Sept 11, 2002

Learning What He Missed
By Eric F. Mease

Elkton, Maryland’s former mayor, Robert Alt, says he had very little interest in Cecil County or Elkton town history when he took office four years ago. That’s because he says he wasn’t taught much about it when he was in school. Now, he says, he is trying to make up for lost time. As the person who was mayor of Elkton when the Historic Elk Landing Foundation was born to develop Historic Elk Landing as a living history museum, Bob Alt says he was taken by the idea from the very start. “From the first time I saw it, I knew the town had to become involved,” Mayor Alt beams. “It was indeed a diamond in the rough, but it had a lot of potential.”

Bob says the idea of Elkton purchasing the Hollingsworth property at the foot of Landing Lane was first presented to the town council in 1997 and tabled. Then, in 1998 when he was mayor and there were new faces on the council, the town took a second look. “We initiated a plan for a board of directors,” Bob remembers, “a kind of steering committee to make sure it was done right for Elkton. Then the town sought support from the county and received about $390,000 to purchase the land with state Open Space funding. An additional $70,000 was promised by the state over five years. Elkton also installed the sewer and water lines and donated the time of town public works people at Elk Landing.”

So, what’s to come? Former Mayor Alt says he will remain on the board for about another year and then hopes to see the new mayor take his seat. “I always thought that the mayor of Elkton should be on this board,” Bob explains, “so we will be taking a look at the charter for Elk Landing and create a way so that the mayor always sits on this board.”

Meanwhile, Bob says he is proud of the progress made by the Historic Elk Landing Foundation. “We put goals on this project which the Elk Landing Foundation had to meet,” Bob says. “One of those goals was to raise $500,000 in five years. Another goal was to add several hundred members to the foundation in that same five year period. We’re right at 2 years and we have already satisfied both of those goals which is really good.”

Bob says he has another vision for Elk Landing over the next ten years. “I look at this project being completed by 2012,” Bob predicts. “I feel it will be a living museum by that 2012 date, the two hundredth anniversary of the War of 1812, with full staff in place. I think we are well ahead of that goal. I think that by 2005 you will probably see that we will be running from April through September with costumed re-enactors, tents set up, and school children spending their day here at Elk Landing learning about what happened here… some of that Cecil County history that we all missed.”

Sept 11, 2002

“This is the Beginning”
By Eric F. Mease

Among the hundreds of people who enjoyed the 225th anniversary observance of the British Invasion of Elk Landing in August was Joe Fisona. Joe has dealt with Historic Elk Landing for 6 years. Now, he’s going to deal with it in a new way. Now, Joe is Mayor Joe Fisona of Elkton, Maryland. As Mayor, Joe will have much to say about the future of the foundation and Historic Elk Landing.

“Elkton is full of history and this is the beginning of it,” Joe said during the anniversary observance. “I think we are going to let people know that Elkton is loaded with history and we’ll bring more people into Elkton to see what kind of history we have here.” As the spectators and hundreds of militia re-enactors mingled on the grounds of the old Hollingsworth house, Joe said his vision for Elkton centers around tourism.

“Tourism is the key,” Joe explained. “We want to put Elkton on the map using the history that we have behind it. This tourism will help business in the town and it will be a fabulous thing.” For the town’s part, Joe says Elkton will continue four square behind the Historic Elk Landing project. “Absolutely,” Joe promised. “We’re fully behind it. They have done a wonderful job on their own. They’ve fulfilled all the commitments they said they would and the future looks very bright to me.”

Sept 11, 2002

“The Conviction of Things Not Seen”
By Eric F. Mease

Historic Elk Landing seems to have more than its share of historic mysteries. First there was the mystery of when the Hollingsworth House was built: the 18th or 19th century? Then, there was the mystery of just what was located out in the open field across from the Hollingsworth House where a concentration of 19th century artifacts was found this year.

Now there is yet another mystery thanks in part to archaeologists and art lovers. Allow me to explain. This past spring, Dwayne Pickett’s archaeology group unearthed some foundations extending from the north side of the Stone House at Elk Landing. In a limited dig, Dwayne found 19th century artifacts around those foundations.

Then, in the spring of this year, a negative of a water color print depicting a log structure extending from the north face of the Stone House turned up. Soon afterwards, a painting from a different angle also showed the Stone House with a log extension. Add these recent discoveries to the 19th century Corp of Engineers maps showing a structure attached to the Stone House and a 1917 survey of the property, which also mentions a log house, and you have the makings of a genuine historic mystery.

Who built the loghouse? When was it built? What was it used for? And practically speaking, where can answers to these questions be found? Several persons, some of them experts in their fields, have taken a shot at solving this latest mystery. Elk Landing historic preservation architect, James Wollon says he thinks the foundations predate the 1780s Stone House.

“My interpretation,” Jim explains, “has always been that a foundation at the north end of the Stone House is earlier than the stone house because we are seeing the interior side of that foundation and the Stone House appears to have been built against it.” However, “no one can pronounce a structure as being from a certain culture or a certain date unless it is architecturally obvious from many precedents, or unless one has studied it in some detail.”

Folklorist, specializing in Swedish studies, Dr. Richard Hulan, agrees saying just because no 17th or 18th century artifacts have been found in or around the Stone House, does not mean it or surrounding structures were not built in that time period. “Doesn’t this suggest there is some non-natural reason why there aren’t artifacts earlier than the early 19th century?” Dick asks. Isn’t it possible that “reconstruction with the debris hauled off or scattered” might explain the lack of artifacts?

Swedish genealogist and historian, Dr. Peter Craig, goes even farther in his evaluation of the foundation and pictures. “There can be no doubt,” Peter exclaims, “that the log house pictured in the paintings had its origin with John Hanson Steelman (a Swede, from Wilmington who established a trading post with the Native Americans in the vicinity of Elk Landing in the late 1600s).”

This is as good a time as any to note that the hard data for dating the newly discovered foundations are limited. Archaeological studies at Elk Landing in 1984 and 2002, failed to uncover any artifacts, other than prehistoric Native American items, older than the first quarter of the 1800s. The dendrochronological study done on the Stone House showed it to date from the 1780s. There are no known maps of the area showing the log structure dating from prior to the 19th century. And the paintings of the log house date only to the first quarter of the 20th century.

So what’s next? Architect Wollon favors more archaeology. “We need to trace the perimeter of the Log House,” Wollon says, “then explore its whole interior. Archaeology should reveal a chimney site, hopefully porches or step sites, and hopefully earlier artifacts.”

Foundation president, Mike Dixon, agrees. “It certainly calls for a really in depth (dig), in the area of the house,” Mike says, “and I suspect that if the art work hadn’t appeared, we would have just gone with all the other findings.”

No matter what the short-term findings, folklorist Hulan remains optimistic his belief that an ancient log structure did indeed once stand next to the Stone House will be vindicated. “It seems to me that it takes faith,” Dick said. And quoting the Biblical book of Hebrews pointed to “ ‘the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.’ It has no evidentiary weight, but it is not necessarily wrong or absurd."

Sept 11, 2002 

225 Years and Counting 
By Eric F. Mease

When Historic Elk Landing celebrated the 225th Anniversary of the British landing at Head of Elk this past August 24 and 25, it celebrated in a big way, pulling out all of the stops. Fred Allen, Captain in the Cecil County Militia and organizer of the re-enactors, says there was quite a turn out of “soldiers.” “We had about 250 men at arms and another 120 camp followers,” Fred recounted, “from as far north as Rhode Island and as far south as North Carolina.”

And these Revolutionary War re-enactors didn’t just bring their uniforms. Fred says they came well equipped. “Tents, cooking equipment, their food, weapons, clothing, everything you saw here in camp,” Fred pointed out, “they packed and brought from home.” Visitors to the observance saw these re-enactors do what they train to do, battle.

“The first battle began when a British foraging party came through to demand food from the Hollingsworth family,” Fred explained. “But the British found unexpected resistance in the form of some militia men who were supposed to be on guard duty. A battle resulted.” There have been many military re-enactment’s at Elk Landing over the last couple of years, but this year there was an addition.

“There’s a redoubt in the middle of the field,” Fred described “manned by members of the Cecil County Militia. The militia built it with some help from volunteers from the Historic Elk Landing Foundation. There are fence rails, tree limbs, old beams from some of the buildings here and earth.”

Fred says the redoubt, or small fort, may or may not look like the one that stood closer to the river during the war of 1812. “We really don’t know what was here,” Fred admits, “but we used typical construction from the period. The idea is to be an ongoing display of entrenchments. We’ll also have some period picks and shovels and things that will be demonstrated to show how the fort was built.”

In spite of the rain on Saturday, and in addition to the fort, soldiers and battles, visitors toured the Hollingsworth house, saw some of the artifacts dug up in this past spring’s archaeological dig, witnessed the repeated firing of two cannons, saw several period as well as modern theatrical skits, and sampled the wares of several vendors selling revolutionary war era clothing.

Fred also noted that “much help on the fort was received from Gordy Johnson who arranged through Barry Montgomery of Mason Dixon / ERA Realtors to obtain dirt from Ralph Vanoy, a local contractor. Construction was completed by Fred, Gary Storke, Bill Opal, David Opal, Jon Carpenter, Ron Turner, Bill Voigt, Dan Huyett, George Jones and Tony Shahan of the Cecil County Militia, Chris Ward of the Maryland Loyalist Battalion, and Bob Piazza, a local resident who is a member of the Queen's Rangers all had a hand in the construction.”

Folksongs and Folktales coming to Elk Landing -- Sept 7, 2002

A live program of "Folksongs and Folktales," featuring folk singer Jackie LaGuardia of Smyrna, Del., and storyteller Ed Okonowicz of Elkton, Md., will be presented at 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 7, at Elk Landing outside Elkton. The 60-minute performance will include solo presentations by the two entertainers and they will work together to spin yarns, humorous stories and tall tales of the region in a relaxed style.

La Guardia has performed for a wide range of audiences in the Mid-Atlantic region and Okonowicz has been sharing stories and tales to a number of Delmarva audiences. The two began collaborating in 1997, and they have performed this program at the Higher Education Building in Georgetown, Bellevue State Park in Wilmington and the Milburn Stone Theater of Cecil County Community College in North East, Md., and at other sites in nearby Pennsylvania.

LaGuardia is an elementary school teacher and librarian and former Miss Delaware from Wyoming, Del. She will present a number of well-known folk songs and several popular music selections. Okonowicz, who lives in Cecil County and teaches storytelling and writing at the University of Delaware, will present humorous tales, ghost stories and historic legends of the region.

"When we first began performing together," Okonowicz said, "the mix of stories and songs worked very well. We are very pleased to be able to appear at Elk Landing. It's an absolutely wonderful site for this outdoor family event. The area along the creek is both historic and eerie. We should have a good time. Jackie's songs will add a new dimension that I'm sure the listeners will enjoy."

"The second half of the program is a real joy,' LaGuardia said. "The audience really gets into it when we start to share the tall tales, jokes and yarns. It's the kind of good, old-fashioned humor you don't hear that often any more. It's really a lot of fun."

Those who attend should plan to bring their own seating in the form of blankets or chairs. Cost for the event is $4 per person and $9 for a family of four. To reserve your space please call 410.620.6400 or e-mail us at info@elklanding.org

June 18, 2002

Hear Spooky Tales as Dusk Descends on the Creek on October 4

Come to Historic Elk Landing, off Route 40 west of Elkton, for a ghost walk and campfire on Friday evening, Oct. 4, with the Elk Landing staff and storyteller Ed Okonowicz. Registration begins at 6 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., ghosters will be lead along the Elk Creek and throughout the property, to hear the history of the site and tales of unexplained events that have occurred in and around the property. After the walk, fiddler Michael Ayers-Morris will entertain visitors with eerie music near a blazing campfire, and Ed will conclude the evening with ghost stories that will chill the bone. Bring a blanket and folding chair. The evening program is ideal for families and children over the age of 8 (no small children please). It is a perfect way to start the Halloween month with a chill. While walk-ups are welcome on a space available basis, it is suggested that you reserve your spot by phoning the Landing at 410.620.6400 or by e-mailing us at info@elklanding.org. Cost is $8.00 per person.

June 5, 2002

It's Real!

By Eric F. Mease

The Thomas Jefferson Letter to the Delaware Baptist Association owned by the Historic Elk Landing Foundation is indeed what we thought it was since its discovery in March. It's genuine. On a short 5-hour visit to Elkton on June 4, 2002, Senior Manuscripts Specialist for Christie's of New York, Chris Coover, verified the find and further valued the letter at just over $700,000, based on the sale of a similar letter at auction by Christie's two years ago.

"There's no question", he said. "This is genuine. It has its original folds and is in very good condition." The only thing missing from the letter was its cover sheet, used in mailing a letter in the early 19th century. "This is a great find. It's everything I expected it to be," Chris gushed. He even held it up to the natural light and discovered the J. Whatman watermark from 1791. "This is the best paper that was available in the young United States 200 years ago," Chris pointed out. "You can even see the slightly ragged edge which is where the paper was separated from the mold. Very nice."

Along with Mr. Jefferson's reply to the Baptist Association, there is a draft of the original letter that went to the President, congratulating him on his recent inauguration. Chris said it's unusual to have both the original letter and the response. "They go together as a package," he said. Chris noted the complimentary language used by the Association. "It was flowery but eloquent," Chris explained. "It's everything Mr. Jefferson wanted to hear."

Chris also took a look at several other documents found in the Hollingsworth House collection including a letter from John Quincy Adams to James Wilson, the publisher of a Wilmington, Delaware newspaper. While this letter was not written in the then Secretary of State's hand, Mr. Adams signed it. Chris said it is in remarkable condition. "Even the seal remains intact," Chris observed. "Usually these things crack and disintegrate."

There was a contract for an Apprenticeship Indenture between one Albert Gregg and the Wilmington, Delaware publisher, James Wilson. While interesting, and an insight into early 19th century means of employment and training, Chris said this type of document is fairly common. "Documents involving land or money were saved," Chris said. And while they have no real monetary value, they are good for showing, "what a contract looked like in 1818."

Finally Chris reviewed another document related to James Wilson. This one verified the freedom of a former African American slave named "Sam" who was owned by Wilson's father, brother, and a Hartford County, Maryland man. "While this document has little or no monetary value," Chris pointed out, "it does have excellent interpretive value."

Dr. William Williams, retired professor of history at the University of Delaware and author of Slavery and Freedom in Delaware 1639-1865, says this type of letter was essential to a freed African American prior to the Civil War. "A free black was considered a slave in Maryland unless he had a signed document to show otherwise," Dr. Williams reports. "Thus 'Sam' could have been forced back into slavery without this letter. In Delaware, one wasn't automatically considered a slave if one's skin were black, but a letter such as this one would guarantee that the courts would protect 'Sam' from anyone trying to re-enslave him under any pretence."

Following the morning appraisal, Chris appeared with foundation President, Mike Dixon at a Hollingsworth House news conference. Members of the media were given a verbal tour of the Jefferson letter and other documents in the foundation's possession. Mike said the next step for the documents has not yet been determined. "We must evaluate them in relation to the stated mission of the foundation and see where they fit in." He said they would probably remain in a safety deposit box for some time.

May 30, 2002

A Fascinating Find

By Eric F. Mease

Historic Elk Landing Foundation is the proud owner of an important two hundred-year-old piece of history. It's an original letter from Thomas Jefferson, addressed to the Delaware Baptist Association. The letter thanks the Association for its congratulations forwarded to the president upon his election.

With the original safely tucked away in a safety deposit box, a copy of the letter was displayed for the first time at The Historic Elk Landing's annual Defenders' Day celebration on April 27.

The document, printed on now browning J Whatman paper made in 1791, has several crisp folds, smooth swirling letters, printed in reddish brown ink flowing across the page in the President's near perfect handwriting.

Foundation volunteer, Joanna Alford made this important discovery in late March while searching through a box of documents from the Hollingsworth House at Elk Landing.

Electronic copies of the letter were forwarded to The Papers of Thomas Jefferson Project at Princeton University, Christie's International in New York City and the History Department of the University of Delaware.

Papers spokesperson, Linda Monaco, said a copy of the Elk Landing discovery will be a welcome addition to the Project.

"We have a copy of Jefferson's retained letterpress copy which is in the Library of Congress," Linda explained, "but it is very faint and mostly unreadable."

While the project is not yet reviewing Mr. Jefferson's presidential papers, Linda says it will soon.

"I do not know when we will reach July, 1801 in our volumes," Linda admitted, "but it should be within the next 2 years. At that time we will cite the Historic Elk Landing Foundation as the repository for this document."

Chris Coover, Senior Specialist for Manuscripts in the Books and Manuscripts department at Christie's in New York, called The Landing directly; he was so excited about our find.

"This is a fascinating find," Chris exclaimed. "It is one of the better ones I've ever seen."

Chris explained that our Jefferson letter is especially notable because of its content.

"It discusses religious freedom and the role of religion in society", Chris noted. "Everything about it is special. It is Jefferson at his most public pronouncement. It's straight forward about constitutional control."

University of Delaware History professor, Dr. David Allmendinger points out that Jefferson was known for his strong opinions on church - state relations.

"I don't think Jefferson was shy about expressing his opinions at all", Dr. Allmendinger explained. "(He was) fairly straightforward on many subjects, if not all."

The letter is addressed to the Delaware Baptist Association. According to information at the Historical Society of Delaware, the Association came into existence on October 24, 1795. It was made up of six regional Baptist churches: Welsh Tract, Cow Marsh, Duck Creek, Queen Anne's, Wilmington, and Mispillion. The Association went out of existence sometime after the Civil War.

Elk Landing also possesses a draft copy of the letter sent to President Jefferson. It is signed by Joseph Flood as Moderator of the Delaware Baptist Association. Again, according to information on file at the Historical Society of Delaware, Pastor Flood was born at Welch Tract near Iron Hill, Delaware. He served several churches in Delaware until about 1803. According to Association minutes of that year, Mr. Flood was excluded from the Association "for holding and preaching the doctrine of polygamy." He moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where he was the "cause of much evil and confusion."

Also signing the draft is John Boggs, another Delaware Baptist preacher. He was born on April 9, 1741, fought in the Revolutionary War, served several Baptist churches in Delaware, and is buried in Welsh Tract Cemetery.

It is the hope of the Historic Elk Landing Foundation that the original letters to and from Mr. Jefferson, along with other documents, will eventually be displayed for the public. However, that must wait for properly secured and environmentally controlled cases in a similarly secured and environmentally controlled Hollingsworth House. That, foundation president, Mike Dixon says, will require funding. Until that time, the letters will remain in a safety deposit box.

May 14, 2002

Militia Encampment at Elk Landing

There will be a Revolutionary War era militia muster and encampment at
Historic Elk Landing this Memorial Day Weekend, May 25th & 26th, 2002.
The Cecil county Militia will have a recruiting party on hand, and the
sergeant will be instructing the youngsters on the manual of arms and
the fine points of soldierly conduct. The militiamen will also be busy
building fortifications. The Landing will be open to the public from
10:00am till 4:00pm both days and tours of Elk Landing will be
available. Elk Landing will also host a book signing on Sunday, May 26th
from 2:30 till 3:30 by author and storyteller Ed Okonowicz for
"Terrifying Tales of the Beaches and Bays 2" which includes a chapter on
the hauntings at Elk Landing. 

March 20, 2002

Meet Archaeologists at Elk Landing Saturday March 23, 2002

March 20, 2002 Meet Archaeologists at Elk Landing Saturday As archaeologists continue to find pre-historic artifacts at an old plantation in Elkton, the public is invited to meet with the investigators this Saturday (March 23) from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The study team will be on hand to let visitors examine the artifacts unearthed in the dig, talk about the science of discovering the earth's secrets, and see excavations that they are being doing at the 42 acre farm. Elk Landing is a historic parcel that is being restored by the Historic Elk Landing Foundation. In a few years, it will become a living history museum. It is located just off Route 40, at the end of Landing Lane in Elkton.

March 19, 2002

Pre Historic Artifacts Found at Elk Landing

By Eric F. Mease

Slowly the small white object slipped out of the plastic baggy and into my hand. It was Lilly white, made of quartz, about 2 inches long, and weighed but a few ounces. This object is the most visible of the objects found by the archaeological team digging at Elk Landing during March.

The team of Dwayne Pickett, Christy Groben, and Keith Heinrich dug over 400, eighteen inch deep holes, every thirty feet across the site, in search of artifacts which will help better tell the story of Elk Landing. In less than three weeks, the team found rock flakes and possible stone tools made by Native Americans thousands of years ago. The white quartz rock mentioned earlier is an up to 4000 year old Native American arrow head, found near the Stone House. Other finds include pieces of ceramic dishes from the late 18th and early 19th century, along with some colored and clear glass. Each artifact is documented, cleaned by hand, examined, and placed in a non acidic bag to help preserve it.

Next, Dwayne says his team will concentrate on at least two areas for a Phase II dig. "We will dig three foot by three foot squares," Dwayne explained "on the north side of the Stone House. We're trying to locate a log structure said to have been constructed in that area. Also, we will examine areas of artifact concentrations around the Hollingsworth House"

However, archaeological research at Elk Landing will not end with this Phase II dig. Elk Landing Foundation President, Mike Dixon, says a deeper, more focused, excavation known as a Phase III dig is also called for around the Stone House.

The key to it all is funding. Mike notes that due to a generous donation from Patriot's Glenn Golf Course, the current Phase I and II digs will be completed by the end of March. Funding remains to be secured for the Phase III dig which Mike looks forward to.

"I don't think that this project will be sufficient to complete our study needs," Mike says. "I will be disappointed if he (Dwayne) doesn't come back with an enormous list of additional places that need more Phase II work and some Phase III areas. It indicates they are finding interesting artifacts."

We'll have a report on all the March archaeological activity in the next edition of The Landing.

January 1, 2002

Elk Landing Looks Forward to Strong Year

Major Grants and Contributions Enable Architectural Relics to Begin to Shine Again

The Historic Elk Landing Foundation, the nonprofit group that operates Elk Landing, is revving up for a strong year. First, work on restoring the centuries old Zebulon Hollingsworth House will continue through the assistance of two state grants and a major donation from Associated Cecil Endeavors. In the months ahead, this funding pool of $300,000 will permit the installation of climate control systems and utilities, as well as the completion of other essential work.

Second, a thorough archaeological investigation gets underway in a few months. Designed to unearth data about the original layout of the property and structures that vanished long ago, the dig has been funded by a donation of $20,000 from the Club of Patriot Glen.

Also, a year of strong public programming is on the calendar. The highlight will be the 225th anniversary of the British Invasion of Cecil County, which occurred in August 1777, during the American Revolution. The Cecil Militia, a local reenactor group, is helping produce this event. This and other events in 2002 are part of additional public offerings that are being produced as work on the grounds and structures makes the site safe for public use. Watch the web site, www.elklanding.org  for event details.

Last year, Elk Landing was awarded several major grants and donations and these contributions are allowing fading architectural relics to begin to shine again. The Maryland Legislature gave $200,000 to the organization; the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) awarded it another $50,000; and Associated Cecil Endeavors, a local nonprofit, matched the MHT grant, contributing $50,000. That money is earmarked for the Hollingsworth House, which has already had some $200,000 in stabilization work done on it.

The opening of a new year marks an exciting time as Elk Landing looks back on its first two years and it plans to continue its pace in the months ahead. As a living history center begins to emerge out of the mist of centuries past, the goal of the Foundation is to have this historic port and plantation operate seasonally as a living history center in seven to eight years.

January 2, 2002

Archaeology Returns . Finally! 
By Eric F. Mease

Remember that archaeological dig that was supposed to happen last summer? Well, funding, or the lack thereof, caused a delay in the project. But fear not, Patriot's Glen Country Club came to the rescue. As noted in the article about the Patriot's Glen Golf Tournament in November, $20,000 was raised to benefit Elk Landing. This money will pay for that long delayed, but highly anticipated archaeological dig late this coming February. If you remember, a small dig was done last year when the Hollingsworth House received a new front porch. That dig resulted in as many questions being raised about the site as were answered, thus lending more urgency to additional archaeological work across the 42 acres.

Now, over a year later, the archaeologists, again lead by Dwayne Picket, will descend on Elk Landing to do their archaeological thing. In an interview last spring with Dwayne, he said "we will be systematically digging what we call 'shovel tests' every 30 feet across the site. Shovel tests are small round holes about a foot in diameter." What is found in these holes, Dwayne continued, "will lead us to the location of buildings, activity areas, or other features." What each test yields in artifacts will determine further excavation in that test area.

Best of all, you, the general public, will be able to witness this search for clues to the origins and many uses of Elk Landing. If you're willing to brave the cold, "people are more than welcome to come out and see what we are finding," Dwayne says.

A third archaeological dig is on the drawing board at Elk Landing. Historic Elk Landing Foundation President, Mike Dixon, says the foundation will look for underwriters to cover the costs of this study. Mike says this dig would center on two specific areas of Elk Landing. We'll focus on the "study of the cultural deposits at the Fort Hollingsworth site, and the grounds immediately surrounding the stone house."

So mark your calendar for late February and watch the web site, www.elklanding.org, for further updates.