Help uncover history at Fort St. Joseph
Published 9:13 am Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Leader file photo
Dozens of people attended an open house at Fort St. Joseph in Niles to see first-hand what progress had been made in the archaeological dig of the site.
History is waiting to be unearthed at the former site of Fort St. Joseph, a mission, garrison and trading post established by the French in 1691 and occupied for nearly a century on the banks of the St. Joseph River in Niles.
Its location was not discovered until 1998 and archaeological excavation of the site began in 2002.
Western Michigan University and the Fort St. Joseph Museum is inviting members of the public to join them for a week of excavations at the site during the 2015 Field School in Historical Archaeology.
Carol Bainbridge, director of the Fort St. Joseph Museum, said it is an excellent opportunity for people to experience history hands-on and to learn what it means to be an archaeologist.
“If they (young students) are thinking at all about a career in archaeology or anthropology it is a great chance for them to see what it is really like,” she said. “Even though it is just a week, they get the real deal.”
During each camp, participants will be given the opportunity to research the history of the fort and participate in archaeological excavations of the site itself.
“They get to do everything — they are scraping and digging in the dirt to bring up artifacts,” Bainbridge said. “We occasionally have campers that actually come up with some pretty nice stuff. That is, of course, thrilling for them.”
Several different camps are available.
The camp for adults not interested in obtaining State Board-Continuing Education credits will be held June 8-12. The fee is $150.
The camp for students grades 10-12 will be held June 15-19. Cost is $150.
The camp for students grades 6-9 is June 22-26. Cost is $150.
Enrollment in each camp is limited to 10 people. Organizers will begin reviewing applications May 1 and applicants will be notified of their status by May 8, or until camps are filled. Applications for all camps except the WMU graduate credit camp are available at the Niles History Center website: nileshistorycenter.org.
The camp for educators wishing to earn State Board-Continuing Education Units (SB-CEU’s) from WMU will be held June 15-19. The fee for the SB-CEU camp is $165 and the credits are accepted in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. To register or for further information contact WMU-Southwest at (269) 934-1500.
A public open house will be held June 27-28.
