Steven Helmer Publications

Being involved in an archaeological dig has been on my bucket list for some time now and I finally had an opportunity to do it this morning without even needing to get in my car. Some background. My hometown of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin has a park known as Swan Park.  This part of Beaver Dam has a history that dates back thousands of years, when it was (according to the city web site) a popular hunting ground for local Native American tribes. The part of Beaver Dam's past that is applicable to this story is the late 19th Century, when Dr. George Swan built a hotel/spa on the piece of land. The resort lasted just two years before he closed it and auctioned off most of the buildings. Today's dig, which was open to the public and drew quite a few volunteers was to try to locate artifacts from that hotel. Courtesy of the Beaver Dam Library Since the park is within walking distance of my house, I decided to volunteer. I only was there for a couple hours, but it was a productive couple o...