Meadowcroft

Just a short drive down Rt 18 towards Washington Pa sits a tract of land that looks much the same as anything that we have around here. Rolling hills dotted with family farms and deep valleys that host gurgling creeks running through them. Huge rock outcroppings line some of the valley sides much like those found in Fredericktown and at the very end of Beaver Creek. There are many rock shelters found up and down the Ohio valley especially along some of the sandstone high walls left by the glaciers so long ago. Rock shelters are not caves but overhangs of rock that provide cover from the elements for beasts or in the case of the area near Washington Pennsylvania humans. Named the Meadowcroft rock shelter this exclusive outcropping holds the honor of being the oldest known area to yield evidence of human activity in all of North America. Sort of the cradle of civilization for the North American Continent. This spot is the subject of one of the greatest finds in North American archaeology.The digs here and what they found literally turned the heads of some of the most established archaeologist and the theories that were held by them. Although there are disputes about the radiocarbon dating used at this site and others along the east coast this site is thought to be the oldest of them all. What started as a child's curiosity ended in a whole new prospective on when humans actually ended up here in North America.

This is the homestead of Albert Miller's great grandfather. The Miller farm has been in service since 1795. It originally was farmed for crops and sheep. Washington county was famous for merino wool at that time. The farm was passed down from generation to generation and always farmed. Albert miller grew up with his brothers on the farm and attended school in a one room school house nearby. In the early 30's the brothers and their friends were always finding arrowheads around the plowed fields. Albert had a great interest in the ancient artifacts. Clear creek ran through the family property and along it was a high bluff with outcroppings of sandstone, some being very large. Even at that young age he knew that the outcroppings probably would be a fantastic place to dig for arrowheads. Over the years he would never dig under the rock shelter knowing that it was probably a very important place to be saved. There had always been a fire ring made of stone under the rock shelter used by campers and fishermen passing down the creek over the years. It wasn't until 1955 that Albert discovered a groundhog hole near the fire ring. He started digging into the hole and found multiple arrowheads and small bones. The strangest thing about this story is that he covered the hole up with stone and kept quiet for the next 18 years patiently waiting for the right archaeologist to present the evidence to. Most people would not have had that patience.

It was not until 1972 that Albert Miller contacted James Adovasio from the University of Pittsburgh and from 1973 to 1979 conducted probably the most advanced dig of its kind in the country. This site was the first to use the latest computer technology in the field. Data was entered back to the main frame computer via modem. Keep in mind that the earliest modems were the actual computer output held up to the phone receiver to send the information through. This of course was at the whooping speed of 100 bits per second. The detail and careful excavation of this site rivaled that of the Egyptian digs. A two foot trench was carefully dug over several years starting at the fire ring and ending at the drip line of the rockshelter. Modern day beer cans were first found along with old steel and glass bottles below them inside the fire ring. Eventually arrow heads and bones were found after they dug down to deeper levels. Radio carbon dating is done by dating carbon based plant life found alongside the bones, pottery, and tools that are dug up. Razors were used to separate the multiple layers of dust and sand to determine exactly when certain people visited the shelter. It is thought that nomadic cultures of small families traveled through here hunting small animals and fish while gathering nuts and berries. The weather was not favorable for long periods of time like it is today. The people stayed for a few days to rest sometimes spending as long as two weeks.  Over the years it took to dig the site numerous things were found. Pottery, baskets, shells, and even two molars from humans were found. The deepest part of the dig just before they hit bed rock yielded a lanceolate projectile point believed to date back 16,000 years. All of the layers are marked with numbered discs as seen in the photos above. Each one carries information on the era and what plant life was found. As many as 30 people at a time worked the area using a grid pattern. Ironically around the same time Kent State did a similar dig in Fredericktown but that will be in another post.   

The areas surrounding the high bluff look like many of the bluffs that we have around here. The cable tied around the tree seen here was used to slide the buckets of dirt dug from the site to the bottom of the hill near the water. The dirt was then sifted through screens to find additional artifacts. In 2002 a ceder roof was built to enclose the site and to protect it from the elements. Video displays and lighting were also added to tell the story of the shelter. 

    

Along with a Monongahela walk through Indian camp there are buildings that made up a small town near the Miller farm. They were moved to the farm piece by piece and reassembled. There are a church, schoolhouse, and blacksmith barn that you can go into as well as the original log cabin home of Albert Miller's great grandfather built in 1797. Each building has a person that helps explain where the building came from and tells of the contents found in each place. The schoolhouse for example has all of the original McGuffey Reader's and original slate chalk boards. The Indian camp has a reproduced Wigwam that  would house up to 15 people. A working garden of the three sisters crops ( corn, squash and beans). Corn grew tall to support the bean plant while the squash's leaves kept the roots of the corn and beans cool and moist. A hunting camp mock up nearby has a hands on atlatl station where you can practice throwing a spear. This is a tool developed by the Monongahela to throw spears with incredible speed and force.  

Albert's brother Delvin was the breadwinner of the family. Albert ran the farm and Delvin went on to harness race. In fact he was the best harness racer in the history of the sport. Not only did he pioneer equipment he was involved in training and breeding horses at his farm. As time went on so did the winnings. He was part of a group that eventually went on to purchase the Meadows race track in Washington county. He also purchased Adious a famous race horse to stand in as a stud for his farm. The horse went on to sire 589 offspring. The horse was known as the greatest in harness racing history. The last part of the Meadowcroft complex is devoted to the legacy of Delvin Miller. Almost every award and accolade can be found here. Everything from trophies to thank you cards and photos from former presidents. Many pictures of Adious and every horse that he ever raced. There are several buggies on display some dating back to the early 40's. 

If you get the chance to head to Meadowcroft you should go. It is only about a 40 minute drive from Liverpool or Wellsville. There are many things of interest to look at and walk through. The place is a state of the art learning center and is a very historical part of our area. One that you would never guess was near us.

For more info and hrs of operation go to: 
http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/meadowcroft.aspx


For more photos of Meadowcroft go to:
 Meadowcroft


Well two years down and more to come. Thank you for following for the past couple years it has been very enjoyable finding different things to put on here. In my opinion we live in the best place in the valley but sometimes you have to dig a little and search to find the things that make this area your home. The place we come from.