Protecting Michigan State's Material Culture
Last semester, I finished up my Archives work for the ongoing CAP sustainability project (now to put all that information together in a coherent draft of a paper!). My last few visits to the Archives were spent going through collections donated by individuals who saved …
As the semester comes to a close, I feel confident that I am not alone in saying that we all feel a bit frenzied. As I looked through my notes taken during my research time at the University Archives from the last few weeks, I …
The first step in my Campus Archaeology project this year is getting site numbers. These numbers are based on the state, county and site number. They are designated by the Office of the State Archaeologist, and are unique to each site. The reason that you want your site identified with a site number is that it makes organization of materials easier since everything from the site will be associated with a single ID, it makes it easier to find in the state records and it becomes officially part of the state’s archaeological records (which is important as we move to the next stage of accessioning).
The numbers are known as the Smithsonian Trinomial. They were created in order to give every archaeological site in the US a unique identifier. They were first employed beginning in the 1930s and 1940s. The numbers were developed during two major projects that spanned multiple states and necessitated a US wide system of archaeological site designation: developed first in the 1930s Works Progress Administration fieldwork and perfected during the 1940s River Basin Survey (Webster).
The site number is based on three parts. First is the state number. Each state has a unique number that is based on the alphabetical order of all US states and territories from the 1940s. Based on this, Michigan is 20 and other states like Colorado are 5 or Tennessee is 40. Due to the date of the creation of these numbers, states like Alaska and Hawaii which joined the US later are not in alphabetical order, but are 49 and 50, respectively.
The second part is not a number, but consists of two letters that designate the county. Michigan State University is located in Ingham county, so the initials used are ‘IN’. If we were in Saginaw County we would have the initials ‘SA’. Not every state follows this, for example Alaska has a three letter identifier second that is based on USGS map quadrangles in place of the county code.
Finally is the number of the site which is a sequential digit based on when the number for the site was requested for it. Saints’ Rest is the 169th archaeological site found in Ingham county and therefore is 169. This number is the same throughout the US, though it can mean the number the site was registered in the county or in the USCG map quadrangle.
Here is a little quiz on creating site numbers…
1) Based on what you just learning, what is the complete site number for Saints’ Rest?
2) You found a new archaeological site in Grand Rapids, MI. It is the 356th site that has been found in this county. What would the number be? (Use the county map for reference, Grand Rapids is located in Kent Country to the west)
Bonus: Using the Alaska quad, what would the site number be for the 14th archaeological site found at Howard’s Pass?
If you’d like to learn more about the numbering systems, you can find a listing of the state numbers and how states determine the county number on the Wikipedia page on Smithsonian Trinomials. For more on the history, see this post on site numbers from Chris Webster on DigTech.
Answers
1) 2
2) 3
Bonus) 1
Author: Katy Meyers Emery
I took a break from researching my sustainability project this week and focused my efforts on my favorite holiday: Halloween! Late October certainly has a notorious reputation in certain parts of Michigan, but I was curious to see how (and if) students on the historic …
Michigan State University was originally established in 1855 as an agricultural college of the state and after almost 160 years, it has grown to become one of the largest educational institutions in the U.S. Over the years, MSU has become known for, not only its …
The West Circle neighborhood is known for its beautiful Collegiate Gothic dorms, with beautifully sculpted gardens and peaceful stands of trees. One grove of trees though holds exceptional significance in the legacy of our university. Just west of Williams Hall is a grove of thirty-three oak trees overlooking Michigan Avenue. Few students notice the nondescript fieldstone slab nestled within the small park space.
A brass plaque explains that this grove of trees is a memorial to the thirty-three students and graduates of the college who gave their lives in World War One. Back then our school was still the Michigan Agricultural College (M.A.C.), and contained few of the buildings that now dominate our campus. Next year will mark the hundredth anniversary of the start of what would become known as the Great War. The conflict exploded the world into the modern era, where industrialized warfare clashed with outdated military doctrine creating tragic consequences. In all some 8,500,000 soldiers would die in the conflict that pitted the Allied Powers (France, Russia, America, and the United Kingdom) against the might of the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire).
America would not enter the war until 1917, when German U-boat attacks on commercial vessels would compel the nation to declare war on the Central Powers. America would mobilize over four million men to fight in Europe as part of the American Expeditionary Force. American soldiers would play a pivotal role in the battles of the Second Battle of the Marne and Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Ultimately America’s contribution would play a key part in bringing about the end of the war, but with a cost of 116,516 soldiers killed in action and a further 204,000 wounded.
Among the men who would never return home were students and alumni of the Michigan Agricultural College. In all thirty-three students and graduates of the college would give their lives in service to their country. Ten of the young men would never live to see their graduation from M.A.C. Their sacrifice would not be forgotten though.
The college community decided a memorial grove overlooking the Red Cedar River and Michigan Avenue would be a fitting way to pay respect for their fallen brothers. The planning for the memorial was headed by the Forestry Department lead by faculty chair Professor Alfred K. Chittenden (for whom Chittenden Hall is named after). An oak tree would be planted for each of the soldiers and a large fieldstone would bear a plaque listing the soldier’s names.
The dedication took place on the college’s Commencement Day of 1919. Following a parade and a review of the college’s R.O.T.C. unit, Lieutenant Colonel A. H. Gansser of the 125th infantry formally dedicated the memorial grove. Gansser was well known in Michigan for the published letters he would send from the front, and was well regarded as a skilled speaker and critical analyst of politics and the war. The day was especially meaningful to Gansser, as many of the memorialized men were fellow members of the 125th infantry.
The thirty-three oak trees still shade the sidewalks west of Wilson Hall and the memorial is right off the sidewalk following Beal Street. This quite corner of MSU’s campus may remain largely unknown to the student body, but it remains a somber and beautiful reminder to the sacrifices made by our fellow Spartans.
Author: Max Forton
Ledger, May 9, 1919 vol.24, no. 29 The M.A.C. Record, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan.
Ledger, June 6, 1919 vol.24, no. 32 The M.A.C. Record, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan.
Royde-Smith, John Graham, and Showalter, Dennis E. “World War I” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2013
This week I have been working to pull together my notes from the University Archives building construction and use of space on campus. Though this is not the focus of my project this year (this topic has been addressed by previous CAP researchers Eve Avdoulos …
Numbers are important for archaeologists. We number each excavation we do, each hole within our surveys, and every single bag of artifacts we fill. These numbers help us keep organized. We can match the bag numbers with the site numbers, shovel test numbers with specific …
September is a wonderful time at Michigan State University. Students have just returned to campus, the football season has just begun, and there is a hint of color change in the trees. Most of the construction from the summer has ended, and the concrete is back in place over the massive pits we spent the summer investigating. This Fall is the first in over a century that students will not be returning to Morrill Hall. Over a few weeks this summer, the building was torn down. In its place is now a series of sidewalks and the beginnings of a memorial garden to the building. It is amazing how quickly the space was changed from a building to an open area. Change like this isn’t uncommon on university grounds, especially historic ones. However, it is also nice to see the preservation and rejuvenation of buildings, such as the recent plan to save Chittenden Hall.
Chittenden Hall was originally built in 1901 to be the primary building for dairy operations. The evidence for this can be seen with the large door at the back of the building which used to have a ramp allowing for cows to get inside. However, the purpose was quickly changed when a larger dairy building was opened in 1912. The building then became the home for Forestry, a name that still is engraved on the lintel across the main doorway. Forestry remained there until the late 1960’s, and then it moved to the Natural Resources Building. During this period, it was also renamed from “Forestry” to “Chittenden Hall” after Alfred K. Chittenden, a former professor of forestry. From the 1960’s until the 1990’s it held a number of offices, but in the past decade or so it has been vacant.
Over the past few years, there has been a push from the Council of Graduate Students and the Graduate School to renovate the building to house graduate studies and provide a space for graduate students. The campaign was known as ‘Get Chitt Done’, and has been something graduate students have been very passionate about. In June 2013, at the Board of Trustees meeting, the renovations were finally approved. Since then, plans, schematics and designs have been quickly created, and the revamp is scheduled to start up this fall. The renovations are going to be a little complicated due to the fact that the building is on a historic register and cannot be substantially altered on the exterior, but this means that the overall heritage of the building will be preserved.
I had the opportunity to tour the building late this summer with members of COGS and the Graduate School to learn about the new layout and how the renovations will proceed. The building currently isn’t in the best shape- there is trash in the corners, signs up from the late 1990’s, and some of the wood features aren’t in the best condition. However, there is great potential, and it is wonderful to see that we will be saving a historic building. As a graduate student, I’m also excited that there will be a home for graduate studies, a place for us to gather and one primary location for our resources. As a previous campus archaeologist, I’m excited to watch the historic building get a new life. It is going to be an interesting renovation- since the building is on the historic register, it will have to be revamped in keeping with the historical feel of the building, but also needs modern touches like an elevator for access. The combination of maintaining heritage and contemporary updates will be fascinating to watch!
Author: Katy Meyers Emery
Works Cited
Abdila 2013. COGS looks forward to Chittenden Hall revamp. State News. http://statenews.com/article/2013/07/cogs-looks-forward-to-chittenden-hall-revamp
MSU Facts. Tumblr. http://msufacts.tumblr.com/post/6471206735/chittenden
A quick GoogleScholar search with the keyword “sustainability” will yield thousands of hits. Paring down the search by adding “university” will still result in a host of results. Sustainability practices at the university level have been en vogue in the United States in recent years, …