Sifting through history

A student carefully sifts through dirt at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site on a hot summer day.

Others focus on excavating a former tent city. In its heyday, 3,000 soldiers called it home. Now, its past is only evidenced by old tire ruts, nails and other items buried in the earth.

Members of the public drop by to ask questions: What are you looking for? Why are you doing this? How is it significant?

Patiently, Doug Wilson, National Park Service archeologist, answers the questions, along with field director Amy Clearman.

“We are excavating in two areas of the Spruce Mill site, west of the trail and east of the stockade,” Wilson said. “We are hoping to find bits from the factory, and learn more about the industrial heritage of the site, as well as remnants of the soldiers’ lives.”

The digs are part of the Public Archeology Field School, where archeologists hope visitors will have the opportunity to interact with students as they uncover the history of the area. The field school is a joint undertaking of the Northwest Cultural Resources Institute at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

Additionally, Kids Dig programs introduce children ages 8 through 12 to the world of archaeology. In this program, participants excavate a mock site with the help of college student archaeologists.

“It is a great way for kids to learn about archeology, while getting their hands dirty,” Wilson said.

Lastly, a presentation series will bring archaeologists from around the country to the national park to discuss their work with the public.

“We are very excited to participate in this public archaeology program during the centennial year of the National Park Service,” Wilson said. “We look forward to the many visitors who will get the opportunity to talk to students and staff about the importance of this premier heritage site.”

The U.S. Army’s Spruce Production Division operated the Spruce Mill from 1917 to 1918 to produce lumber for Allied aircraft manufacturing during World War I. Students will perform test excavations at the site of the main mill, repair and machine shop areas, as well as the site where mill workers’ bunkhouses and tents were located.

Olivia Jensen, an Evergreen State College, is taking the field work class through Portland State University. She is passionate about the subject of archeology and looks forward to sharing it with others.

“This is something I have known I wanted to do as a career since I was in the 10th grade,” she said. “I know a lot of people get started in this field later in life, so I wanted to get as much experience as I could now. It’s also been a great experience to connect with the public and tell them what we are doing.”

Efflie Helmers, a junior at PSU, noted that archeology is something that is better learned in the field than in a classroom.

“This is the moment we get to test our skills and we also look forward to interacting with the public,” she said. “This morning, we had kids here from an OMSI summer camp. By bringing this to the public, we can show them how history matters.”

The biggest find the students had uncovered was an Indian Head penny from 1893, which was discovered just under the 1894 flood deposit.

“That was a pretty exciting find,” noted student Idah Whisenant.

In addition to evidence of the Spruce Mill site, the team is also looking for evidence of a 1890 water closet.

“Hopefully, we will find some remnants of that,” Wilson said. “It was really a progressive era. These bases were on the leading edge of sanitary and water systems.”

An Army base was located at the Fort from 1849 to 2012. The National Guard and Army Reserve still use the post for certain events, Wilson added.

“The history of the Army here is very strong,” he said. “Hopefully, by doing these excavations, we can find out even more. The students are ready and willing to interact with the public so that they can learn more as well.”