Jul 24
Barbara HinesUncategorized Apalachicola River, Blountstown, Florida, Florida History, Florida Humanities Council, Journey Stories, Panhandle Pioneer Settlement, Smithsonian
The "Journey Stories" Exhibit at Panhandle Pioneer Settlement, Blountstown.
“Journey Stories” is part of Museum on Main Street, which is a collaborative effort between the Smithsonian Institution and the state humanities council. This program is also supported by the United States Congress. The exhibition shows how our ever changing methods of mobility have changed our nation and how it has helped our country grow. Just the word “journey” brings to mind a sense of adventure. No matter how long or short the distance, a journey is transformational and has the potential to change people, landscapes, and the environment-for better or for worse. This exhibit uses images, audio and even artifacts to show visitors how traveling and movement have played a vital role in creating our diverse American culture. “Journey Stories” is an exhibit designed especially for small communities, and the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement is the perfect location for this exhibit! After walking around the Smithsonian exhibit, you can take some time to visit the living history museum to gain an even greater understanding of the journey people experienced in the Florida Panhandle. Blountstown is situated on one of the major waterways in the region, and historically, many of the folks that settled in the region got there via the Apalachicola River.
Did you know that six out of ten Floridians come from somewhere else? Florida may well be the most mobile state in the country. Throughout history people have come to
Wakulla County was among the several communities that contributed their own stories by creating an exhibit that was incorporated into "Journey Stories".
Florida for a variety of reasons on various modes of transportation. Some came here by Spanish galleon, others by horse-drawn carriage, and let us not forget the “Tin Can Tourists”! Some came looking for work, others for freedom and some for gold and riches. “Journey Stories” touches on all of these topics and attempts to combine the prestige of the Smithsonian Institution, the expertise of the Florida Humanities Council and the resources of the local community. The Florida Humanities Council is working with local museums in Plant City, Blountstown, Debary, Clewiston, Sebring and Dunedin to display this exhibit throughout the state. They are also encouraging local communities to enhance this exhibit with displays of local images, artifacts, and stories. A teacher workshop will be held in each location as well. These workshops will provide educators with strategies for integrating this topic into their classrooms. The exhibit will be featured at the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement from July 14th through August 25th, 2012. The museum is open Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Thursday from 10am to 6pm. To learn more information about this exhibit and associated events please contact the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement at 850-674-2777 or at info@panhandlepioneer.org.
Jul 10
Barbara HinesUncategorized African American History, Florida Public Archaeology Network, FPAN, GPR, Ground Penetrating Radar, Human Remain Detection Dogs, Munree Cemetery, SEAC, Southeast Archaeology Center, Tallahassee, Welaunee Plantation
Drew, an archaeologist with SEAC, gives volunteers a brief introduction to how GPR works.
Since its creation, the North Central Region office has worked hard to assist local organizations that are working on various preservation projects in the region. The most recent
Volunteers take a moment to pose for a photo for the National Trust for Historic Places' "This Place Matters" campaign.
of which involves a historic African American cemetery located in Tallahassee. The Munree Cemetery, as it is known, was established in the late 1800s or early 1900s. It is associated with the Welaunee and Monreif plantations of Tallahassee. The cemetery contains at least 250 burials, the majority of which are unmarked. Since 2009 a group of concerned citizens have been working with county and city officials to protect and preserve this historic site. The citizens established a non-profit organization, The Munree Cemetery Foundation, Inc. as part of this effort. In early 2012 this group contacted the Southeast Archaeological Center asking if there were any archaeologists that would be interested in assisting them. The Southeast Archaeological Center contacted the North Central FPAN office. Since that time the Southeast Archaeological Center and the North Central FPAN office have partnered with the local citizens to work to ensure the cemetery is properly documented and maintained. This opportunity is being used to create awareness within the community of the importance of historic cemeteries and how to properly maintain and protect them.
Earlier this month a team of archaeologists from FPAN North Central, the Southeast Archaeological Center, the Panhandle Archaeological Society and volunteers from the Munree Cemetery Foundation, Inc. and the community took two days to document the cemetery and conduct some much needed maintenance. The Southeast Archaeological Center
The HRD Dogs take a break after working hard helping us identify unmarked burials.
generously provided GPR equipment to assist with this effort. The citizens had the opportunity to get some hands on experience using the GPR. The group also took this opportunity to learn how to safely and properly clean cemetery monuments using D-2 Biological Solution and learned how to document sites using the Florida Master Site File cemetery form. In addition to using these more common methods
Drew assists as a volunteer pushes the GPR cart across the cemetery in an area the dogs detected potential burials.
of cemetery documentation, a unique opportunity was presented to those involved as well. Human Remain Detection (HRD) dogs were brought in by trained handlers who volunteered their time to assist with locating possible unidentified unmarked burials. This allowed us to narrow down the areas that could benefit most from the use of GPR. This information will be compared with the results of the GPR survey. The public was invited out to the cemetery while the dogs were conducting their survey and the dog handlers did a wonderful job in educating visitors and answering questions. We will continue to work with the Munree Cemetery Foundation to ensure that this cemetery is properly protected and maintained. WFSU-TV came out to film our progress and document our work and it will be airing on “Dimensions”. We do not have the date or time yet, but will keep our facebook and twitter followers updated with that information when we receive it.
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