Utah Westerners

January Announcement for the Utah Westerners

January 9, 2015 at 11:04 am kenttschanz Leave a comment

“WOODEN BEDS FOR WOODEN HEADS”

TIE CUTTING IN THE NORTH SLOPE OF THE UINTA MOUNTAINS (1867-1938)

CHRISTOPHER W. MERRITT

Between 1867 and 1938, thousands of men and women from around the world worked in the Uinta Mountains cutting ties for the growing transcontinental railroad system. These hardy individuals have left behind an indelible mark upon the landscape of the Uintas, which is being uncovered through history and archaeology. Over two hundred cabin sites have been documented by archaeologists, and these buildings, associated artifacts, and even location on the landscapes tell the important contribution of loggers and the North Slope of the Uintas played in the development of the western railroad system. With little written record remaining of these itinerant works, archaeology is providing that important voice to the past. Christopher W. Merritt, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer in the Utah Division of State History, will discuss this little-known, but fascinating area of Utah history.

Christopher Merritt received his doctorate from the University of Montana in Anthropology after spending four years studying the history and archaeology of the Overseas Chinese experience in Montana. He also received an MS from Michigan Technological University in Industrial Archaeology, where he employed scientific materials testing to determine the origin and distribution of locally made Mormon ceramics in Utah and Nevada. Merritt has led excavations in several states, including Utah. Among other activities, he was involved in the archaeological work on the remains of a Mormon pottery shop near downtown Salt Lake City and spent two years in field expeditions at the Rosebud Battlefield in Montana. Merritt has worked for the U. S. Forest Service, in private archaeological contracting, and most recently as an archaeologist for the Utah Division of State History. He also teaches courses in anthropology and archaeology at both Weber State University and Salt Lake Community College.

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