The Historical Archeology of the Morgan City Floodwall Boat.

Abstract : During May and June 1984, Archival and historical research and oral informant interviews were undertaken to determine the historical setting of the Morgan City Floodwall boat, and to trace the land use history of the project area, on Berwick Bay, Morgan City, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. Archival research demonstrated the continuous and active use of wharf facilities at Morgan City throughout the 19th Century. Schooners, barges, steamboats and Civil War gunboats all are well documented for 19th Century Morgan City. Using primary archival documentation and stratigraphic data obtained from informant interviews both a terminus ante quem and terminus post quem for the Morgan City Floodwall Boat were established. That vessel appears to have been deposited during the period around the 1870s. During August, 1984, field investigations of the floodwall boat were undertaken to discern the nature and the significance of the vessel. Field data, laboratory data, and additional archival data pertaining to 19th century boat construction were used to identify the vessel as a small barge. That barge may have served as a ferry across Berwick Bay; as an ice barge; or, both. The vessel site was observed to have been virtually destroyed by a sequence of destructive episodes that spanned several decades. Although the barge was documented during this study, no further work was recommended.