Yes, bois d'arc was used as fence post among other choices items. Indians and early pioneers used thorns for needles along with mesquite trees. Indians also used Bois d'arc for bows. If you can find the write up by Bill Holm he shows plots on his maps where the Indians took very young saplings along with them on the War Trail, in West Texas. The camping spots shows part of the Comanche War Trails which are many. A very dear friend of mine made some of the most beautiful bows which were valued by his friends.
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Barbara Hickman
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2015 4:04 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Selective bibliography - ICOMOS Documentation centre
Linda, this anecdotal, but it seems a good example. My grandfather (1863-1951) used bois d'arc along some property lines here in central Texas in lieu of barb wire. He is said to have thought 'bodark' was more effective at keeping cattle inside the property than wire. It grew quickly into an almost impenetrable hedge.
David T. Parkhill
Avocational Archaeologist
Barbara J Hickman
Archeologist III
Archeological Studies Program
Environmental Affairs Division
Texas Department of Transportation
125 East 11th Street
Austin TX 78701
512-416-2637
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kate Johnson
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2015 3:58 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Selective bibliography - ICOMOS Documentation centre
Linda,
I read a couple papers that describe the use of osage orange hedge specifically as fencing and meant to distinguish specific boundaries.The 3rd footnote to the second paper (Hewes & Jung 1981) also references several sources that note the use of ditches alone or ditches plus fence / hedge as being used to demarcate legal property boundaries. Hopefully one of these sources can be of use!
* Hewes, L. 1981. Early fencing on the western margins of the prairie.
Annals of the Association of American Geographers 71 (4):499–526. Hewes, L., and C. L. Jung. 1981. Early Fencing on the Middle Western Prairie.
Annals of the Association of American Geographers 71 (2):177–201.*
Footnote from Hewes & Jung 1981:
Herbert G. Schmidt, *Agriculture in New Jersey* (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1973), p.73, cites ditches as legal enclosures as early as 1730. Lewis Cecil Gray, *History of Agriculture in the Southern United States to 1860*, Vol. 1 (New York: Peter Smith, 1941), p. 540, refers to the occasional use of ditches and sod fences supplemented by small post and rail fences on the embankments. Stevenson Whitecomb Fletcher, *Pennsylvania Agriculture and** Country Life, 1640-1840* (Harrisburg:
PennsylvaniaHistorical and Museum Commission, 1950), p. 87, cites the use of ditches with hedges in 1778. See also John A. Warder, *Hedges and
Evergreens: A complete Manual for the Cultivation, Pruning, and Management of all Plants suitable for American Hedging; especially the Maclura, or Osage Orange* (New York: Orange Judd Company, Agriculture Book Publishers,Press, 1858), pp. 174, 195, 201.
Best wishes,
Kate
On Fri, Jun 26, 2015 at 2:35 PM, Linda Derry <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Histarchers,
>
> I need your help. There is a cemetery in our archaeological park that
> was established by the Alabama legislature in 1851 but we can't find
> any legal records that describe the boundaries. However there are
> historical records (newspaper reports mostly) that say that the
> cemetery was "surrounded by a ditch" and a few years after it was
> created, an osage orange hedge was planted just inside the ditch.
>
> Today, the ditch is still very apparent, and there are a few aged
> osage orange trees too.
>
> Our attorney has told us he does't think that he can use the ditch as
> evidence of the boundary, because of the word "surrounds" since, as he
> says, "its like saying that the Indians surrounded the fort and that
> doesn't imply they were establishing a boundary." A fence he would
> accept, and he may consider the osage orange, but he doesn't seem to
> think we can protect the ditch from our neighbor's bulldozers.
>
> So, I am turning to you for help. Are there other examples of
> graveyards that were enclosed by ditches, or documented evidence that
> ditches were used as boundary markers. I'm trying to argue that
> historically ditches were just as real as fences in establishing boundaries.
>
> Linda Derry
> Site Director, Old Cahawba Archaeological Park Alabama Historical
> Commission
> 719 Tremont Street, Selma, AL 36701
> office: 334/875-2529
> park: 334/ 872-8058
> [log in to unmask]
>
--
*Katharine Johnson*
PhD Candidate, Dept of Geography
Geospatial Data & Web Development Specialist Map and Geographic Information Center Connecticut State Data Center University of Connecticut [log in to unmask] http://geomorphology.uconn.edu/research-group/kate-johnson/
<http://uconn.academia.edu/KatharineJohnson>
Talk. Text. Crash.
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