Natural Resources
The natural resources collections offer centuries of evidence about how Americans have used the bounty of the American continent and coastal waters. Artifacts related to flood control, dam construction, and irrigation illustrate the nation's attempts to manage the natural world. Oil-drilling, iron-mining, and steel-making artifacts show the connection between natural resources and industrial strength.
Forestry is represented by saws, axes, a smokejumper's suit, and many other objects. Hooks, nets, and other gear from New England fisheries of the late 1800s are among the fishing artifacts, as well as more recent acquisitions from the Pacific Northwest and Chesapeake Bay. Whaling artifacts include harpoons, lances, scrimshaw etchings in whalebone, and several paintings of a whaler's work at sea. The modern environmental movement has contributed buttons and other protest artifacts on issues from scenic rivers to biodiversity.
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Plate 95. Mechanicsville, Virginia
- Description
- Text and photograph from Gardner's Photographic Sketchbook of the War, Vol. II. Negative by John Reekie, text and positive by Alexander Gardner.
- A pretentious title for a collection of about a dozen ordinary Virginia houses, including blacksmith shop and store; yet what memories crowd upon the mind at the mention of its name. Memories of the grand old Army of the Potomac, in its youthful flush, digging, hewing, and battling courageously with the Confederates, and their deadly ally, the Chickahominy; of tropical rains that in a day would transform luxuriant meadows into lakes, and make surging floods where before were stagnant pools; of bridges, built through swamps by armed battalions, and of that storm of battle which ended at Malvern Hill. Early in June, 1862, as the Army of the Potomac extended its wings along both banks of the Chickahominy, Mechanicsville fell into our possession. There was a struggle at Beaver Dam Creek and on the neighboring fields, the defenders finally retreating in disorder down the pike, and over the bridge, towards Richmond, three and a half miles distant. The skirmishers sacked the store and dwellings, the blacksmith's forge was immediately put in use by the cavalry and artillery, and the surgeons took possession of the houses for hospitals.
- The pickets of each army watched the bridge with jealous eyes till the Union lines were withdrawn, on the 26th of June, and the enemy retaking the village, forced an engagement at Beaver Dam Creek, where they were repulsed by Fitz John Porter's troops. The two-story house, with a fence, seen in the photograph, is on the turnpike to Richmond. In front of this house a barricade was thrown across the road, which was defended by two howitzers, planted to sweep the pike in case a dash should be made by the enemy for the recovery of the place.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1865-04
- maker
- Gardner, Alexander
- ID Number
- 1986.0711.0283.45
- accession number
- 1986.0711
- catalog number
- 1986.0711.0283.45
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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George Washington Masonic Memorial Medal
- Description (Brief)
- The Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut produced this medal during the early 20th century. The Scovill Company was established in 1802 as a button manufacturer and is still in business today. Scovill was an early industrial American innovator, adapting armory manufacturing processes to mass-produce a variety of consumer goods including buttons, daguerreotype mats, medals, coins, and tokens.
- Obverse: Image of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. The legend reads: GEORGE WASHINGTON MASONIC NATIONAL MEMORIAL/ ALEXANDRIA VIRGINIA.
- Reverse: Image of the Masonic symbol of the G inside a square and compass.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- early 20th century
- maker
- Scovill Manufacturing Company
- ID Number
- 1981.0296.1580
- accession number
- 1981.0296
- catalog number
- 1981.0296.1580
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Plate 80. Johnson's Mill, near Petersburg
- Description
- Text and photograph from Gardner's Photographic Sketchbook of the War, Vol. II. Negative by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, text and positive by Alexander Gardner.
- This property, recently, and for many years, better known as Furt's Mill, is situated just below Bolling's Dam, on the Appomattox River, near Campbell's Bridge. It is one of the several large establishments which the city of Petersburg boasts for the manufacture of flour. At the height of the grinding season, we are informed, it is capable of turning out about three hundred barrels daily.
- The dam constitutes the terminus of tide-water on this stream, and, with its surroundings, is the subject of one of "Shaw's Illustrations of American Scenery," published in New York, on a large scale, upwards of forty years ago.
- The Mill, we further learn, was originally built in seventeen hundred and seventy-three by Mr. Bolling.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1865-05
- maker
- Gardner, Alexander
- ID Number
- 1986.0711.0283.30
- accession number
- 1986.0711
- catalog number
- 1986.0711.0283.30
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Confederate county treasurer's check, Wythe County, Virginia, April 11, 1864
- Description
- This Confederate county court treasurer's check, likely printed in the field, allowed William Smyth's family to receive service benefits. Smyth served in Virginia's Forty-fifth Infantry Regiment.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1864-04-11
- printer
- Confederate States of America
- Wythe County, Virginia
- ID Number
- 2007.0203.02
- catalog number
- 2007.0203.02
- accession number
- 2007.0203
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Union General Order No. 192, December 24, 1862
- Description
- This Union General Order No. 192, with address Camp near Falmouth, Va., was probably printed on a portable press in the field. It was prepared for Asst. Adj. Gen. Lewis Richmond of the Union Army of the Potomac in December 1862 and issued by command of Major General Burnside to Major Wood of the 17th Infantry of the Army of the Potomac and Captain Welton of the 19th Infantry of the Army of the Potomac.
- The prospectus for the Cooley Press lists Major General Burnside as having purchased a Cooley press by July 1862. Both Union and Confederate general orders were printed using similar type fonts and formats.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1862-12-24
- printer
- Army of the Potomac
- author
- Richmond, Lewis
- ID Number
- 2007.0186.01
- accession number
- 2007.0186
- catalog number
- 2007.0186.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Special Order No. 314, Union Head Quarters for the Department of Virginia and North Carolina, Army of the James, October 28, 1864
- Description
- This Special Order of October 28, 1864, from the Headquarters of the Union Department of Virginia and North Carolina, Army of the James, was likely printed using a portable press. Its printed address, In the Field, Va. also indicates a length of time in that situation. Israel R. Sealy, signer and assistant adjutant general assigned to this unit, was responsible for the administration and, among other duties, the printing of his unit’s army records, amond other duties.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1864-10-28
- printer
- Army of the James
- author
- Sealy, Israel R.
- ID Number
- 2007.0186.02
- accession number
- 2007.0186
- catalog number
- 2007.0186.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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