Build it up West Virginia, has finished for the day. Billy says, "all done" What an accomplishment for 2 days of hard work....... The kids are tired and weary but already talking about day 3.....

Harry and Joe keeping the "Build It Up" group healthy and well fed.

It may not look like much from here, but what a difference! You can walk in to the door, find your way around and not fall over a thing or get trapped.

Day 2

After shower serenade

Day 1...... tired and ready for rest

A short meeting after our eventful day

The basement on day 1, the back of the building before unloading commences.

"Build it up West Virginia" has arrived to volunteer there help at the

Whipple Company Store & Museum. This group of young adults are working hard unloading,unpacking,and unraveling a massive amount of goods,stuff,junk,worthy and un-worthy artifacts contained within the basement walls of the 1890 company store. This is a project that would not have been possible this year had it not been for the dedication of these hard working adults. They come with all the energy to work hard and work hard they do. They camp on site, plan and cook there own meals, clean up after themselves and entertain us with educated conversation, music and laughter. It restores your faith in our future generation of young people . They have accomplished so much in just 2 days. This group is wonderful.

April 12,13,14,15, and 16th Archaeology Schedule

Task: Surveying the Whipple Property and producing a topographic map Description: This part of the archaeological research will consist of a topographic survey using state-of-the-art surveying devices. Each day will begin with a workshop on the fundamentals of topographic survey, and then hands-on-learning through participation in the survey. The final afternoon or evening will be spent creating the topographic map in computer software, and so volunteers will be learning the full process in topographic survey, from collection of field data to the production of maps.

It has been a great couple of days. We have been clearing and marking the ground. Matthew decided that it would be a great way to spend his birthday, so he brought a few friends out to learn about preservation and artifacts. Brandon worked with the Kids for several hours and they were permitted and taught the proper way to use the equipment brought in from UCLA Berkeley. Today Brandon,Sarah, and Kenny worked on the topographic mapping portion of the research. Although it was a bit over cast and at times some rain they managed quite nicely to get some of the measuring and mapping started. The brush that has been cleaned away from the mapping and dig site will be hauled away on Friday.. Anyone wishing some free wood can pick it up before then. The ground work is almost ready to begin the hunt and find... This is exciting and ya'll are most welcome to come along and participate. Enjoy the pics and i'll be back tomorrow with more updates.. Whipple

No matter what project I work on I always end up with the Hammer and the Wood..

Why would this happen with Archaeology??

Day 3: Getting off to a late start. The clearing hasn't been completed as of yet and the weather was not our friend this morning.. The day did turn out to be a good one and we managed to get some work done.. Our Archaeologist explain some of the equiptment to us. We started on setting markers and mapping out the ground. Although some clearing is still left to do and the brush is still being hauled off it has been fun to start on some different aspects of this project.

FYI: We learned today why some folks spell the word differently.

ARCHAEOLOGY and ARCHEOLOGY. They are both correct But why the different spelling?????

Dear all,

We had another good day at the Whipple Store, it was very productive and we made a lot of headway in clearing the area we will be surveying.

A little bit more needs done, and so we will be doing some of that in the morning.

In the afternoon, we will be starting the topographic survey. Tomorrow's activity will consist of laying in the fundamental elements for the topographic survey.

For those of you interested in surveying, this will provide a basic understanding of the principles of survey work. We will be using a high tech layer surveying device that I got from Berkeley, it is top of the line so it should be a great opportunity to learn a valuable skill (i.e - we will be shooting lasers, much fun to be had). Lunch will be provided. If it is raining, we can still do some of the work in the morning. In the afternoon, we can have an archaeological instruction session in the Whipple Store and do some of the survey work.

Okay, hope to see a bunch of you tomorrow!

Whipple

Archeology Dig at the Whipple Store

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I am pleased to announce an archeological survey the entire month of April right here at WCS&M (Whipple Company Store and Museum.) The research will involve scholars from UC Berkeley, Stanford, Appalachian State University, Marshall University and other colleges both nationally and locally. This research project is designed to involve community members, from school kids to retirees, in a major research project.

We invite all those who are interested in archeology, West Virginia history, coal miners’ heritage and other aspects of our culture to join in the dig! This especially is a chance for school-age children, high-school students, and university students from the area to participate in a major research in order to further their educational journeys. We will be using cutting-edge equipment from both Berkeley and the Smithsonian Museum, so local communities will have the opportunity to gain valuable technical skills, research experience, and to work with nationally prominent scholars.

The fun begins April 5th, and will run through the first week of May. This work is the first part of a larger project, and will involve survey work and some limited excavation (large-scale excavation will occur in a second phase planned for a later date). There are a number of different tasks we will be undertaking at various points in the project, and so a schedule and description of tasks is given below. Please look it over, and then go to our registration form: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHd5ZzY3OWU2T1d2Qkk4VlJsZmNqYnc6MQ fill in the days that you would like to attend.

Each day’s maximum participants is 20 people, so sign up today! If we get an overwhelming response, we may have to limit the number of days a participant can join in the work, but unless that happens, feel free to sign up for as many days as you want to come out! If you are a university student from the area with archaeological experience, and if you would like to volunteer as a staff member, we invite you to fill out the section on the registration form for volunteers, and we will get in contact in order to do a quick, informal interview. Food and lodging will be provided for staff volunteers. Each day will begin at 8:00, with a half-hour description of the overall project and overview of the work up to date. Another half-hour will be spent going over the basics of archaeological research, and then familiarization with the equipment and techniques being used that day. Work will then proceed to 5:00, with a one-hour lunch break. Participants will keep a field journal for the day, and will turn that in at the end of the day, and this will become part of the record of the dig. Rainy days will consist of artifact sorting, cataloguing and analyzing – all of which is a very crucial part of archaeological research. There will be some work done in the evenings to make a robust record of each day’s events, and so there will be opportunities for evening work that consists of cleaning and storing artifacts, making maps, etc. Get ready to get outside, play in the dirt, and explore our wild and wonderful history! SCHEDULE Beginning Date: April 5, 2011 End Date: May 5, 2011 Schedule: [Please remember that these dates are somewhat subject to change due to weather or adaptation to on-the-ground circumstances. Please see these dates as a little flexible, and we will notify everyone if there is a change. Mondays are given as off-days, but will be reserved for make-up days]. April 5, 6 7

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Task: Preparation and Basic Introduction to Archeology Description: During these three days, volunteers will be preparing the site for the archaeological survey, including clearing some areas of brush. A workshop on the fundamentals of archeology will be given each day before work begins (8:00-9:00), in addition to informal discussions throughout the day.

April8, 9,10,11

Task: Surveying the Whipple Property and producing a topographic map Description: This part of the archaeological research will consist of a topographic survey using state-of-the-art surveying devices. Each day will begin with a workshop on the fundamentals of topographic survey, and then hands-on-learning through participation in the survey. The final afternoon or evening will be spent creating the topographic map in computer software, and so volunteers will be learning the full process in topographic survey, from collection of field data to the production of maps.

April 12, 13,14, 15, 16

********************************

Task: Controlled Surface Collection (CSC) Description: Volunteers coming for this part will learn a skill set that is fundamental to archaeological research -- controlled surface collection. This involves using metal detecting equipment to walk along controlled lines on the property, and marking (but not excavating) any detection. Each point will be recorded with the surveying equipment, and at the end all points that are picked up during the CSC will be plotted on a map, and that map will be overlaid with the topographic map made in the previous part. Volunteers will be introduced to the basics of fieldwork, surveying, map-making, and spatial analysis.

April 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27

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Task: Non-Intrusive Testing (Geo-physical Survey) Description: This part of the survey will consist of using highly sensitive equipment to test for subsurface features at the Whipple Site. Volunteers will gain experience using an Electrical Resistivity machine on loan from UC Berkeley, and a Ground Penetrating Radar from the Smithsonian. The first machine uses electrical currents sent through the ground to test for any anomalies in the ground. The second machine uses radar to also look for anomalies as a back-up for the ER machine. Volunteers will gain experience operating this equipment under the supervision of professional archaeologists. The data collected will be digitized, and a map will be made of the findings to be overlaid with maps made in previous parts, and so volunteers will gain experience in the whole process of geo-physical testing.

April 28, 29, 30 --- May 3, 4, 5

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Task: Intrusive Testing/ Limited Excavation Description: The final part of this survey will consist of limited excavation in order to do gain basic knowledge of the Whipple site and its underlying stratigraphic layers. Volunteers will learn the basics of archaeological excavation including an introduction to excavation techniques, recovery of artifacts, and the fundamental mechanisms of recording an archaeological site. In other words, this is the part where you get your hands dirty!!

hope to see ya'll here,

"Whipple"

www.whipplecompanystore.com

Funding for this research project is provided through a grant given by the

Appalachian Community Services and Friends of Blair Mountain

Archaeology Dig at the Whipple Store

It is that time of year again when the Company Store & Museum opens its doors to welcome guests, tourists and friends. We have a very interesting educational event coming up in April. I want to share with you. Registration forms will be made available by mid March.

Archaeology Dig at the Whipple Store

We are pleased to announce that the Whipple Company Store will be the site of an archaeological survey this coming April 2011. The research will involve scholars from UC Berkeley, Stanford, Appalachian State University, Marshall University and other colleges both nationally and locally. This research project is designed to involve community members, from school kids to retirees, in a major research project. We invite all those who are interested in archaeology, West Virginia history, coal miners’ heritage and other aspects of our culture to join in the dig!

This especially is a chance for school-age children, high-school students, and university students from the area to participate in a major research in order to further their educational journeys. We will be using cutting-edge equipment from both Berkeley and the Smithsonian Museum, so the opportunity to gain valuable technical skills, research experience, and to work with nationally prominent scholars is something we are excited to bring to the coalfields.

Work begins April 5th, and will run through the first week of May. This work is the first part of a larger project, and will involve survey work and some limited excavation (large-scale excavation will occur in a second phase planned for a later date). There are a number of different tasks we will be undertaking at various points in the project, and so a schedule and description of tasks will be designated on a linked registration site by the middle of march.

Each day’s maximum participants is 20 people, so sign up today! If we get an overwhelming response, we may have to limit the number of days a participant can join in the work, but unless that happens, feel free to sign up for as many days as you want to come out!

If you are a university student from the area with archaeological experience, and if you would like to volunteer as a staff member, we invite you to fill out the section on the registration form for volunteers, and we will get in contact in order to do a quick, informal interview. Food and lodging will be provided for staff volunteers.

Each day will begin at 8:00, with a half-hour description of the overall project and overview of the work up to date. Another hour will be spent going over the basics of archaeological research, and then familiarization with the equipment and techniques being used that day. Work will then proceed to 5:00, with a one-hour lunch break. Participants will keep a field journal for the day, and will turn that in at the end of the day, and this will become part of the record of the dig. Rainy days will consist of artifact sorting, cataloguing and analyzing – all of which is a very crucial part of archaeological research!

Get ready to get outside, play in the dirt, and explore our wild and wonderful history!

Great Badge opportunity for Scouts and 4-hers

See ya'll soon,

Whipple

A man came to visit me one day and asked a very good question.

What makes you a coal mining museum?

"If I removed all coal mining stuff from your building and placed it in a house down the street wouldn't that make it a coal mining museum?

So, it got me to thinking, what made this man think I was a coal mining museum? Why would he think that moving "stuff" would make me anything different than what I am..

Stories, collections,memories,education,geneology, history, facts, with a little fun and excitement thrown in, thats what I am about ..

Under my roof and within my exterior walls

some of the kindest ,intelligent, innocent,evil,entrepreneurial,wealthiest,poorest,softest,strongest,religious,

political,loving,educational, sneeky, orderly, slaved and hard working folks have entered and left their memory and mark.

I am a "People Museum".

What was that man thinkin?