medical

issues (e.g., parasites).

Officers'Row

In the area behind Officers' Row on the northeastern side of the Fort Scott complex

there is a series of walls and outbuildings that served the domestic needs of the officers and

their families. Documentary evidence indicates the presence of household gardens and

1,6
privies in this area as well. Today,only two outbuildings and a few wall segments remain

standing, although the locations of previous structures are indicated by exposed foundations

and depressions. Small herb and vegetable gardens have been established as part of the

interpretive program at the park, even though the actual location of the garden beds is

conjectural.

The area has never been subjected to an archeological reconnaissance, and a limited

program of testing could be used to further delimit the features known from surface

indications and documentary evidence to exist here. The location of the garden beds may,

however, remain conjectural. Under ideal circumstances, chemical (e.g., phosphate)

differences may persist between cultivdted and uncultivated areas. Given the postoccupational history of the site, there may have been sufficient disturbance to mask any soil

distinctions that would delineate the locations of the gardens.

Note that the position of interioi 11rc-SW) walls and the spacing of walt

ends/openings is not symmetrical. In the NW-SE wall behind HS-2 there is a curious

section suggesting a point of juncture with a perpendicular wall which should be further

investigated.

Walhuay in Parade

The 1848 plan map shows a wallavay running NW-SE across the Parade between the

Dragoon Stables (HS-5) and Infantry Barracks (HS-6). The park is interested in an

archeological determination of the actual location of this walkrvay. There is a discrepancy

between the walk as indicated on the 1848 plan, which shows it running between the

barracks and meeting at the well, and the actual location of the well, which is sited to the

northeast of its supposed position. Some limited excavation of the hypothesized location of

the walkway is required for an archeological determination of its presence or absence.

Retaining Wall at Quartermaster\ Quadrangle

Park staff indicated a desire to remove the retaining wall at the east corner of the

Quartermaster's Quadrangle and; possibly; recontour the slope as a visual improvement to

the park. The wall dates to the twentieth century and is made of concrete, with steps -

leading to a former house site visible on aerial photographs prior to L965. The Quadrangle

has been disturbed by a variety of construction and removal projects, and it is unknown to

what extent intact deposits and features may be preserved here. It is likely that there is an

intact, undisturbed area between the existing retaining wall and the front of the former

house sites. Between four and six test excavation units, each L m square, should be located

in this intermediate zone to determine the nature and extent of subsurface deposits. The

results of this testing may then guide the options for removal of the retaining wall.

I7
Prehistoic Component -

Several areas containing chipped stone debris were identified. While lawn and stone

walkways cover much of the fort, exposed areas were examined for the presence of artifacts

of any type. Chipped stone was noted between HS-l and HS-2, on the southeast side of HS30 in the Quartermaster's Quadrangle, and in the open area between HS-6 and HS-9 where

the second dragoon stable complex was to have been built.

The flakes are not conclusive evidence of a prehistoric component at the site, but

suggest that one may be present. The confounding factor is that chipped stone resembling

in all aspects the residual products of a pfehistoric lithic industry is mimicked by crushed

aggregate which includes chert. While there is no documentation of the introduction of

aggregate in any of the areas considered, the possibility cannot be excluded until sufficient

archeological investigation can assess the nature of the deposits. This could be

accomplished by the placement of several eicavation units to determine the context and

nature of the deposits where flakes have been found.

Artifacts in the Fort Scott Museum (recently sent to MWAC for curation) include

a projectile point base and a hoe. The point fragment, found behind HS-6, is contracting

stemmed, dating to the Early Woodland substage. It is made of heat-treated chert, possibly

Burlington or Crescent City from the Mississippi drainage to the northeast. The hoe is

made of chipped stone (source unknown) and exhibits the characteristic silica gloss from use

in prairie vegetation. Hoes date to late prehistory when maize horticulture was an

important aspect of aboriginal subsistence systems. This artifact is said to have come from

the fort but lacks more specific provenience.

HS- 1 2 Moisture Mitigation

Moisture problems in HS-12 will eventually require mitigation. Similar measures at

other historic structures involve installation of perforated PVC pipe around the perimeter

of the foundation. This action will require archeological clearance prior to implementation.

Since HS-12 is an original structure, hand excavation of test units is recommended, the

placement and number of which will be determined by the location of the anticipated

disturbance.

Reanalysis of Extant Collections

The concern for structural data in the KSHS excavations resulted in a report that

failed to consider the horizontal distributions of artifacts within the fort complex or the

associations of artifacts with specific structures. The artifact analysis is presented by type,

and is essentially a listing of the recovered materials with some discussion of age and

description of their physical attributes. There is some consideration of ceramic variation bv

18
structural association (Reynolds 1983r23L-238), and selected artifact classes are listed by

structure association. It would be beneficial to investigate the artifacts on the basis of

provenience rather than by type. This approach may provide data pertaining to class, ethnic,

and rank distinctions within the Fort Scott community of the mid-nineteenth century.

Contents of foundation trenches could give clues to the sequence of construction or

reconstruction.

Summary

Archeotogical monitoring of the trenthing project revealed some interesting artifacts

and features. It also provides a basis for determining which areas of the fort complex may

yet contain intact historic deposits from the 1842-1853 period, as well as for assessing heavily

disturbed areas.

The number of artifacts datable to the 1842-L853 period are very few and widely

dispersed. It is likely that intact deposits may be preserved behind HS-11, where a buried

midden was located. Artifacts dating to the Civil War period and later are much more

numerous and widespread, reflecting the non-military use of the fort complex. This is

especially true in the area behind Officers' Row where large quantities of domestic artifacts

are located.

19
REFERENCES CITED

Bacon, Allison

L992 Fort Scott National Histortc Site Cultural Landscape Report: Histoic Data

Section Report submitted to the National Park Service, Midwest Regional Office,

Omaha.

Barr, Thomas P.

1968 Unpublished field notes from the"Kansas State Historical Society excavations at

Fort Scott National Historic Site, Karlsas. In archival storage, National Park Service,

Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln.

Oliva, I-eo E.

1984 Fort Scott on the Indian Frontier. Kdnsas State Historical Society, Topeka.

Reynolds, John D.

L983 Archeological Investigations at OA Fort Scott, 1480302, Fort Scott, Karuas

1968 to 1972. Contract No. 14-1G2:92046. Report submitted to the Midwest

Regional Office, National Park Service, Omaha. On file, National Park Senrice,

Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln.

Richner, Jeffrey J.

1988 Memorandum to Chief, Midwest Archeological Center, dated May 4. Subject:

Trip Report, Fort Scott National Historic Site. Dates of visit April 25-28,1988.

File code: A26. On file, National Park Service, Midwest Archeological Center,

Lincoln.

Thompson, Erwin N.

1967 Fort Scott, Kansas: Site ldentification and Evaluation Division of History,

Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, National Park Service, U.S.

Department of the Interior, Washingtoq D.C.

1968 Fort Scott, Kansas: Hbtoric Structures Report, Part II, Histoic Data Section

Division of History, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservatioq National Park

Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

1981 Soil Suruqt of Bourbon County, Kansas. United States Department of

Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. Government Printing Office, Washington,

D.C.
Table 1. Summary of historic structures, Fort Scott, Kansas.

Desigrration Function Condition Excavated*

HS-1 Offrcers' Quarters original No

HS-2 Officers' Quarters origlnal No

HS.3 Offrcers' Quarters subsurface only No

HS-4 Officers' Quarters original KSHS

HS-5 Dragoon Barracks reconst. KSHS

' HS.6 Infantry Barracks reconst. KSHS

HS-7 Infantry Barracks reconst. KSHS

HS.8 Hospital original KSHS

HS-9 Guardhouse reconst. KSHS

HS-10 Dragoon Stables reconst. KSHS

HS.11 Post Headquarters reconst. KSHS

HS-12 Quartermstr. Stores original No

HS-13 Quartermstr. Quad. subsurface only No

HS-14 Post Bakery original No

HS-15 Well Canopy reconst. KSHS

HS.16 Flagpole reconst. KSHS

HS-17 Magazine reconst. KSHS

HS-22 Latrine/Wash House subsurface only KSHS

HS-30 Trade Shop original No

HS-31 Carriage House post-L855 No

HS-32 Carriage House post-1855 No

HS-35 Outbuilding original No

HS-36 Outbuilding original No

*KSHS = Kansas State Historical Society excavations, 1968-1972.

23
Figure 1. Location of Fort Scott and other forts along the Western Military Frontier. 

25 

N 

t ~·- -NOR~:OTA\- I . . I 

\ 

I 

L·-·-·-· ·-·-·-·-·~ 

I 

. . 

Fort Snellin .J 1819-1946 

I 

+z· WISCONSIN 

~"z· 

"'"' 

j SOUTH DAKOTA ~· --·-·-· ~ fi'• 

. ..... t·--·-·---·-·---· 

I NEBRASKA 

I 

L._.-, 

Ft. Atkinson • 1818-'-27 

IOWA 

---·-· ILLINOIS I 

I 

·-·-·-·-·-.J 

1-·---·-·-·-·-·-·-· MISSOURI 

Ft. 

KANSAS 

Arka"-"q,. I * j FORT SCOTT . 1842-73 

r·-L-·-·-·-·-·-·-· ·-·-·-l 

-'f>t 

OKLAHOMA u.,,. 

TEXAS 

• Ft. Gibson 

1824-90 

Ft. Washita 

1842-61 

• 

r 

i--·-·-·-·-·i. 

\Ft. Smith 

"1817-71 ARKANSAS 

0 

b 

200km I 

zobm1 
N 

0\ 

Figure 2. Plan of Fort Scott by Captain Thomas Swords, 1848. 

PLAN 

of 

I'O.RT SCOTT. 

:---- --rru~u-t:J:J_ -uru--t¥ -~---~~ -uru--EE -l.;:u a I I I I 

, .~;.,,...__ln:..-r~ '.JN.<."f"- ~ ~j ,c.;_~, 

: :~~~ :t?=t~e-~ ~c~ ~~: 

1~ !U'1 fm~·tm ~~·friQ ~!- ' - ·--. n. ~r--·- ---~- ·-- ' 

I 

r.:: t~ r.u1t· []til 

I 

I 

I L ; ! . I ----~-- . - i fHH I i ~- T ., r -t. I ------ - - . . rlh- Ji1gp L- - ~- -- "or--~ _, {9k ~, r- ~~~ L>•r=tJ! i j . -

'!;.H l • • 

n 

~ ! I 

[ j 

,• 

,----, 1 , I I -! ;,.. ............. ....,.- j,.-.,-u--tj "" 

_ ~ do ____ ttJ _ _ __JJ ~...........,....:.~~~~:;ll'a. ·o-rt..w· 

~-.......... '01--~1 . .--....~ 

Hlr, 

, rg. r= 

1 H r . ---, 

t} '-:rn I l_ ___ ~p I Sul•.• h.r."'ll lbuA. 

. ,_I __ _ 

I 

r:l ·±ff-rttiJJ •• ..... ,. ,, 4•· 

am 

r 

~r~ ~ TI ~· f~=i 

WI 

... c-':"' X.~ ... -,.,, U.ft?ffi"rettr ~ 

'· (Jf('unV' (1111 fH.t": 

0. ,J;Irl ie_I4T "" ... t. 11'1: 

t. Hu)cl'o.L. e. 4~t•M H • ..r#. J. c,_,.. .. ..J.,;,.,(~t'tei\J"'!Ifl~•· 

1. c,.,.t-.A•Ki•T R...,, 

), f4.d"«.,~e ... l1'-...;pH.,, 

i. &\&211 H•.ue. 

A. ~·~Afuf•,;,. !#i<•· I. J.J.,-~..,~·-· -- f'aali,.AuT•N"".Fii.c7.,...,. 

-- Well • ., FI:[.J7'!if. 

~ ~:C/~,._h.~t.l". •. t~<.'.C:.Jtalhn..J'htl/u,JAoJ'I.­ t. , ...... .ltill. ... s.tz~...,sttr. . v . .8 .. .t. ,~,_.,._ 
Figure 3. Plan of buried security system trenches. 

27 

HS-1 Officers' 

HS-2 Officers' 

HS-4 Officers' 

HS-5 Dragoon 

HS-6 Infantry 

HS-7 Infantry 

HS-8 Hospital 

Quarters 

Quarters 

Quarters 

Barracks 

Barracks 

Barracks 

HS-17 

Retail Store 

HS-9 

HS-10 

HS-11 

HS-12 

HS-13 

HS-14 

HS-15 

HS-15 

Controctor•s Storage and Staging Area 

Guardhouse 

Dragoon Stables 

Ordnance & Post HO 

Quartermaster Storehouse 

Quartermaster Quadrangle Site 

Post Bakery 

Well Canopy 

IHS-32 

~---

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

HS-30 

HS-13 

- - - Trenching / / 0 100ft 

HS-16 

HS-17 

HS-30 

HS-31 

HS-32 

HS-35 

HS-36 

Flagpole 

Magazine 

Blacksmith Shop 

Carriage House 

Carriage House 

Smokehouse 

Smokehouse 
N 

00 

Figure 4. Typical trench segment in Parade southeast of Dragoon Stables. Figure 5. Location of buried wall at Historic Structure 30, looking east 

towards west corner. 
Figure 6. Historic Structure 30, buried wall in profile. 

29 
Figure 7. Historic Structure 30, buried wall tie-in to original foundation. 

30 
Figure 8. Artifacts from Historic Structure 6, Infantry Barracks: a) carbine butt plate; b) yellowware; c) white clay 

pipe fragment. 

31 

c 

0 2in 

0 5cm 
Figure 9. Artifacts from Historic Structure 4, Garden Wall, footing trench: a) glass bowl fragment; 

b) glass jar fragment; c) porcelain "Frozen Charlotte" doll. 

32 

b 

c 

0 2in 

0 Scm 
Figure 10. Artifacts: a) iron stirrup from Dragoon Stables; b) gunflint from Parade; c) Dragoon button from 

Historic Structure 1; d) cathedral jar fragment from Historic Structure 1. 

33 

a 

b c 

o--~===---~~lllt2in. 0 Scm 
^A,PPENDIX A

ANNOTATED ARTIFACT CATALOG AND DESCRIPTIONS FROM TRENCHING

PROJECT, FORT SCOTT NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, KANSAS.

By

Todd Ahlman

Introduction 

r

In late L992, trenches were dug at Fort Scott National Historic Site for the

installation of " a buried security system line. A sample of artifacts was taken from the

backdirt of each trench. The artifact descriptions in this appendix are grouped by artifact

lots, which are based on trench proveniences. Trench proveniences are based on proximity

to the historic structures at the park.

The primary goal of the artifact analysis was to assign as many artifacts as possible

to a chronological context from which an assessment of the nature of buried deposits and

features could be made. As wiil be seen below, much of the material is nondiagnostic, and

relatively little is attributable to the historic military period of the fort. The description

follows the sequence of the artifact catalog lot numbers, provided in brackets.

Note that a few lots (92-6, 92-L5,92-36,92-48, 92-49, and 92-51) are not specifically

related to the trenching operation" but reflect small surface collections made either by park

staff or by the archeologist during the project. Finally, depth information is provided in

each heading only where such information was available during field work.

Trench SE of HS-g [92-1]

No diagnostic artifacts were recovered from this trench. One arnber curved glass

sherd, one whiteware sherd, and one piece of debitage were recovered.

Trench Twelve Meterc NE of HS-9, Front Walk [92-2]

There was a I942D penny, one whiteware sherd, and one of debitage in this

trench segment.
HS-30 Access Point, 0-30 cmbs [92-3]

There were no diagnostic artifacts recovered from this area. The artifacts include

two flat glass sherds, two curved glass sherds, and two metal fragments. The curved glass

consists of one aqua and one colorless sherd. The metal includes one cut nail fragmentand

one unidentified iron piece.

HS-30 Access Point, 30-56 cmbs [92-4]

This group of artifacs consists of onb milk glass sherd, one flat glass sherd, one piece

of coal, and one of slag. There are no diagnostic attributes to these artifacts.

HS-30 Southeast Side Opposite Door tg2-51

There were four pieces of lithic debitage recovered in this area.

Strtp benveen HS-l and HS-2, Surface [92-6]

There were nine pieces of lithic debitage recovered in this area.

Trench E of HS-9, 0-60 cmbs t92-71

This assemblage consists of one aqua curved glass sherd, two whiteware sherds, one

bone fragment, and three metal pieces. The metal is composed of trvo cut nails and one

unidentified iron fragment. These artifacts have no diagnostic features.

Trench SW of HS-6, A-60 cmbs [92-8]

There were six curved glass sherds recovered from this trench, including one dark

green sherd, one milk glass sherd and four aqua sherds. One of the aqua sherds is a

pontiled homeopathic vial base. The use of pontiling started to decline in the 1850s after

the advent of the snap case, and by the 1870s it had generally fallen out of use (Jones and

Sullivan 1985:45)

Eleven whiteware sherds and one yellowware sherd were also recovered in this trench

segment. The whiteware sherds consist of nine undecorated sherds, one annular sherd, and

one handpainted sherd. The yellowware sherd (Figure 8b) has an annular seaweed mocha

pattern on it. Mocha designs first started to be used in the late 1850s and were widely used

in the 1860s (Liebowitz 1985:10).

36
The miscellaneous artifacts consist of one porcelain doll head fragment, one white

clay pipestem fragment, and three buttons. The buttons include one shanked shell button,

one fabric-covered brass button, and one four-hole blue plastic button.

The faunal material is composed of one shell fragment.

The brass butt plate (Figure 8a), found near the Infantry Barracks (HS-6), is from

a military-issue Sharps carbine. The large notch for the patchbox is partially diagnostic.

Identical specimens curated at the Nebraska State Historical Society Museum include both

Sharps carbines and rifles with initial patent dates of 1852 and final dates of 1859.

Trench on SE Side of HS-6, 0-60 cmbs [92-9]

This group of nondiagnostic artifacts cbnsists of one aqua curved glass sherd, two

whiteware sherds, one four-hole shell button, and two metal pieces. The metal consists of

one iron bar and one "eyed" bolt.

Access Point HS-31, 0-60 cmbs [92-10]

Two ceramic sherds and one iron spike were recovered from the access point of HS31. The ceramic sherds consist of one undecorated whiteware rim and one blue sponge

decorated whiteware rim.

East Corner HS-6 Trench Feature near Cistem [92-11]

There is one colorless sand pontiled medicine bottle base. Pontiling was generally

out of use by the 1870s (Jones and Sullivan 1985:45).

There were twelve ceramic sherds recovered. There are ten undecorated whiteware

sherds, one blue transfer print whiteware sherd, and one stoneware sherd with an ochre

decoration. The pattern of the transfer print sherd could not be identified. The

undecorated sherds include two chamber pot lid fragments and two sherds with maker's

marks. One of the maker's marks is illegible and the other is a coat-of-arms over 'IRONST(ONE)/_MEAKIN_." The identity of the Meakin who produced this could not

be determined. The Meakins who manufactured ceramic wares are: Alfred Meakin (Ltd.)

L875-?, Charles Meakin 1883-1889, Henry Meakin 1873-1876, and J. & G. Meakin 1851-?

(Godden 19 64 2425 -427 ).

The rest of the artifacts from this feature and trench segment are a four-hole milk

glass button and three bone fragments. One of the bone fragments is from a bovine pelvis.

a n 3 t
Trench Between HS-6 and HS-12, 0-6Acmbs [92-12]

Thirteen ceramic sherds were recovered from this trench segment, including eight

porcelain and five whiteware sherds. The porcelain sherds all have various decal patterns

on thern, with trvo having luster and molded decoration in addition to the decal pattern.

Decal patterns were developed in the early 1900s in Europe and were manufactured there

because of the low cost of production (Irhner 1980:13). The whiteware sherds include four

undecorated sherds and one mold decorated sherd.

A plaster sample was also recovered.from this trench. This was classified as plaster

using Dial's classification from Fort Larned (Cockrell et al. L99L:207-210). This sample had

well-sorted sand, few lime fragments, and had approximately parallel interior and exterior

surfaces.

One iron horseshoe fragment was the only metal item recovered from this trench.

HS-12 to HS-30, 0-60 cmbs [92-13]

The artifacts recovered consist of four undecorated whiteware sherds, one bone

fragment, and four metal pieces. The metal includes one hinge fragment, one wire nail, one

cats-paw nail claw, and one unidentified iron fragment.

HS-30 Access Point, 0-40 cmbs [92-14]

The one artifact recovered from this trench is a stoneware sherd with a bristol

West Half of Parade Ground, Under Oalcs, Surface [92-15]

There was one red bead and a one-piece pewter button recovered. These artifacts

are probably modern replicas that were lost by someone participating in a living history reenactment.

Trench Between HS-12 and lunction on Road/Pathway [92-16]

There were two flat glass sherds, eight curved glass sherds, and one opal glass jar lid

insert recovered from this trench. The curved glass includes two amethyst tint sherds, one

amber sherd, one colorless sherd, one colorless sherd stained red, and three milk glass

sherds. One of the amethyst tint sherds is a machine-made bottle base. Semi-automatic

machine-made bottles came into production in the 1890s and generally ended around the

1920s. The advent of the Owens Bottle Machine in 1903 was the beginning of major

38
machine production until the 1920s when it was replaced by feeders. Production of a few

Owens machine bottles continued into the 1940s and 1950s (Jones and Sullivan 1985:39).

Staining on glass was used from the 1890s to the early twentieth century on cheap tableware (Jones and Sullivan 1985:58). One milk glass sherd is embossed with 'ME...M/B2.../TRADE/Mark.' The opal glass jar lid insert was patented on L1 March

1869 by lewis R. Boyd and on 30 May 1869 by Iouis R. Boyd, of New York City (Toulouse

1969:r[6).

A total of trventy-one ceramic sherds were recovered from this trench. There is one

bristol slip stoneware sherd, two decal decorated porcelain sherds, one undecorated

porcelain sherd, and seventeen undecorated'whiteware sherds. One of the whiteware sherds '(J. has an impressed maker's marlg &) G. MEAKIN." This type of mark was used by J. &

G. Meakin from L851 to around 1891 (Godden 1964:427).

The metal artifacts include one unidentified brass fragment, one cut nail, and a butter

knife. The ferrous horseshoe listed below under lot 92-50 was found near these items on

the east side of HS-12.

Trench from Junction to HS-14, 0-60 cmbs [92-17]

There were five curved glass sherds recovered from this trench segment. Four are

colorless and one is an amethyst tint cup mold base. One of the colorless sherds has a cup

mold base. This type of manufacturing broadly dates from ca. 1850 to the present (Jones

and Sullivan 1985:45).

Other nondiagnostic materials from this trench segment include six undecorated

whiteware sherds and one unidentified iron fragment.

HS-32 Access Point, 0-60 cmbs [92-18]

There were two ceramic sherds recovered. One is an undecorated porcelain rim and

the other is a sponge decorated stoneware rim.

Trench HS-12 to HS-4, 0-60 cmbs [92-19]

The glass sherds recovered from this trench include one pressed milk glass sherd, one

aqua curved glass sherd, and one opal jar lid insert. The aqua sherd is a lipping tool brandy

finish.

39
The ceramics recovered include two salt glazed stoneware sherds, two undecorated

whiteware sherds, one handpainted whiteware sherd, and one yellowware sherd with green

and brown glaze.

Two unidentified bone fragments were recovered from this trench.

There was a cartridge casing from a 7.62mm blank NATO round for the M-14

recovered. It has a "L C 6 9" headstamp, which indicates it was manufactured at the I^ake

City Ordnance Plant in Independence, Missolri, in 1969 (White and Munhall t977:5,102).

J

Garden Wall Footing Trench HS-4, 0-40 cmbs [92-20]

The glass artifacts recovered are include two flat glass sherds, three colorless curved

glass sherds, and one colorless pressed glass sheid. One item (Figure 9b) is a rim fragment

from a shoulder sealed Mason jar, machine- or semi-machine-made and dating to ca. L920.

A second sherd (Figure 9a) is a fragment of a shallow bowl with lug feet made of pressed

glass of indifferent quality, dating anytime from the turn of the century to after World War

II (Ed Sudderth, personal communication 1993).

There were three undecorated whiteware sherds recovered from this trench. One

sherd has a maker's marlq "_E/_U[S/_ND/_EY&Co," with the last two lines in a

wreath. This mark could not be attributed to any known maker.

The main body portion of a small Frozen Charlotte-type china doll (Figure 9c) was

found. It is similar to a doll mentioned by Reynolds (1983:124-126) in previous excavations

at Fort Scott and dates to the very late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

There were three unidentified bone fragments recovered from this trench. The metal

artifact recovered from this trench is a cut nail fragment.

Trench from function to HS-32, 0-60 cmbs [92-21]

There was a total of twenty-nine glass sherds recovered from this trench, two flat

glass sherds and twenty-seven curved glass sherds. The twenty-seven curved glass sherds

include one amethyst tint sherd, one pink pressed sherd, five amber sherds, five aqua sherds,

one green sherd, two milk glass sherds, one dark green sherd, and eleven colorless sherds.

Of the five amber sherds, there is one machine-made bottle base. Two of the aqua sherds

are lipping tooled. One is an English ring finish and the other is a patent finish. From the

colorless sherds there is one lipping tool bead finish, two continuous thread finish fragments,

one pontiled base, one milk bottle finish, and one base sherd with an Owens Bottle Machine

suction scar.

40
Twenty-one ceramic sherds were recovered from-this trench. This includes eight

stoneware sherds, three undecorated porcelain sherds, nine whiteware sherds, and one

yellowware sherd. The stoneware sherds include five salt glazed sherds, one Albany slip

sherd, and two Bristol slip sherds. The whiteware sherds consist of seven undecorated

sherds, one decal sherd, and one sherd with a green slip. The yellowware sherd has an

annular decoration of blue and pink bands.

Five bone fragments were recovered from this trench. Two of these are bovine long

bone and one is a rib.

The miscellaneous materials from this trench include one brass thimble, one glazed

briclq and two carbon rods from an arc larrp. The arc lamp was in use from ca. 1877 to

around the 1950s in some cities (Woodhead et al. 1984:74-76).

The metal artifacts recovered are five ciit nails and one unidentified iron fragment.

South Comer HS-6, Trench Bacl<dirt, 0-60 cmbs P-nl

There is a spurred white clay pipe bowl fragment (Figure 8c) from this trench

segment that was collected from a bachdirt pile after i heavy rain. The spur of the pipe is

mushroomed but is otherwise unmarked. Similar pipes with a mushroomed spur were found

at Fort I-aramie and Old Munising. Fort laramie was a "fur trading post from 1834 to L849,

a miliary post until 1890, and a civilian-owned social and business center untit 1938'

(Wilson L97L:l). Old Munising was an iron smelting community in Upper Michigan from

1867 to 1875 (Richner 1992). A date around the 1860s and 1870s for the Fort Scott

specimen is indicated.

HS-32 to HS-31, Northwest Half of Trench, 0-60 cmbs [92-23]

There were sixteen curved glass sherds recovered from this trench, including one

aqua sherd, one amethyst tint sherd, eight colorless sherds, four dark green sherds, one milk

glass sherd, one amber sherd, and one aqua glass insulator fragment.

The colorless sherds recovered are one pontiled bottle base, three pressed sherds,

one stemware fragment, and one machine-made bottle base. The machine-made bottle base

is embossed with an'lN" in a square. This is the mark for the Obear-Nester Glass Co. of

East St. Louis, Illinois, used from 1915 to the present (Toulouse 197L:373-375).

The amber glass sherd is from a bitters bottle. Whole bottles are embossed in

various forms of "S.T./DRAKE/1860/PI-ANTATION/X/BITTERS/PATENTED/1862.'

The formation of the P.H. Drake Co. in 1860 was the beginning of Plantation Bitters. In

1862 Drake entered a partnership with Demas Barnes, which led to Drake being able to

4l
increase production. In 1862 the design for the aforementioned bottle was patented. In

L870 Barnes divided up his businesses and Drake brought in William P. Ward as his partner.

When Drake 'The died in 1883, Ward took over the business. business apparently did quite

well until the early 1,890s, when the firm disappeared from the directories" (Schulz et aI.

1980:55). The product was advertised in various capacities until the 1940s (Fike 1987:33;

Wilson and Wilson L97L;32,112; Schulz et aL.1980:53-55; Ring 1980:169-173). This bottle

design was found at Fort Laramie and Fort Union from 1862 to 1885 (Wilson t97l:24) and,

at Old Sacramento (Schulz et al 1980:53-55).

There were thirty-five ceramic sherds recovered from this trench, fourteen stoneware

sherds, one Rockingham yellowware shet'd, seventeen whiteware sherds, and three

undecorated porcelain sherds. The fourteen stoneware sherds include four salt glazed,

sherds, seven Albany slip sherds, two bristol slip sherds, and one lead glazed sherd. One

of the salt glazed sherds is from an ink bottle. The seventeen whiteware sherds include

fifteen undecorated sherds, one flow blue sherd, and one blue shell edge decorated sherd.

No diagnostic features could be discerned on the sherds.

The miscellaneous artifacts recovered consist of a ceramic electrical insulator, and

one brick fragment. Three unidentified bone fragments were recovered from this trench

segment.

The metal from this trench includes one bolt, one horseshoe, one screw-in hook, a

tin dish and one unidentified iron piece. The non-ferrous metal includes two laminated

brass plates, one unidentified brass piece, and a brass harmonica reed holder.

HS-32 Access Point to Junctiory 0-60 cmbs [92-24]

There were four curved glass fragments recovered from this trench, including one

amethyst int sherd and three milk glass sherds. One of the milk glass sherds has a pressed

floral design.

The ceramics include four undecorated whiteware sherds. There were two

unidentified bone fragments recovered. The metal artifact is an unidentified iron piece.

HS-32 to Wall Behind HS-3, 0-60 cmbs [92-25]

There was one flat glass sherd, four curved glass sherds, and two aqua glass insulators

recovered from this trench segment. The curved glass includes one dark green sherd, two

milk glass sherds, and one aqua sherd. The aqua sherd is a blow-over mold, continuous

thread fruit jar finish. This type of finish was used during the second half of the nineteenth

century and into the early twentieth century (Jones and Sullivan 1985:42).

42
Thirty-seven ceramic sherds were recovered from this trench. These thirty-seven

sherds are composed of three stoneware sherds, two yellowware sherds, four undeiorated

porcelain sherds, and twenty-eight whiteware sherds. The three stoneware sherds include

two salt glazed sherds and one Albany slip sherd. One of the yellowware sherds is

undecorated and the other sherd has an annular decoration. Twenty-four of the whiteware

sherds are undecorated, one is mold decorated, one has a late flowblue decoration, one has

a blue transfer print decoration, and one is hand painted. The patterns from the flow blue

and blue transfer print sherds could not be identified.

Other ceramic artifacts include one tile fragment and two insulator fragments. One ':[HE/_MERKINS of the insulator fragments is embossed CO.'

The non-ferrous metal consists of two brass sheeting fragments (probably from a

.TT{E bucket) and a brass tag. The brass tag is impressed G_.u

The ferrous metal consists of three bolt fragments, two cut nail fragments, one iron

ornamental piece, and three unidentified pieces.

.F/S-3 Wall to HS-36 funcrtory 0-60 cmbs [92-26]

The glass sherds recovered from this trench include three flat glass sherds, one

colorless curved glass sherd, and one melted glass sherd. The curved glass sherd is

embossed "(ON)E HALF.'

There were fifty ceramic sherds recovered in this trench segment. These include one

salt glazed redware, five stoneware sherds, one undecorated yellowware sherd, thirty-eight

whiteware sherds, and five undecorated porcelain sherds. The stoneware sherds include two

lead glazed sherds, two salt glazed sherds, and one Albany slip sherd. One of the lead

glazed sherds is from a multi-sided bottle. Seventeen of the thirty-eight whiteware sherds

are undecorated, one is sponge decorated, one has a blue slip, and one has a transfer print

advertisement. The advertising is difficult to read, but a few letters are legible, "_UEL

NO.1.20." There are eighteen whiteware sherds that are mold decorated and have a tight

blue slip with gold gilt. These sherds are possibly from a serving dish fitted with a lid.

A four-hole pewter button was recovered from this trench. Other metal artifacts

include one brass sheeting fragment, one iron rod, one cut nail fragment, and a fragment

from a rim lock bolt.

43
HS-36 Junction to HS-31 functiory 0-60 cmbs tg2-271

Four ceramic sherds were recovered from this trench segment. There are two

molded whiteware sherds, one undecorated whiteware sherd, and one albany slip stoneware

sherd.

HS-35 tu functiory 0-60 cmbs t92-2SI

There was one flat glass and six ceramic sherds recovered from this trench segment.

The latter includes one hand-painted porcelain rinl one undecorated porcelain sher-d, one

blue transfer print whiteware sherds, two undecorated whiteware sherds, and one unglazed

stoneware rim. The pattern of ,6r lpnsfer print sherd could not be identified.

The metal artifact recovered from this'trench is an unidentified iron piece.

Iunction to HS-36 Access Point, 0-60 cmbs [g2-29J

The artifacts recovered from this trench consist of one aqua curved glass sherd and

one mold decorated whiteware sherd.

HS-31 tu functiory 0-60 cmbs [92-30]

Two ceramic sherds were recovered from this trench. One is an undecorated

whiteware sherd and the other is a blue edge decorated whiteware sherd.

HS-31 to HS-35 Junction, 0-60 cmbs [92-31]

One porcelain sherd and one four-hole ceramic button were recovered from this

trench segment.

HS-31 Northwest to Tum Towards HS-I and HS-II, 0-60 cmbs tg2-321

One dark green curved glass sherd was recovered from this trench. The four ceramic

sherds include one undecorated porcelain sherd and three undecorated whiteware sherds.

A carbon rod was also recovered.

44
Tum to Segment Between HS-l and IIE-II, 0-60 cmbs [92-33]

The curved glass recovered from this trench includes one dark green sherd, one aqua

sherd, two amber sherds, and one colorless sherd stained red. There are no diagnostic

attributes to these sherds.

There were eighteen ceramic sherds recovered from this trench. These include one

hand-painted porcelain sherd, nine whiteware sherds, and eight stoneware sherds. Two of

the whiteware sherds are molded, one is a luster decorated rim, one has a blue slip, and five

are undecorated. One of the undecorated whiteware sherds has a maker's mark: a coat-of- ' anns over E CHINA" The maker corlld not be identified. Seven of the stoneware

sherds have an Albany slip and one is salt glazed.

A .46 caliber short rimfire cartridge casing with a raised "H" headstamp was

recovered. The Winchester Repeating Arms Cb. of New Haven, Connecticut, produced this

cartridge (Logan 1959:69; White and Munhall 1977:23). This cartridge was used in the

Remington Army single action and other revolvers. The Winchester Repeating Arms Co.

was in business from L866 until 1932 when it was bought by the Western Cartridge Co.

(Ingan L959:8,2L). I-ogan (1959:69) states the raised "H" headstamp is of "earlier

Winchester manufacture."

The other metal artifacts recovered include one staple, one cut nail, and a metal cap.

A brass strap is the only non-ferrous metal item.

HS-I to HS-I1,0-60 cmbs [92-34]

There was an opal jar lid insert fragment recovered from this trench, embossed 'PORCE(LAIN)_."

The ceramics recovered consist of six flow blue whiteware sherds and one albany slip

stoneware sherd. The flow blue sherds are late and the pattern could not be identified.

HS-L Access tu function" 0-60 cmbs [92-35]

There were two colorless glass sherds recovered from this trench segment. One of

the sherds has an unidentified pressed decoration.

Six ceramic sherds were recovered. There are four undecorated whiteware sherds.

one bristol slip stoneware sherd, and one lead glazed stoneware sherd.

The miscellaneous artifacts include one oyster shell fragment and a pewter sheet

ornamental piece fragment.

45
The metal recovered consists of-a single cut nail fragment.

Under Nonh Stairs HS-2, Surface [92-36]

The glass sherd recovered is a pressed colorless sherd. There were two buttons

recovered. One is a four-hole shell button, and the other button (Figure 10c) is a metal

two-piece known as a "S-t1pe, Line Eagle Device, D on shield" (Reynolds 1983:344). The

back of this button is inscribed "SCOVILLS/WATERBURY.' This 6pe of button was

manufactured from 1833-1854 (Albert 1969:65-67; Reynolds 1983:96). Scovills & Co. used

the tlpe of mark used on this button from 1840-1850 (McGunn and Bazelon 1988:90-91).

The "D" stands for Dragoon and was used by both officers and other ranls alike.

HS-g to HS-8 on Parade Ground, 0-60 cmbs [92-37]

The glass sherds recovered include one flat glass sherd and two curved glass sherds.

The curved glass includes one aqua sherd and one colorless sherd.

There were five undecorated whiteware sherds recovered from this trench segment.

A small chert gunflint, sized for a pistol, w:N recovered from this trench segment

(Figure 10b).

Northwest Side of HS-s, 0-60 cmbs [92-38]

The artifacts recovered from this trench include one amber, curved glass sherd and

two undecorated whiteware sherds.

HS-l1 Access, 0-60 cmbs. [92-39]

The two curved glass sherds are composedof one amber sherd and one colorless

sherd. There is one ceramic drain tile fragment. The single metal artifact is a cut nail

fragment.

HS-5 function to HS-10 lunction" 0-60 cmbs [92-40]

The curved glass recovered from this trench includes one amber sherd, one amethyst

tint sherd, and one colorless sherd. The amethyst tint sherd is a slightly lipping tooled

straight brandy finish with a cork still in it. The colorless sherd is a six-sided tumbler base.

46
There were five ceramic sherdsrecovered from this trench, including one lead glazed

stoneware sherd and four whiteware sherds. A ceramic drain tile fragment was also

recovered.

The metal artifacts recovered from this trench include one cut nail fragment, one

hinge fragment, one iron coat hook fragment, and an iron rod piece.

HS-10 function to HS-7 Junction" 0-60 cmbs [92-41]

A stone marble wix recovered frorl this trench. The production of stone marbles

was rejuvenated in Europe in the late seventeenth century from early Greek and Roman

starts. By the mid-eighteenth century and again around the mid-nineteenth century,

Germany had the bulk of stone marble production. The production of stone marbles began

to decline around 1870 and never regained stiength after this date, although it continued

until around 1915 (Randall l97L:102).

HS-10 function to HS-10 Access, 0-60 cmbs [92-42J

A small number of artifacts were recovered from this trench segment. The

assemblage consists of one undecorated whiteware sherd and one decal decorated whiteware

sherd. One stimrp fragment (Figure 10a) and one mower sickle blade are the only metal

items.

HS-LI Rear Access Midden, 53-59 cmbs [92-43]

There was one blue shell edge decorated whiteware sherd recovered. This type of

edge decorated ware was produced from the 1840s to the 1870s (Miller and Hunter

L990:11.8).

HS-7 Junction to HS-7 Access, 0-60 cmbs [92-44]

The glass artifacts recovered from this trench include two flat glass sherds, three

curved glass sherds, and one opal jar lid insert. The curved glass sherds include two

colorless sherds and one milk glass sherd.

The ceramics are represented by ten whiteware sherds and one yellowware sherd.

Seven of the whiteware sherds are undecorated, one is mold decorated, one has a gilt

decoration, and one is a late flow blue decorated sherd. The yellowware sherd is

undecorated.

47
The miscellaneous artifacts recovered consist of an asbestos brake lining piece, a

piece of leather, and an aluminum child's spoon that is embossed'MADE IN USA.

The metal artifacts recovered are a gear fragment and a metal cap.

HS-8 function to HS-8 Access, 0-60 cmbs [92-45]

There were a small number of artifacts recovered from this trench segment. This

includes one late flow blue whiteware sherd-and an unidentified pewter fragment.

HS-T lunction to HS-8 functiory 0-60 cmbs [92-46]

There were four ceramic sherds recovered from this trench segment, including four

undecorated whiteware sherds, one annular decorated whiteware sherd, and one lead glazed

stoneware sherd. The annular sherd has blue, white, and yellow bands.

HS-l Access, 0-60 cmbs [92-47]

The glass sherd recovered is a dark green push-up that has been pontiled. The use

of pontiling declined after the 1850s and generally ended around 1870 (Jones and Sullivan

1985:45).

The four ceramic sherds recovered consist of three undecorated whiteware sherds and

one annular decorated yellowware sherd. The annular sherd has blue and white bands.

HS-32 East Garage House-Pedestian Doorway [92-48]

There were three curved glass sherds recovered from this area including two colorless

sherds and one aqua sherd. The aqua sherd is a machine-made patent finish. The colorless

sherds are both bottle bases, one of which is an Owens machine-made base. Machine-made

bottles were first manufactured in the late nineteenth century with semi-automatic machines.

Fully automatic machines started production'in the early twentieth century. The Owens

machine was the first large producer of automatic machine-made bottles. The Owens

machine was first used in 1.903 and its height of use continued through the 1920s, with some

producers using still using the process into the 1940s (Jones and Sullivan 1985:35-39).

'Crawl HS-I Space below Closet in Moming Room" [92-49]

This lot includes one aqua glass sherd from a "cathedral" jar (Figure 10d). The size

of the design on sherd suggests it is from a pickle jar and not a sauce bottle. Cathedral

48
pickle jars seem to have a long temporal span. Four-sided one-quart pickle jars were

recovered from the steamboat Bertrand,built in 1864 and sunkwith its cargo in the Missouri

River in 1865 (Switzer 1974:51-58). Wilson (1981:89) illustrates cathedral jars from Fort

Union with dates from 1851 to 1861, while Munsey (1970:152) gives the date of production

for cathedral pickle jars as "about forty years-twenty on either side of the turn of the

century." Zumwalt (19802452458) illustrates several different cathedral pickle jars with an

early date of the 1870s for four-sided jars with the motifs carried onto six-sided jars later.

A stone marble similar to the one mentioned above was recovered from this area.

The metal artifacts recovered include mo unidentified ferrous objects.

HS-12, East Side Trench [92-50]

One fragmentary horseshoe was collected in this trench segment.

HS-30 Southwest Corner Access Point [92-51]

There was one colorless curved glass sherd and one lead glazed stoneware sherd

recovered. These artifacts contained no diagnostic attributes.

The metal artifact recovered from this area is a center clip from a singletree used in

the harnessing of horses for wagons.

REFERENCES CITED

Albert, A.H.

1969 Record of American Uniform and Histoical Buttoru. Boyertown Company,

Boyertown, Pennsylvania.

Cockrell, R., A.W. O'Bright, J.L. Dial

1991 Histoic Structure Report, Blockhouse (HS-10); Fort Lamed National Histoic

Site, Pawnee County, Kansas. On file, National Park Service, Midwest Archeological

Center, Lincoln.

Fike, R.E.

1987 The Bottle Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Histoic Embossed Medicine Bottles.

Gibbs M. Smith, Inc., Peregrine Smith Books, Salt take City.

49
Godden, G.A.

1964 Encyclopedia of Bitish Pottery and Porcelain Marl<s. Crown Publishers Inc.,

New York.

Jones, O., and C. Sullivan

1985 The Parl<s Canada Glass Glossary. Parks Canada, Ottawa" Ontario.

I-ehner, I-ois

L98O Complete Book of Ameican Ktchen and Dinner Wares. Wallace-Homestead

Book Company, Des Moines.

Uebowitz, J.

1985 Yellowware: The Transition Ceramic. Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Exton,

Pennsylvania.

Ingan, H.C.

1959 Cartrtdges-A Pictoial Digest of Small Arms Ammunition. Bonanza Books,

New York.

McGuinn, W.F., and B.S. Bazelon

1988 Amertcan Military Button Makers and Dealers: Their Backmarlcs & Dates.

Bookcrafters, Inc., Chelse4 Michigan.

Miller, G.L. and R.R. Hunter Jr.

1990 English Shell Edged Earthenware: Alias Ireds Ware, Alias Feather Edge. 35th

Annual Wedgwood Intemational Seminar, pp. 107-136.

Munsey, C.

1970 lllustrated Guide to Collecting Bottles. Hawthorn Books, New York.

Randall, M.E.

L97l Early Marbles. Histoical Archaeologt 5:102-105.

Reynolds, J.D.

L983 Archeological Investigations at Old Fort Scott, 1480302, Fort Scott, Kansas 1968 to

1972. Contract No. 14-10-2:920-46. Report submitted to the Midwest Regional

Office, National Park Service, Omaha. On file, National Park Service, Midwest

Archeological Center, Lincotn.

Richner, Jeffrey J.

1992 Archeological Investigations at OM Munising (20AR192): A Nineteenth-Century

Company Town Occasional Studies in Anthropology No. 28. National

Park Service, Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln.

50
Ring, C.

L980 For Bitterc Only. The Nimrod Press Inc., Boston, Massachussetts.

Schulz, P.D., B.J. Rivers, M.M. Hales, C.A Litzinger, E.A McKee

1.980 The Bottles of Old Sacrarnento: A Srudy of Nineteenth Century Glass and Cerarnic

Retail Containerc, Pafi 1. California Archeological Reports No. 20. Cultural

Resource Management Unit, California Department of Parks and Recreation,

Sacramento.

Switzer, R.R.

L974 The Bertrand Bottles: A Study of Nineteenth Century Glass and Ceramic

Containerc. Publications in Archeology No. 12. National Park Service, Washington,

D.C.

Toulouse, J.H.

1969 Fruit lars. Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, Tennessee.

I97L Bottle Makers and Their Marlcs. Thomas Nelson Inc., New York.

White, H.P., and B.D. Munhall

1977 Cafiridge Headstamp Guide. H.P. White I-aboratory, Inc., Street, Maryland.

Wilson, B. and B. Wilson

L97l Nineteenth Cenary Medicine in Glass. Nineteenth Century Hobby and

Publishing Co., Eau Gallie, Florida.

Wilson, R.

1971 Clay Tobacco Pipes from Fort Laramie National Hktoric Site and Related

Locations. National Park Service, Division of Archeology and

Anthropology, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, Washington, D.C.

L98L Bottles on the Westem Frontier. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.

Woodhead, E.I., C. Sullivan, and G. Gusset

1984 Lighting Devtces in the National Reference Collection, Parl<s Canada. Parks

Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

Zumwalt, B.

1980 Ketchup, Pickles, Sauces: Nineteenth Century Food In Glass. Mark West

Publishing, Fulton, Georgia.

51
REPOR'F CERTIFICATION > 

"Archeological Investigations At Fort Scott National 

I certify that------=----------------------

Historic 199 2" by Caven P. Clark Site, Bourbon County, Kansas: 

J 

has been reviewed against the criteria contained m 43CFR Part 7 (a)(1) and 

upon recommendation of the Regional Archeologist has been classified as 

available 

6/17/93 

Date 

Classification Key Words: 

"Available" -Making the report available to the public meets the criteria of 43CFR 7.18 (a) 

(1). 

"Available (deletions)"-Making the report available with selected information on site 

locations and/or site characteristics deleted meets the criteria of 43CFR 7.18 (a)(1). A list of 

pages, maps, paragraphs, etc. that must be deleted for each report in this c-ategory is attached. 

"Not Available"-Making the report available does not meet the criteria of 43CFR (a )(1 ).