Boy Scouts Help Out At the Cabin Site

Eagle Scout candidate Bleu Stone along with other scouts and scout leaders from local Scout Troop 106, Mentone, AL assisted archaeologist Sharon Freeman and Landmarks volunteers at the Fort Payne Cabin Site on Saturday, January 14th, 2012.

Bleu Stone, Eagle Scout candidate.

This phase of work at the Cabin Site is being done through an Alabama Historical Commission grant awarded for archaeology work at this site and at Fort Likins in Cherokee County.

As his Eagle Project, Stone and his troop have taken the responsibility of filling the excavation of the cabin cellar and clean up of the site. An Eagle Project is done when the scout is a Life Scout and is one of the last steps in becoming an Eagle Scout. As can be seen in the photos, the scouts moved mountains of slag and dirt to fill the cellar and the remaining depression at the old privy. A return was made January 28th to complete the project and do general clean up duties.

Scouts and volunteers at the Cabin Site before the cleanup, from left to right: John Westmoreland, John Quaid Westmoreland, Matt Stanley, Max Blackwell, Noah Benefield, Noah Blalock, Jimmy Blalock, George Westmoreland, John Stanley, William Chitwood, Lee Benefield, Orion Nicely, Kenny Blackwell, Ben Spears, Sharon Freeman, Lyle Nicely and David Gilbreath. Others who participated but are not in this shot are: Bleu Stone, Edwin Stanley, Nathan Hurley, Jody Hurley, Austin Evans.

The Cabin Site, owned by Landmarks of DeKalb County, is one of three locations in Fort Payne certified by the National Park Service as official components of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. The other sites are the Willstown Mission Cemetery, also a Landmarks’ property and the Andrew Ross Home, a private residence. According to troop leader and Landmarks board member David Gilbreath, the scouts were particularly excited to participate in an archaeology dig at such an historic site.

Scouts with the large mound of slag they needed to move.

Landmarks would like to send many thanks to Eagle candidate Bleu Stone, his fellow scouts from Troop 106 and their leader David Gilbreath for their help in this project. We would also like to thank all the other troop leaders, the parents and the many volunteers who helped with this work during some of the coldest weather of the year.

Yes, it was possible to move that large mound of slag!

Landmarks would like to give a really big thank you to Ed Houston, the husband of Landmarks board member Ann Houston. Ed generously donated the extra fill dirt that was needed for work on January 28th and had it delivered to the site and dumped exactly where it was needed. This meant happy Scouts who did not have to load it in wheelbarrows and bring it from the parking lot!

Contemplating work done and work left to do.

And now finally, the end result of all the work is a Cabin Site with the cabin cellar filled in and cleaned up. The remaining depression of the old privy is gone and a project that would have been very expensive and almost impossible for Landmarks to do is now complete, thanks to Bleu Stone, Troop 106 and other volunteers from the community!

The Cabin Site after the cleanup, from left to right: John Westmoreland, John Quaid Westmoreland, Matt Stanley, Max Blackwell, Noah Benefield, Noah Blalock, Jimmy Blalock, George Westmoreland, John Stanley, William Chitwood, Lee Benefield, Orion Nicely, Kenny Blackwell, Ben Spears, Sharon Freeman, Lyle Nicely and David Gilbreath. Others who participated but are not in this shot are: Bleu Stone, Edwin Stanley, Nathan Hurley, Jody Hurley, Austin Evans.