Harding, Thanks for the tips, I'll certainly give them a look. Much appreciated, -Miles On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 2:22 PM, Harding Polk <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I realize they are not archaeological reports, but a couple of reprints I > would suggest are: > > > 1995 Moseman's Illustrated Guide For Purchase of Horse Furnishing Goods, > Imported and Domestic. Studio Editions, Ltd. London England. (this is a > combination of the J.H. Hawkins & Co. 1889 and C.M. Moseman and Brother, > 1892.) > > > 1994 Bristol Wagon and Carriage Illustrated Catalog, 1900. Dover > Publications, Inc. New York. > > > Harding Polk II > [log in to unmask] > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Miles Shugar <[log in to unmask]> > To: HISTARCH <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Tue, Feb 12, 2013 9:21 am > Subject: Horse Railroad Contexts > > > Greetings all, > > I am a MA candidate at UMass Boston interested in urban transportation, > growth, > and labor. After scouring multiple online journal databases and article > collections, albeit in a limited capacity due to the constraints of any > library, > I haven't been able to find any archaeology of 19th century horse > railroads, > save the project that I'm studying for my in progress thesis. My > collection > comes from a support complex of the Metropolitan Railroad Company of > Boston, > Massachusetts, which operated from the 1850s until the 1880s, when it was > swallowed up by a conglomerate of street railway companies that would > become the > later electrified lines. The complex, which consisted of stables, > carhouses, > various workshops, and a blacksmith, was dug in the late 1970s by the > archaeology staff of what was then called the Museum of Afro American > History, > and the report was completed in 1986 by Beth Anne Bowers. The artifacts > are > largely architectural and industrial, that is, relating to the ha > rnessing of the Company's many horses, the maintenance and construction > of its > streetcars, and various materials coming from the 20th century demolitions > and > construction onsite. > > I am particularly interested in the leather harness collection that was > recovered during Phase II and III, of which there are portions > representative of > every piece of 19th century industrial draught horse power. > Unfortunately, as > mentioned above, I can't seem to find any analogous reports or literature > against which I might compare my collection. This seems odd considering > that in > the latter half of the 19th century, most metropolitan areas of the US > from Los > Angeles to Philadelphia had adopted horse rails for commuter > transportation, and > further, that some urban archaeological excavations probably have > encountered > the vestiges of these systems. > > So I'm turning to you to see if any of your collective experience remembers > anything of the sort. Thanks so much in advance for any information you > might > be able to supply as I seek to learn more about these interesting urban > contexts. > > >