In January, local archaeologist Chelsea Rose and Tiah Edmunson-Morton of the Oregon State University Hops and Brewing Archives traveled to Lisbon, Portugal to present a paper on the recent archaeology done at the Eagle Brewery and Saloon. Established in 1856 and recognized as the first brewery in town, and one of […]
When archaeologist Chelsea Rose invited me to help the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) team of archaeologists survey the Eagle Brewery property on South Oregon Street, I jumped at the chance. I’ve been volunteering with SOULA for over a decade now, but this place is special to me. […]
To celebrate the Year of the Rat, the Southern Oregon Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) is hosting an exhibit on the history of coins used by Chinese immigrants in Oregon. In Chinese culture, the rat is traditionally a sign of wealth, as are coins. In 2013, SOULA excavated areas within the Jacksonville […]
The Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) has been sharing its research into the Jacksonville Chinese Quarter in the Jacksonville Review for years. While it may seem like we’ve been away from the action recently, we have actually been expanding our research on early Chinese immigrants and taking it on […]
While those of you who have followed our “Digging Jacksonville” column have had a behind-the-scenes glimpse at some of the significant findings from our work on Britt hill (see the Digging Jacksonville archives to catch-up), there is a lot we have not had the chance to tell you. Until now!
We first […]
The Southern Oregon Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) is celebrating the Year of the Pig by revisiting some of the archaeological findings made at their 2013 dig of the burned dwelling along Main Street in Jacksonville’s Chinese Quarter. Those who have read previous articles may recall the discovery of thousands bones at […]
Every year, hundreds of art and music aficionados flock to Jacksonville to attend the Britt Music and Arts Festival. Surely, each visitor is impressed not only by the excellent performances, but also by the loveliness of the Britt Gardens themselves. But did you know that the gardens that now play host […]
We all know that the Britt hill is steeped in history. As such, every time construction projects are planned, archaeology is an important first step. I had a conversation with Jeff Applen of Sore Foot Archaeology, who served as the archaeologist for the Britt Festivals’ most recent project. After the planning […]
Dozens of clay tobacco pipes have been recovered by the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) from archaeological sites in Jacksonville and throughout Southern Oregon. These have included stemmed and reed-stem pipes (with a replaceable stem that is inserted into the shank) that are either plain, decorated, or anthropomorphic shapes. […]
In celebration of the 2018 “Year of the Dog,” the Southern Oregon Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) is proud to present an educational pamphlet on the history of early Jacksonville’s Chinese Community! Archaeological study of Jacksonville’s “Chinese Quarter” revealed there was little information about Jacksonville’s early-day Chinese population. […]
We all know that the history of the city of Jacksonville is intimately tied to the discovery of gold. So it’s not surprising that the city is home to many of the same myths and legends surrounding the gold rush that are found across the west. Most commonly, it’s the myth […]
October marks four years since we excavated the burned dwelling along Main Street in Jacksonville’s Chinese Quarter. October also marks my favorite holiday, and in honor of both, I am going to tell you a ghost story.
Our story is set in the late nineteenth century and features a young man named […]
“Be they ever so humble looking,” each of the three Native tools shown here were of crucial importance to their owner’s survival. All three were found at Hanley Farm, as part of the recent archaeological dig for the Farm’s new septic drain field.
For most of us now living here, it is […]
As part of Jacksonville’s 2010 Sesquicentennial celebration, the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) conducted a large-scale archaeological excavation at the former homestead of Peter Britt, which is now the Peter Britt Gardens and Britt Festival grounds. Due to the volume of archaeological material recovered from the project, paired with […]
The Rogue River War of 1855-56 marks a pivotal point in the settlement of Oregon. The conflict centered on the years of hostile and violent encounters between the Native Americans and settlers during the Gold Rush in Southern Oregon. The War was fought across southwestern Oregon and concluded with the removal […]
Digging Jacksonville – June 2017
The Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) conducted a series of excavations in the Britt Gardens in preparation for Jacksonville’s 2010 sesquicentennial. This led to the recovery of thousands of artifacts related to the daily lives, activities, and innovations from the historical Britt homestead. Through the generosity of Herb Britt, […]
It takes a different breed of volunteer, student, and professional, with a burning desire to discover and preserve local history to join an archeology dig. We arrived at Hanley Farm March 31st in unpredictable weather to dig deep into the earth, lift heavy buckets of saturated, compacted mud, and then spray […]
When the City of Jacksonville and the Oregon Department of Transportation uncovered a pile of horseshoes while transplanting a tree along C Street in 2010, they unexpectedly uncovered the remains of one of the town’s earliest blacksmith shops. Subsequent excavations by the Southern Oregon Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) revealed a variety […]
I have been working with SOULA on the archaeology of my historic home and property for more than a decade. Each time I need to renovate, update, or improve the home and grounds, artifacts turn-up. Evidence of Euro-American and Chinese presence are common on the property, but previous to these finds, […]
I just returned from a wonderful month in Southern China’s Guangdong Province—the ancestral homeland of the Overseas Chinese. While there, I was able to spend time in the home villages of the thousands of individuals and families that came to the United States in the nineteenth and early twentieth century to […]
“Have you found any gold yet?” That is one of the most common questions archaeologists get, particularly when working in a gold rush era mecca like Jacksonville, Oregon. While I usually say no—and silently contemplate turning it into a teaching moment regarding how the real “gold” is the information we […]
During our excavations into the Chinese Quarter, we got a peek into the pantry of a household occupied by Chinese residents in 1888. On the shelves, we found a variety of glass and ceramic tableware that was used to prepare meals, serve food and drinks, and even items brought out for […]
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “Archaeology?” (Be honest!) Many of you are thinking Egyptian pyramids; (that’s ok, I get it), some of you might have thought dinosaurs; (stop what you are doing, and google paleontology) and hopefully, some of you thought Jacksonville! One of […]
The Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) just returned from a month-long dig on the coast, investigating two sites associated with the Rogue River War of the mid-19th Century. This work is just part of a multi-year project that has taken us all over southwest Oregon, including Jacksonville. During the […]
Excavations at Jacksonville’s Chinese Quarter resulted in a small assemblage of coins that burned with the house in the fall of 1888. Through numismatics, the study of coins, it is possible to see past the damage and determine how they were used prior to the fire. The numismatic material included coins […]
Creating an exhibition is a thoughtful, creative, intensive—and fun process. One of the many challenges for the curator is combining academic research with strong visual components to tell the story so that it’s both engaging and educational.
While curating my most recent exhibition, Courage in the Golden Valley: Southern Oregon Chinese History […]
This year marks many important milestones for history lovers. The National Park Service turns 100 (so be sure you carve out some time this summer to celebrate with a visit to the Oregon Caves and Crater Lake), and the National Historic Preservation Act turns 50! While the National Historic Preservation Act […]
The Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS) recently provided me with a unique opportunity to research, explore, and snoop around the scenic Hanley Farm in order to provide a synthesis of the past archaeology conducted at the site. Located on Jackson Creek just outside of Jacksonville, the farm was first homesteaded in […]
Archeological excavations in Jacksonville’s Chinese Quarter regularly turn up examples of printer’s type, the latest dig finding five examples. The archaeologist naturally wants to know when the artifacts found their way to the neighborhood, but more importantly, what is type doing in the Chinese Quarter, blocks from the nearest print shop?
The […]
The days of free-roaming youngsters and unsupervised play are gone, it seems, here in Jacksonville, but we can still see children in Doc Griffin Park or playing in yards and cul de sacs. The sleepy town of the 1950s saw school-aged children and teens riding their bicycles, walking to school, and […]
The Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) excavations at the Jacksonville Chinese Quarter Site not only resulted in the recovery of thousands of household artifacts, but also tens of thousands of fragments of bird, fish, and animal bones—that’s over 30 pounds of bone alone! These remains include mammal bones from […]
For more than a year the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) staff, students, and community volunteers have been using this column to highlight the importance of artifacts recovered from archaeological sites across Jacksonville. While it is relatively easy to show the importance of a single artifact, explaining how […]
As the days get cooler, shorter, and darker, it is a good time to reflect on what it must have been like to live in Jacksonville pre-electricity. There were no switches to flip to illuminate the kitchen while you made dinner, or the living room as you cozied up with a […]
The Jacksonville area is a unique melting pot of Oregon’s historical past. Whether it’s the first timeworn photographs of Peter Britt or the earliest Chinese settlement in the Pacific Northwest, Jacksonville continues to be a must-see historical landmark. Often overlooked are Jacksonville’s original residents, who made homes here for over 10,000 […]
This “mourning button” is one of the many artifacts found during repairs to my own home, the historic Booker House on South Oregon Street. Black attire, including buttons, was popularized by Queen Victoria following the death of her husband, the beloved Prince Albert. She reportedly wore mourning clothes for the rest […]
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act, each state is making a short video to highlight the importance of this act, and the archaeological research that it has supported. The Jacksonville Chinese Quarter site has been chosen to represent the important archaeological work happening in the state of Oregon! In […]
As an archaeologist, I am constantly making unlikely, but fascinating connections between my work and things that I come across every day. Perhaps the least likely of these connections came to me on a sunny, tropical morning on a beautiful beach in South Africa. Like most beachgoers, I enjoy combing for […]
Summer is here, and for many of us that means the season for gin and tonics and frosty mugs of beer! A recent archaeological find along First Street reminded us that Jacksonville’s 19th century residents shared our love of the cocktail hour, and highlighted the lengths that early residents went to […]
Chinese immigrants were an important part of early Jacksonville. Despite this, they were often victims of racist stereotypes both during the occupation of the Chinese Quarter, and today, through misrepresentations (or omissions) in the history of the American West. While this is part of a much larger discussion, some of the […]
Imported ceramics are one of the most common artifact types found in Chinese sites in the American West, and Jacksonville’s Chinese Quarter site is no exception. A large collection of ceramic tableware and storage vessels were found at the burned Chinese house excavated by the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology […]
In 2013, the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) excavated a burned house in what was formerly Jacksonville’s Chinese Quarter. Thousands of bones, or faunal remains, from a variety of animals were recovered in the dig. All artifacts can tell us something unique about their time and place in history […]
The Booker House was built in 1880 and is a contributing resource to Jacksonville’s National Historic Landmark District. The house is currently owned by long-time Jacksonville resident Carol Knapp, who contacted Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) in 2009 in preparation for renovations to her historic home. Carol worked in […]
In October, 2013, the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) excavated a Chinese house in the historic Chinese Quarter of Jacksonville which burnt down in 1888. During the excavation, a large and rich artifact assemblage was recovered, which included seven bone dice, along with […]
The horseshoe is one of the quintessential artifacts of the American West. Not surprisingly, horseshoes like the one pictured here have been found in excavations across Jacksonville. In honor of long time Jacksonville resident Lewis Applebaker’s 100th birthday this month, I wanted to take this opportunity to feature this important […]
During the excavation of the Chinese Quarter by the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) in the Fall of 2013, a multitude of fascinating items were uncovered that can shed light on the experiences of Chinese immigrants living in Jacksonville during the late nineteenth century. Among the most curious of […]
Over the past few years, you could barely throw a rock without hitting a shovel-wielding, orange vested archaeologist in downtown Jacksonville. Many of the same factors that served to preserve the beautiful buildings that make up our National Historic Landmark, also protected the significant archaeological resources beneath our streets, sidewalks, and […]