-- [ From: Linda Derry * EMC.Ver #2.5.03 ] -- Lisa, I couldn't find your complete name or email addresd in my system, so I'm inflict ing this message on the whole list. This is a reply to your Feb. 23 request for archaeologists working on late 19th century hotel sites: Unfortunately, my interest is in early 19th century southern towns and I have so me great documentary information on the early 19th century hotels in my Alabama town site. However, I do know of someone who would love to correspond with you about a late 19th century hotel site. This site is the St. James Hotel site i n Selma, Alabama. Beth Gantt is in the process of writing the report right now. Her address is: Beth Gantt, R.S. Webb & Associates, P.O. Drawer 1319, Holly S prings, GA 30142. She does not have easy access to email, but she would love t o correspond with anyone who has worked on late 19th century southern hotel site s. She excavated the rear wing, courtyard, and service yard of the St. James H otel, an extant hotel undergoing restoration. The hotel was built on the buff o verlooking the main steamboat landing for Selma on the Alabama River. Selma rep laced "my" town site Cahawba, as the central river port and market for a very ri ch cotton area, after the Civil War. Jesse James even slept at the St. James - or so "they" say. I live in Selma, and was very suprised by some of the faunal remains. I think B eth said they found a lot of sheep bones. You can't find lamb at the supermarke t today in Selma. And I would have expected pork, beef, vension, turtle anythin g but lamb to turn up in the trash pits. Beth does have extant menus from the h otel. Sheep are just not real big here in the deep south - SCS introduced some a ngora goats a couple of years ago to help farmer diversify, but sheep? no way! There was also an artesian well and a turtle pond in the brick courtyard. I b elieve Beth found evidence that they were bottling the water (from the well, not the turtle pond!). Anyway, I haven't seen the report, but it was a pretty int eresting site. good luck. Linda Derry Old Cahawba Alabama Historical Commission [log in to unmask]