Technological Change in a Coastal New England Village, 1790-1990 -- The Duck Creek Harbor Site, Wellfleet, Massachusetts
Stephen P. Broker
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TEACHER BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barlow, Raymond E., and Joan E. Kaiser. 1989. A guide to Sandwich Glass whale oil lamps and accessories. Windham, New Hampshire: Barlow-Kaiser Publishing Company, Inc., 143pp. Excellent photographs of whale oil lamps. Good introduction to lighting devices and progress in lighting technology, with reference to the whaling industry.
Behler, John L. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 744pp. Photographs and detailed descriptions of the amphibians of vernal pools.
Broker, Stephen P. 1995. Connecticut’s freshwater wetlands. New Haven: Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, pp. 39-63. Sections on vernal pools, red maple swamps, bogs, and white cedar swamps apply to Cape ecology.
Calvert, Karin. 1992. Children in the house: the material culture of early childhood, 1600-1900. Index entries of interest to the Duck Creek artifacts and material culture are clothing, dolls, games, home remedies, infant mortality, playthings, women in Victorian period.
Conkling, Philip W., ed. 1995. From Cape Cod to the Bay of Fundy: an environmental atlas of the Gulf of Maine. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 258pp. Places Cape Cod in the larger context of the Gulf of Maine Region. Useful chapters on estuaries, food chains, wetlands, biodiversity, and human impacts.
Deetz, James. 1977. In small things forgotten: the archaeology of early American life. Garden City, New York: Anchor Press/Doubleday, 184pp. Introductory treatment of archaeology and material culture.
Echeverria, Durand. 1991. A history of Billingsgate. Wellfleet, Massachusetts: The Wellfleet Historical Society, 126pp. One of the few histories focusing on Wellfleet. Billingsgate settlement preceded that of Duck Creek in Wellfleet.
Freeman, Frederick. 1858. The history of Cape Cod: the annals of Barnstable County, including the district of Mashpee. In two volumes. Boston: George C. Rand & Avery, 803+803pp. Historical overview of Cape Cod, with chapter on Wellfleet.
Garrett, Elisabeth Donaghy. 1990. At home: the American family 1750-1s70. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, 304pp. Important to an understanding of the rooms of the home, lighting devices and practices, and domestic duties.
Godden, Geoffrey A. 1964. Encyclopedia of British pottery and porcelain marks. New York: Crown Publishers, 765pp. Identifies and dates makers’ marks for many of the Staffordshire pieces recovered from Duck Creek archaeological site. Provides the most reliable dates for any of the Duck Creek assemblages.
Greer, Georgeanna H. 1981. American stonewares: the art and craft of utilitarian potters. Exton, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 286pp. Sections on form and function of stoneware vessels. Most useful for salt-glazed pieces from Duck Creek.
Hayward, Arthur H. 1962, 1923. Colonial and early American lighting. New York: Dover Publications, xxxi+198pp. Describes candle holders, brass, and glass lamps, including Sandwich Glass whale oil lamps.
Heckscher, Morrison H., and Leslie Greene Bowman. 1992. American Rococo, 1750-1775: elegance in ornament. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art & Los Angeles County Museum of Art/Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 288pp. Chapter on silver is useful for the study of the Duck Creek Site brass box iron.
Lee, Ruth Webb. 1947. Sandwich glass: the history of the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company. Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts: Lee Publications, 590pp. Dated but valuable overview of the nineteenth century glass-making industry on Cape Cod.
Leibowitz, Joan. 1985. Yellow ware: the transitional ceramic. Exton, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 119pp. Good reference on the role of yellow ware in the ceramics industry. Numerous color photographs help in identification of Duck Creek artifacts.
McKearin, George S., and Helen McKearin. 1941. American glass. New York: Crown Publishers, 622pp. Black and white photographs of the Sandwich Glass whale oil lamps found at the Duck Creek site.
Miller, G. Tyler, Jr. 1998. Living in the environment: principles, connections, and solutions. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 761pp+appendices. The best college text on environmental science, also used by my high school environmental science students. Takes an interdisciplinary approach by combining natural and social sciences.
Oldale, Robert N. 1992. Cape Cod and the Islands: the geologic story. East Orleans, Massachusetts: Parnassus Imprints, 208pp. The most recent of several excellent books on Cape Cod geology. Sections on glacial landforms (outwash plains, kettle ponds) and coastal landforms (salt marshes) are most useful.
Perry, E.G. 1898. A trip around Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, South Shore, and Historical Plymouth. Boston: Charles S. Binner Company, 528pp. Folksy overview of Cape Cod, written in a late 19th century style. Chapter III. Wellfleet is an interesting read.
Poor, Alfred Easton. 1932. Colonial architecture of Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. New York: William Helburn Inc., 148pp. Useful to this unit in that it identifies and describes Cape Cod architecture, such as that found along Commercial Street and Duck Creek.
Reid, Nancy Thacher. 1996. Dennis, Cape Cod: from firstcomers to newcomers 1639-1993. Dennis, Massachusetts: Dennis Historical Society, 958pp. A recently published history of a Cape Cod town. Strong genealogical focus, but helpful to an understanding of Cape industry and economy.
Rich, Shebnah. 1883. Truro, Cape Cod: land marks and sea marks. Boston: D. Lothrop and Company, 580pp. Late nineteenth century historical overview of the town north of Wellfleet.
Schlereth, Thomas J. 1992. Cultural history & material culture: everyday life, landscapes, museums. Charlottesville, Virginia: University Press of Virginia, 440pp. See especially Introduction: Cultural history and material culture, and Chapter 12 Pioneers of material culture: teaching history with American things.
Simpson, Marc. 1979. All that glisters: brass in early America. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale Center for American Art and Material Culture, vi+26pp. Applies to such Duck Creek artifacts as the box iron and telescope.
St. George, Robert Blair. 19ss. Material life in America 1600-1860. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 570pp. Contributions to this edited volume include those by Prown, Glassie, Wood, Sweeney, Roth, Gross, Clark, Jr.
Stetson, Judy. 1963. Wellfleet: a pictorial history. Wellfleet, Massachusetts: The Wellfleet Historical Society, 95pp. Published in the bicentenniel year of the town of Wellfleet. Historical information and early photographs are very useful to the Duck Creek archaeological study.
The Magazine Antiques. New York: Straight Enterprises, Inc., selected issues. Articles and advertisements useful for the development of this unit and the study of Duck Creek artifacts.
Ward, Gerald W.R., and William N. Hosley, Jr., eds. 1985. The great River: art & society of the Connecticut Valley, 1635-1820. Hartford, Connecticut: Wadsworth Atheneum, 523pp. The catalogue for the Wadsworth exhibition of 22 September 19s5 - 6 January 19s6. Descriptions of metalwares, authored by Barbara McLean Ward, were most helpful.
Wellfleet Historical Society. 1986. Wellfleet, Truro, & Cape Cod Cemetery Inscriptions. Section Nine Pleasant Hill and Oak Dale Cemeteries, Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Wellfleet, Massachusetts: Wellfleet Historical Society and Rich Family Association, 201pp. Contains vital statistics for nearly all property owners listed on 1858 Henry Walling map and 1907 George Walker map. Very useful for an analysis of these maps.
