Graduation Year
2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Department
Anthropology
Degree Granting Department
Anthropology
Major Professor
Nancy Marie White, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Robert H. Tykot, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Brent Weisman, Ph.D.
Keywords
Historic Archaeology, Material Consumption, Nineteenth-century Capitalism, Nineteenth-century Ceramics, Northwest Florida, Southeastern United States
Abstract
The town of St. Joseph, established in 1835, served as an important deep-water port for receiving and shipping dry goods up the Apalachicola River north along the vast network of navigable inland waterways in southeastern U.S. during the early nineteenth century. Unfortunately, this town was hit with a yellow fever epidemic and a series of hurricanes that, combined with the infancy of its cotton trade activities, eventually devastated its economy and population. The town disappeared by 1842, only much later to be replaced by modern Port St. Joe (est. 1909), located north of the original settlement. However, St. Joseph's influence upon Florida's economy was paramount. It hosted Florida's first constitutional convention, where the first five constitutions were drafted. Despite St. Joseph's historical gravity, little was known about its economic impact to Florida; much of its history is shrouded in folklore. Recently a large artifact collection from St. Joseph was made available for professional research. The collector invited me to document the materials and do the first archaeological investigation of this lost town. This research also utilizes the material culture to examine questions of early nineteenth-century capitalism and consumer behavior.
Scholar Commons Citation
Hunt, Christopher N., "A Forgotten Community: Archaeological Documentation of Old St. Joseph, Gulf County, Florida" (2014). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/5418
