Our next meeting will be November 16, 2021 via Zoom.
The October program featured
Linda C. Gorski (Texas Archeological Stewardship Network and President, Houston Archeological Society), speaking on
The Happy Hollow: An Emergency Salvage Archeology Project in Houston’s Historic Red Light District
For three short days at the end of January 2016 Texas Historical Commission Archeological Stewards from Harris County and members of the Houston Archeological Society participated in an emergency salvage archeology shovel testing project at a unique site in downtown Houston, Texas. Owners of the historic Lancaster Hotel were forced to demolish two equally historic adjoining buildings to provide parking spaces for the hotel. The owners of the hotel including Miki Lusk Norton graciously allowed the Texas Historical Commission to examine the site before it was paved over.
These historic buildings in the 500 block of Louisiana Avenue were built in 1907 and replaced earlier structures on the lots that were originally “female boarding houses” – aka brothels. The shovel testing revealed early cisterns, brick and concrete piers that supported the pier and beam building, an historic gulley and a privy. Approximately 1100 artifacts were recovered including many complete bottles that originally contained female medications and tonics providing clues as to what was going on at the site in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and lending credence to the site’s original name – “Happy Hollow”! This presentation will present the history of an early Red Light district in Houston through artifacts recovered at the site.
A Zoom link will be sent via the TvCAS email list the Sunday before the meeting. The Zoom room will open at 6:30 for social time prior to a brief business meeting and the program.
Linda Gorski with bottle (above) and Louis Aulbach (below)
(Photos courtesy of Linda Gorski)
Linda Gorski is a member of the Texas Archeological Stewards Network from Harris County, Texas. She became an avocational archeologist over 40 years ago after taking classes in Roman British Archeology at the University of Kent-Canterbury and participating in many digs at Roman villa sites there during her husband’s military assignment in England from 1975 – 1977. She was a co-founder of the Fort Bend Archeological Society in 1992 and is going into her tenth year as president of the Houston Archeological Society
Wondering what our programs are like? View the list of speakers and topics we've had since 2006.
When conditions allow, the next regular meeting will be held on our usual schedule, the third Tuesday of the month at 7pm at Santa Rita Cantina's central location, 1206 W 38th St (26 Doors shopping center). Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month, except June and December. They are free and open to the public. For those who wish to come early, we gather around 5:45 PM for dinner, drinks, and fellowship. The short business meeting starts at 7:00 PM, followed by the guest speaker's presentation.
Upcoming
No in-person events are planned at this time. Check our Facebook page or join our mailing list for information on virtual meetings and online resources.
