Hangin’ Out at the Four Flags Area Apple Festival

"Mary Ellen & Erika Hartley, scrupulously identifying lead seals"

Hi Fort followers! This is Cece, here to report back on the fun happenings at the Four Flags Area Apple Festival in Niles. We really appreciated being a part of this event, that has been celebrating Michiana’s bountiful apple harvest since 1972!

Cameron and I set up camp in the Chapin mansion on Saturday morning with our artifact cases, t-shirts, brochures and booklets, ready to get people excited about the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project. Across from us sat field director and curatorial fellow, Erika, and fort supporter, Mary Ellen. They were working with a pile of lead seals, and a big old book on archaeological remains found at Fort St. Joseph written by Charles Hulse, working to get the artifacts properly identified, inventoried, and cross referenced. This process involved studying the worn lead seals for identifying characteristics, like tiny fleur de lis or letters stamped into the seal. From there, we could trace where the seal originated. These artifacts travelled from northern and southern France to our very own Fort St. Joseph, sometime during the 18th century.  

"The curatorial experience, in a first-person perspective"

"Wool spinning, live and in action!"

A couple of rooms over, there was a woman spinning yarn on a wheel, and another woman weaving fabric on a loom, educating people on the process of making clothes from sheep to shirt. Halfway through the day we were gifted Pizza Transit, highly esteemed among all of the FSJ students and staff. I was very happy to be eating those breadsticks again! 

The weather was rather rainy and gray so traffic in the mansion was light, but it was a great day reuniting with some of the community members and talking to folks about the project. After packing up, Cameron and I explored the fair grounds for a little while and went back to Kalamazoo with some beautiful apples. Now I am back in the lab, working on digitizing field notes from the past field seasons, and preparing for an upcoming visit to a local high school where we’ll be getting students interested in archaeology and Fort St. Joseph.  

Thank you as usual, for the lovely time, Niles!