FROM THE GROUND UP:
A TAILOR'S APPROACH TO HANNA'S TOWN,
AN 18TH CENTURY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Gene Annette Burger
Curator of Textiles
Westmoreland County Historical Society
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this paper is twofold, the first of which is to
show that the modern popular view of Hanna's Town frontiersman is
but a watered-down version of the 19th century romanticized view
and quite ditterent from the reality of life at Hanna's Town.
This paper will explore the differences between preconceived ideas
and the archaeological evidence, and propose a criteria for the
types of clothing worn at Hanna's Town based on the archaeology.
The paper's second purpose is to establish guidelines for the
costumes worn by the tour guides at Hanna's Town.
The paper will
synthesize
information
derived
from
three
disciplines:
archaeology, history, and tailoring.
In order to support these
theories,
the
following
sources were
consulted:
the
archaeological
excavations
at
Hanna's
Town;
Archaeological
Investigations of Fort Ligonier 1960-1965 (Grimm 1970); 40 estate
inventories from Westmoreland County for the years 1773-1783;
Michael Hufnegel's ledger; and a few original textiles.
The
textiles include four of Phoebe St. Clair's dresses and two of
Arthur St. Clair's vests housed at Fort Ligonier.
The proctor
Flag in the collection of the William Penn Memorial Museum was
also examined.
INTRODUCTION
Hanna's Town, the first county seat west of the Allegheny Mountains, was
named for Robert Hanna who received in a 1769 grant of 300 acres (121.4
hectares) of land half way between Fort Ligonier and Fort Pitt on the Forbes
Road. The act of the Pennsylvania Assembly which created Westmoreland County
in western Pennsylvania also stated that court would be held at the house of
Robert Hanna.
Although Hanna's Town was only a short-lived community, many
events occurred there which had far reaching effects throughout the colonies
and later the states.
One of these events was the Hanna's Town Resolves,
signed on May 16, 1775, which declared allegiance to the King but resistance
to the tyranny of Parliament.
After the Revolutionary War, life at Hanna's Town began to return to
normal until July 13, 1782, when Indians attacked and burned the town.
To
this day, researchers on the history of Hanna's Town have not agreed on the
reasons for the attack. Regardless, this was a watershed event in the town's
history, and is probably why so many artifacts remain.
Following the burning, Hanna's Town was slowly rebuilt, and court
sessions were resumed until Greensburg was ultimately chosen in 1786 as the
165
new county seat.
From 1826 to 1969, it remained in the hands of the same
farming family.
In 1969, the property was purchased through a Project Seventy
Grant by Westmoreland County and turned into a park. Since then, the park has
been administered by the Westmoreland County Historical Society.
The Society not only adminsters the archaeology but also the restoration
of this historic site, which consists of 160 acres (65. 74 hectares), three
reconstructed 18th century style buildings, and a pre-existing 19th century
farm house which was converted into an archaeological laboratory.
The
historic
restoration has
always moved
slowly,
leaving time for
the
archaeological evaluations upon which the restoration has been based.
This
interplay of archaeological research and the restoration effort is one of the
strengths of the Hanna's Town project.
Public tours at Hanna's Town began shortly after the archaeological
excavations. Within a very short time, it became evident that the tour guides
and the general pubic had a different view of the Westmorelander of the late
18th century than the archaeological excavations were exposing or, indeed,
than the 18th century citizen of Hanna's Town had of himself.
The 20th
century view of the early Westmorelander is very much the Daniel Boone type,
typically dressed in buckskin shirt and breeches, coonskin cap, and carrying a
long rifle. It is more likely that this outfit, if used at all, was only one
facet of the Westmorelander's wardrobe.
This man would have no more conducted his day to day business in a
coonskin cap, buckskin breeches, and carrying a long rifle, than we would
consider going to work in Addidas sneakers and a jogging suit. The people of
18th century Westmoreland County would have no more considered going to church
in buckskins and short gowns than modern Americans would consider attending
the same affair in blue jeans and a house dress. Joseph Smith, in the journal
he kept while traveling in the West during the last part of the 18th century,
remarks that he found a man that had adopted the Indian custom of wearing an
animal skin on his head.
Buckskin breeches, while worn, were most probably
worn for hunting; exploring the frontier (i.e., the Ohio Territory); and heavy
work such as blacksmithing, farming, and tanning.
With these two positions, archaeological evidence on one hand and
preconceived ideas on the other, it became difficult to explain Hanna's Town
life style to the general public.
While watching an old "Quincy" rerun, the
idea of recreating clothing or parts of a wardrobe emerged. If he could build
a composite of a man from a femur, surely the archaeologists had unearthed
enough information to develop a composite wardrobe for 18th century Hanna's
Town.
In order to support this hypothesis, the following sources were
consulted:
the archaeological excavations at Hanna's Town; Archaeological
Investigations of Fort Ligonier 1960-1965 (Grimm 1970); 79 estate inventories
from Westmoreland County for the years 1773-1786 (a list of these inventories
appears as Appendix A; a sample inventory is reproduced as Appendix B);
Michael Hufnegel's ledger, property of the Westmoreland County Historical
Society; and a few original textiles.
The textiles include:
four of Phoebe
St. Clair's dresses; two of Arthur St. Clair's vests housed at Fort Ligonier;
the Proctor Flag in the collection of the William Penn Memorial Museum; and
knee breeches and a shirt in the collection of the Westmoreland County
Historical Society.
166
HANNA' s: TOWN CLOTHING:
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE
In order to set the 18th century Hanna's Town scene, it is important to
establish the socio-economic status of its citizens. Among the more than 1.5
million artifa,c ts excavated at Hanna's Town are redware and porcelain, as well
as many other types of ceramics such as delft, scratch blue stoneware,
pearlware, creamware in many patterns including Cantonware pagoda, King's
rose, pineapple, tortoise, and transferprint in many motifs.
This is
supported by the inventories which include delft plates (Craig), teaware
(McGeary), pewter dishes (Craig), plates (Maxwell), tea pot (Long), and soup
dishes (Galbraith), as well as Japanned measures (Galbraith).
The tableware
in the inventories include spoons of silver (Martin) and pewter, although the
composition of the knives and forks is not listed.
As there were glass
bottles in thE~ archaeology, the inventories reflected the same.
There are
"stalk" glasses in the inventories that could possibly mean stemmed glasses
(McGeary), like the opaque twist stems recovered from the site.
Over 23 pounds (10.4 kilograms) of window glass have been unearthed to
date.
Besides fireplace equipment, there are fireplace backs and five
(Teagargen) and six (Capt. Sam'l Miller) plate stoves on the inventories. The
inventories also refer to 12 old turned chairs and a turned bed (Heddel).
A
couch is listed on Thomas Galbraith's inventory.
Besides a clarinet reed and a mouth harp from the archaeology, there is a
French horn (Teagarden) in the inventories, and Michael Hufnegel' s store
ledger lists gut strings, possibly for a violin.
Marbles for children and a
tap or spigot for a keg are also part of the archaeology.
The inventories
have at least four stills and parts for many more.
Each item mentioned is
referred to at least once in the inventories with the exception of children's
toys of which none are listed.
Individually they mean little but taken
together they represent a picture of the socio-economic status of the
Westmorelander.
It would appear that he was more closely aligned with his
eastern brother in Philadelphia or Virginia than with the 20th century concept
of him.
Now that a socio-economic status has been established for the Hanna's
Town citizen, the next problem is what type of clothing fits that position.
The i terns needed to make the clothing seem the most logical place to start.
The inventories show at least four households that had the capacity to house
four weavers (Donaldson, Cooper, Sam'l McKee, and Braggs) and nine others that
had parts to spinning wheels.
The Proctor Flag, painted at Hanna's Town, was used as a color course for
paint and dye pigments. If the technology to paint the flag existed, then the
assumption can be made that the materials needed to implement that technology
also existed.
Those materials are paint pigments.
One of the problems at
present day Hanna's Town is trying to convey the idea to the public as well as
Society members that a building could have blue, red, or green, as well as
white interior painted walls. It is just as difficult to convince people that
not all clothing colors on the frontier were earth tones, or dyed with nuts
and berries.
There are at least two buildings from the Hanna's Town time
period in Westmoreland County with painted walls (the Peter Bush House and the
Feld House).
Several colors of paint pigments have been found in the
archaeology,
including ocher
(subsequently verified by Carnegie-Mellon
167
University).
The flag gives a wide array of color pigments that have been
adapted to dying cloth. The inventories list even more colors for fabrics.
Phoebe St. Clair's shoes have a maker's label in them and show four
different types of silk:
silk satin; brocade; shot silk; and a warp dyed
moire.
(No laboratory analysis has been done on them, only a cursory
examination by the author with a magnifying glass). At this point it might be
important to state that almost any fabric that could be obtained in
Philadelphia could be ordered there and received in Pittsburgh or Hanna's Town
two weeks later. Michael and John Hufnegel owned stores and this turn-around
time is reflected on one of the ledger pages.
Material such as velverette, cotton, shalloon, spotted flannel, velvet,
thicket, broad.cloth, corduroy, and Barcelona lace are also included on the
inventories. Ligonier could boast a silver lace maker on the tax records.
Many of the tools necessary to make clothing were also available.
The
archaeology shows pins, in many sizes and for different functions.
There are
about 3,200 straight pins.
Some functions for these pins are known, and
others are just supposed.
Needles and a needle case, as well as thimbles,
scissors, hooks and eyes, measures, and bale seals have been found in the
archaeological excavations at Hanna's Town.
With this information in mind,
our discussion of clothing will be broken down into three parts:
men's
clothing; women's clothing; and those used by both sexes.
The men of Hanna's Town left more artifacts and more information on the
inventories. Perhaps this is because wives received one-third of the property
and any item that had her initials on it was considered hers.
Her one-third
was taken before the inventory was made, and reflects what she did not choose
to take.
Her choice will never be known because of the way the inventory was
taken, but the archaeology sheds light on this aspect.
Items such as canes, and our interpretation of one, a scabbard hook, and
watch key parts, and a complete watch key are just a few of the artifacts from
Hanna's Town used by the men.
A personal seal and a seal holder, one of a
bull and more unusual ones such as a harlequin, are also part of the
Historical Society's artifact collection from Hanna's Town.
A button mold and a great many types of buttons have been found at
Hanna's Town including silver, large coat, vest or breeches, and many styles
of bone buttons.
There are "Talli Hoe" buttons with three motifs:
hare,
stag, and fox; and two different spellings. Although this does not mean that
there were hunt clubs at Hanna's Town, it does suggest that some of its
citizens may have belonged to them elsewhere. There are oval Masonic buttons
which seem to be post-burning (ie., post-1782). There are some of blue paste
and silver wire.
One has cherries enameled on brass.
Some are of simple
glass manufacture while others are an amalgamation of materials, manufacturing
techniques, and are highly decorated.
Cuff links or
in silver and cut
Washington funeral
common links such
links.
There are
sleeve buttons were also found in great profusion with some
faceted glass backed with silver foil.
A late link is the
urn commemorating Washington's death.
There are also more
as the four hole pewter buttons joined together to form
also pewter links with flowers and a pair of later links
168
commemorating Nelson's Victory at Trafalgar.
The inventories also list vests
(Miller, John), jackets (MillJr, Capt.), three suits of black cloth (Miller,
Capt., Drummond, McKee, Arch • ) , as well as broadcloth, velvet, and woolen
suits. There are also pumps (Cahill), two pair of drawers (Cahill), a cotton
suit (McGeary), and a castor hat (Cahill). Also found on the inventories were
the expected hunting shirt and breeches, though not in great number (four pair
of breeches and three hunting shirts). This, then, is a plausible gentlemen's
outfit:
black suit, silver buttons, brass knee buckles, white linen shirt,
black silk Barcelona lace handkerchief, cotton, silk, or linen hose, and
silver or brass sleeve links with black stock and buckle.
The next items to be considered belong to both men and women.
Shoe
buckles and shoes are the most obvious place to start. Shoe buckles from the
archaeology are both plain and fancy and of iron, pewter, and silver.
The
types of shoes thought to have been used at Hanna's Town are shown in Grimm
(1970); although military, they are the only samples of men's shoes from an
archaeological excavation in Westmoreland County for the period. Little or no
leather was found at Hanna's Town because of soil acidity.
However, shoes
owned by Phoebe St. Clair are on display at Fort Ligonier:
one pair is silk
satin and the other is blue-green pigskin.
A less common item is a slave
collar verified by the William Penn Memorial Museum.
The inventories support
this possibility by listing at least nine slaves and many more indentured
servants.
The women's clothing begins with a possible stay bone, or a worked bone
that looks like a stay.
Inventories give a broader scope of wearing apparel
than the archaeology.
There are bed gowns and jackets (Hamil ton), a linsey
short gown (Harbert), a cotton gown (Hamilton), a striped gown (Hamilton), a
shift (Harbert), a riding skirt (Hamilton), and a ladies mantle valued at 60
pounds (McDowell, Wm.), plus the usual petticoats, pockets, and other sundry
items.
Items such as broaches in silver and brass, and rings in gold, silver,
pewter, brass, and iron are also repeated in the inventories (Reading).
Cut
coral and blown glass beads were also found at Hanna's Town.
Although not
found at Hanna's Town, chatelaine clips were found at a tavern site not far
away, as was part of a vinaigrette bottle.
The inventories show little in the way of hair care products, but the
archaeology yields hair buckles, combs, and a possible curling iron for wigs.
These items give us an idea of how the Hanna's Town women dressed.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Although it is not the purpose of this paper to suggest that attire such
as buckskin hunting shirts and breeches were not widely used in 18th century
Hanna's Town, it is the intent of this study to demonstrate, despite the
romanticized views of many 19th and 20th century Americans, that these workday
items of apparel should be put in proper perspective in relationship to their
function and use.
Just as different garments served different functions in
Philadelphia, Lancaster, and York, so too did they serve their own special
functions in the West.
Simply because the town's early settlers moved across
the Alleghenies does not mean they forgot their manners, social class, or
economic status.
169
APPENDIX A:
ESTATE INVENTORY NAMES LIST FOR WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, 1773-1786
Note: The spellings of names in the estate inventory list are as they appear
in the cited dockets and are not necessarily the correct or generally accepted
spellings.
ESTATE
Alexander, Robert
Braggs, Alexander
Baird, Moses
Barrackman, John
Barr, William
Bradley, Daniel
Byerly, Andrew
Cahill, Issac
Calanan, William (Callahan)
Campbell, Cornelius
Clark, Masterson
Cooper, Sam'l
Cornwallis, Samuel
Cough, Peter
Courtney, John
Craig, William
Cuningham, William
Donald, John
Donaldson, Isaac
Drummond, Robert
Eagen, Thomas
Eager, Joseph
Ewing, Thomas
Galbraith, Thomas
Grey, George
Hamilton, William
Harbagh, Conrad
Harbert, William
Harman, Philip
Heckman, Ezeckel
Heddel, Peter
Heckenbotom, Ralph
Huston, Joseph
Hutcheson, Robert
Jamison, Thomas
Johnson, James
Jones, John
Klingensmith, Philip
(Clingensmith, Clingelsmith)
Kyser, Peter
Lochry, Archebald
Long, George
Love, William
Martin, Edmond
Mason, Thomasd(Fossity Meason)
Maxwell, Alex •
DATE
May 30, 1777
Sept 29, 1778
Jan 3, 1783
March 15, 1783
Apr 18,1779
Feb 10, 1779
May 1, 1784
Nov 7, 177 5
July 15 & Aug 13, 1785
Oct 4, 1784
Aug 2, 1783
March 29, 1784
1781
Dec 12, 1778
Jan 18, 1781
March 27, 1778
Jan 24, 1783
1781
1786
1775
May 23, 1785
1784
1784
June 9, 1785
Oct 9, 1779
May 13, 1779
Jan 14, 1783
1777
Dec 1779
1779
Sept 15, 1786
June 14, 1780
Jan 14, 1778
May 26, 1779
May 9, 1774
1783
Jan 11, 1783
Aug 13, 1781
1774
Oct 21, 1782
Dec 15, 1778
Apr 15, 1784
March 9, 1776
1778
Jan 25, 1783
170
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APPENDIX A: (continued)
ESTATE INVENTORY NAMES LIST FOR WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, 1773-1786
ESTATE
McCracken, Margert
McCormack, John
McDowell, Alexander
McDowell, Wm
McGeary, Clgments (Clemences)
McKee, Arch •
McKee, Samuel
McMillan, John
McQuestan, Thomas
Mickey, David (Daniel)
Miller, Alex'd
Miller, John
Miller, Robert
Miller, Capt. Sam'l
Morrison, Robert
Morton, Edmund
Mounts, William
Reading, William
Reed, William
Rudibach, Christian
Shannon, Capt. Sam
Shockey, Christopher
Shreader, Philip
Simrall, Margaret
Smith, James
Sterret, Charles
Sumrall, Thomas
Teagarden, Wilaiam
Thompson, Alex •
Waddell, Francis
Weaver, Valentine
West, Isaac
Wilson, Samuel
Worthington, Robert
DATE
1779
Aug 29, 1779
June 3, 1783
1781
Feb 4 & 15, 1779
Feb 1, 1774
1780
Feb 10, 1784
1778
Feb 12, 1775
Jan 26, 1776
March 10 , 1 77 5
1776
Sept 25, 1778
Jan 18, 1779
March 9, 1776
Oct 7 & Nov 3, 1778
Sept 1, 1784
May 28, 1779
March 2, 1779
Oct 7, 1782
1779
1778
April 8, 1779
Nov 11, 1777
1783
May 4, 1773
Sept 7, 1778
March 19, 1782
Sept 3, 1776
Sept 17, 1778
Aug 11, 1778
Dec 2, 1774
Aug 19, 1778
171
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APPENDIX B: SAMPLE ESTATE INVENTORY
INVENTORY OF THE ESTATE OF DANIEL MICKEY
An Inventory and Apprasement of all and Singular the Goods & Chattels
belonging to the Estate of Daniel Mickey late of Donegal Township Westmoreland
County Deseased
&.
L
One Plow Double tree & Cle ises •••••••••••••••••••••••••
One Wagon & 2 pair of hind G_ _ breast Chain Stretch •••
Chain & Tar Bucket •••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
One bay horse of 7 Years old ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
One bay Mare of 5 Years old •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
One black Cow LS Two Year old heifer L 2.10 •••••••••••••
One Year old heifer Calf ••••••••••.••••••.••••••••••••••
One hand Saw & file ..............•...•••.••.....•......•
One Pitch fork 1/6 and old Seythe & 2 handles 1/6 •••••••
One Drawing Knife 3/ one Augur 1/ •••••••••••••••••••••••
2 New hoes at 5/Each ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
2 old ditto a 3/ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
2 smoothing Irons •••••.•.•••.••••••••••••.••...••....•..
2 Mawl Rings & 1 Iron Wedge •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
2
19
16
19
7
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
one Indian Meal Sifter ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Sundry Looms Tacklins viz.3 Reeds 3 Shuttles headles &
p=bowbins ....•....•......•.••...•• ....••..•••.•••••..
1 Cutting box 8/6 a Crook 4/ a Candlestick 9d •••••••••••
1
1
One Mattock •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
One Sprouting hoe ........•. ..•..••..•..••..••....•....••
Two bells & Collars ..••..••..•...•......•..•.•..•......•
Two Axes ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
One
Two
Two
One
old Saddle 10/ & 1 bridle 3/ ••••••••••••••••••••••••
bridles 4/6 an old Mattack 5/ •••••••••••••••••••••••
Collars 8/ & 2 pair hems & Traees 5/ 2 bridles 1/9.
walnut Chest Ll.2.6 & one pine ditto 12/ ••••••••••••
One Spinning Wheel .••••••••••.••••..•••.•.••••••••••••••
One Tub 5/ & 1 Log Chain 12/ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
11 Tin Cups 2 Quarts & 1 funnel •••••••••••••••••••••••••
6 Pewter Plates & 1 Pewter dish •••••••••••••••••••••••••
Sundry Tea Ware & Glass & 4 Water Pails •••••••••••••••••
6 knives 4 forks & 5 Trenchers ••••••••••••••••••••••••••
25 Spools 5/ & 1 pair Cotton Cards 3/ •••••••••••••••••••
one keg • .•...•.•••.•.•...........•.•............••.....•
a pot and Pot hooks ••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••.••
0
1 Feather bed a quilt Blanket Sheet & bolster •••••••••••
a Chaff bed & Clothes •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1 Ditto 26/ & 1 Feather bed blanket & Quilt L2.15 •••••••
one Small Looking Glass 3/ Sundry books 9/ ••••••••••••••
2 hatts 15/ one pair Striped Trowsers 5/ 1 pair leather
breeches 16/ ••••
1 Coat 7/6 & one ditto 30/ & one Jacket 5/ ••••••••••••••
one other coat ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
One pair Silver Sleeve buttons 3/6 1 pair Spectacles ••••
one pair Stockings 3/6 & 1 Silk hankerchief 3/ ••••••••••
5
172
0
s
15
10
10
10
10
0
3
0
0
0
0
3
4
0
0
10
0
6
5
4
0
0
6
9
9
6
2
9
0
0
7
13
9
14
14
9
6
0
6
9
6
6
17
7
0
10
10
0
9
2
8
0
0
6
0
6
0
3
1
10
0
10
1
0
3
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
12
1
16
2
1
2
0
0
d
0
0
10
5
6
0
6
0
6
6
APPENDIX B: (continued) SAMPLE ESTATE INVENTORY
INVENTORY OF THK ESTATE OF DANIEL MICKEY
a hammer •••••..•••.•••••••••••••••.•••••••••••.•••••••••
a Dozen Spoons ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
a Pott & hingings ..•...........•........................
To about 30w of Flax••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
To about 30 Bushels of Corn at 3/5 Bushel •••••••••••••••
Wheat apprraised at 26/ acre
Rye & ditto at 20/
the pair of leading lines ••.••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••
d
s
L
One pair Garters••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
One Razor 2/ & baggs@ 6/ each ••••••••••••••••••••••••••
2 bushels flaxseed@ 7/6 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
a Loom L2.10 & half hide of Leather 3/ ••••••••••••••••••
a Flax break 4/ & a Sled 3/ a broad axe 12/ •••••••••••••
0
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
14
6
0
0
0
0
6
3
0
15
15
0
0
0
9
6
16
13
19
0
0
The above Appraisment & Invintory Taken
the 12th day of February 1775 by -----d
sd
Res • the day & date af • the above
appraisment from J a Livingston & Thos.
Meason which I proMise to be accountable for
Witness my hand •• / •••••••••••••••••
her
Mary
Mark
J a. Livingston
n
&
Thomas Mason
Mickey Admx.
REFERENCE CITED
Grimm, Jacob L.
1970
Archaeological Investigations of Fort Ligonier 1960-1965. Annals of Carnegie
Mui~No. 42, Section of Man, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh.
173