"Come, then, be a Father and Mother to me."
April 26, 2018 6:28 AM Subscribe
The City Archaeologist of Boston has conducted a dig at the site of the Dorchester Industrial School for Girls, a benevolent institution founded in 1853, "a place where young, disadvantaged girls could be properly cared for, receive an education, and be trained to work as domestic servants." Together with the photographs of the items found there (including many spooky broken dolls of the "frozen Charlotte" type), the site offers biographies of some of the girls and young women who stayed in the Institute, using public records to piece together lives that were sometimes fortunate, sometimes invisible, and sometimes tragic.
The orphaned Della Collins shed her name several times before settling into a long life as a pillar of the community in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Jennie Crawford became a nurse, and if the historian's guess is correct, a supervising matron at an asylum.
Other girls faced the darkness of the nineteenth century and lost. Eliza McTeer died in prison of a heart ailment while serving a sentence for adultery. Years before, she had told a police officer, "I would rather go to prison than return to the school."
The orphaned Della Collins shed her name several times before settling into a long life as a pillar of the community in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Jennie Crawford became a nurse, and if the historian's guess is correct, a supervising matron at an asylum.
Other girls faced the darkness of the nineteenth century and lost. Eliza McTeer died in prison of a heart ailment while serving a sentence for adultery. Years before, she had told a police officer, "I would rather go to prison than return to the school."
This project really speaks to my heart. Both of my mother's parents grew up in an orphan home, not because they were orphans, but because their parents had big families who couldn't care for them. And when we're teaching in the museum, we're always trying to get across the idea that archaeology can be a great tool for uncovering the lives of everyone, not just elites.
posted by Mouse Army at 7:35 AM on April 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Mouse Army at 7:35 AM on April 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Came for the local interest, stayed for the thoroughly researched bios of the students and staff. If this site is open to the public I'll be visiting. Thanks for posting.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 9:24 AM on April 26, 2018
posted by Sheydem-tants at 9:24 AM on April 26, 2018
The Boston city archaeologist, Joe Bagley, is a really cool person. When he's not out in the field, he works in a modern warehouse-ish building on the edge of nowhere (off a side road on the way to Millennium Park in West Roxbury) that is just filled with boxes and boxes of collected artifacts from city history. It's in the same building as the City Archives, which has put up a rather large collection of Boston photos and documents.
posted by adamg at 9:30 AM on April 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by adamg at 9:30 AM on April 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
What an awesome read!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 2:54 PM on April 26, 2018
posted by The Underpants Monster at 2:54 PM on April 26, 2018
There's an exhibit going up that will display 50+ artifacts from this dig. If any of you are near Boston, the exhibit opening is May 10th, and is free and open to the public. The newest contributors will also be giving presentations on their most recent additions.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2062769630603128/
posted by sblack4201 at 4:14 PM on April 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
https://www.facebook.com/events/2062769630603128/
posted by sblack4201 at 4:14 PM on April 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
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