Preserving History with Virtual Reality: The Future of Archaeological Public Outreach at the Historic United Comstock Merger Mill
Creators: name: Jensen, Alicia
Publisher: name: The 88th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: North America: California and Great Basin
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/83873/north-america-california-and-great-basin
subject: 1880-1920
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/6691/1880-1920
subject: Historic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/25/historic
subject: Euroamerican
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/28/euroamerican
subject: Virginia City National Historic Landmark
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/131227/virginia-city-national-historic-landmark
subject: Virginia &amp; Truckee Railroad
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/131228/virginia-truckee-railroad
subject: United Comstock Merger Mill
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/131225/united-comstock-merger-mill
subject: American Flat Mill
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/131226/american-flat-mill
subject: Structure
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/334/structure
subject: Historic Structure
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/336/historic-structure
subject: Mine
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/290/mine
subject: Mine-Related Structures
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/292/mine-related-structures
subject: Road, Trail, and Related Structures or Features
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/294/road-trail-and-related-structures-or-features
subject: Railroad
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/298/railroad
subject: architecture
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/1425/architecture
subject: Building Materials
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/8/building-materials
subject: Metal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/11/metal
subject: Kiosks
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/163613/kiosks
subject: Abandoned Railroad Grade
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/129487/abandoned-railroad-grade
subject: Cultural Resources and Heritage Management
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/159860/cultural-resources-and-heritage-management
subject: Historic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/138721/historic
subject: Cultural Resource Management
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/11316/cultural-resource-management
subject: Exhibit
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/53813/exhibit
subject: Documentary
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/81978/documentary
subject: podcast
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/143515/podcast
subject: Mitigation
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/1291/mitigation
subject: 3D Technology, Public Outreach, VR
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/160137/3d-technology-public-outreach-vr
subject: Architectural Documentation
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/16/architectural-documentation
subject: Architectural Survey
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/2/architectural-survey
subject: Heritage Management
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/24/heritage-management

description: This is an abstract from the "Digging Deeper: Pushing Ourselves to Engage the Public in Our Shared Heritage through Outreach and Education" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The United Comstock Merger Mill, locally known as the American Flat Mill, was a cyanide mill constructed in 1922 on the eastern portion of the American Flat near Virginia City, Nevada. This mill, located within the boundaries of the Virginia City National Historic Landmark, represented one of the last large-scale efforts to mine and mill ore on the Comstock. The “last gasp” of the Comstock was unsuccessful, and the mill closed in 1926. After abandonment, the mill became a popular local gathering spot and a physical safety hazard. In late 2014, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) demolished the mill after reaching an agreement with the Nevada SHPO about how the mill would be documented and how that information would be shared with the public. This poster shares the multiple public outreach projects the BLM completed to share the history of the mill, including a documentary, interpretive kiosk, brochure, virtual tour, podcast, and mobile exhibit.