I see Dan Mouer has beat me to it, but I'm just putting in my 2
cents worth anyway.  Formal contract archaeology began in the US in the
1930s, associated with several of the New Deal programs; most notably the
WPA, though there were others.  The Reservoir Salvage act involved the
Corps of Engineers, Smithsonian, etc, and continued post WWII (with actual
archaeology as well as publications, which often lagged 5 years or more
behind fieldwork, esp. with the WWII hiatus); in a sense providing a
bridge between the "old" contract archaeology and the "current" contract
archaeology, with which most of us are familiar.
 
        There was an identifiable kind of ad hoc "salvage" archaeology
practiced at least back into the 1920s.  Several of the mound groups in
Ohio were excavated under these conditions, in advance of construction
etc.  I believe Turner mounds were an example of this, and I believe one
or two others were as well.  I'm sure someone on the list can provide more
details.
 
        There are probably colleagues still active who began their
careers in these earlier versions of "contract" archaeology, though their
number is dwindling [e.g. Moreau Maxwell passed away in Feb. '98].
Many/most of us probably began our careers in the "current" contract
archaeology setting (or something very close to it).
 
        Well, it's Friday, so I imagine I've gone on long enough.  For
those of you in academia, enjoy your last "free" weekend.  Those of you
not in academia, enjoy it, too   ;)
 
        Tom
 
 
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W. Thomas Langhorne, Jr., Ph.D.                 Binghamton University
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Adjunct Assistant Professor-Anthropology        Binghamton, NY 13920-6000
 
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