To Whom it May Concern:
    I am Alta Short, President of Missouri Mormon Frontier Foundation. The project at the Rich/Wallace cabin (house) has been of great interest to me personally.
    Several years ago Mr. Michael Riggs took members of our organization on a field trip to sites in Caldwell County. While on the trip we found a log cabin/house in very poor shape with the roof caved in and we wondered about the history of this property. Mr. Riggs did extensive research on the property: who the original owners were and who owns it now. Then he obtained permission for our organization to have an Archaeological dig on the site.
    The first year we had a weeklong dig that I was able to participate in. Then the digs were conducted on weekends during the spring and into the fall for three years. This has been a wonderful experience for many students and adults to be able to actually work on a dig and gain more knowledge about Missouri history.
    Mr. Riggs has purchased this property and is in need of funds and grants to be able to preserve this building and further the historical interest of this site.
    Sincerely,
    Alta Short, MMFF President

Historic context:

    The first day of the dig is spent on orientation with visits to other sites and acclimation to the history of this fascinating region. Because we have access to some of the foremost historians and researchers in Mormon and Missouri history and they will occasionally visit the site, we anticipate serendipitous benefits for participants.

    Ponder time in a beautiful environment with a minimum of intrusion on your work uncovering the artifacts of the Mormon period (1836-1838).

    Excavation techniques: Most of our work will be the careful scraping with a trowel, however, horizontal profiles, vertical profiles, probing, corroborating information from metal detectors, the proton magnetometer, infrared photography, and historical research will complement.
Site maintenance: Tourists visit the site at unexpected times and so the site will be maintained in a photogenic state at all times.

    Interpretation: Tourists will ask questions and excavators are expected to respond patiently and with accurate information.

    Research papers: Students working on the site for credit (available through Graceland University) will be expected to complete a written project on an aspect of the study. Some excellent papers may be published.

    The program may include possible trips to other historic sites if we have a rain day.

    The program of archaeological investigation in Caldwell County, Missouri for the summer of 2003 will include hands on instruction for participants in an assortment of activities. These will include:

1. Surface surveying: Students will become part of a team continually looking for surface features, artifacts, culturally significant vegetation, geophysical features and so forth relevant to the cultural history of the site.

2. Mapping: All participants will be expected to complete maps of excavated squares for which they are responsible. These will include artifacts, soil features, and relationships to the site as a whole.

3. Artifact curation: Appropriate preservation techniques for artifacts of the following general types and many subtypes will be utilized by all participants on the dig;
Earthenware
Aboriginal
White paste
Undecorated
Decorated
Hand painted
Transfer printed
Stoneware & Porcelain
Undecorated
Decorated
Window Glass
Less than 2 mm. thick
More than 2 mm. thick
Container Glass
Pressed
Cut
Bottle, by color
Other container
Floral artifacts
Faunal artifacts
Shell
Bone
Ferrous metal Nails
Square by pennyweight
Round by pennyweight
Bolts
Machinery
Sheet metal Strap iron
Tools with particular emphasis upon hand forged
Non-Ferrous metal
Coins
Brass
Buckles
Buttons
Other
Synthetic
Brick
Mortar
Daub
Plastic
Mineral
Aboriginal
Chert
Scrapers
Projectile points
Flakes and chips
Ground stone
Historic

4. Tool usage and maintenance: This will include a range of tools from the sophisticated transit, GPS, digital camcorder and computer to the trowel and shovel.

    To reserve your place, contact:

MICHAEL, L.L.C
3500 S.W. Duroc Road
Kingston, Missouri 64650
  phone: (816) 586-2319
  e-mail: bms@ecksor.net