Photo By Bernardo Fuller | Members of the Fort Drum Fire Department, in coordination with the Environmental Division, help to flush debris from the remains of a rustic milk refrigeration system. The Fort Drum Cultural Resources team discovered the foundation of the old milk cooling barn that diverted water from a creek into channels embedded in the floor, lowering the temperature within the structure. Many artifacts from a bygone era were also found at the site. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Bernardo Fuller) see less
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During an archaeological investigation for a stream management project on Fort Drum, the cultural resources team discovered a five-foundation complex adjacent to a tributary of Black Creek. One was a substantial barn foundation with an interesting series of troughs laid into its concrete floor. According to a former supervisor in the Town of Philadelphia, New York, the area matched the historic location of a facility where local farmers brought their milk to keep it cool until it could be delivered to customers for consumption and/or processing. In studying the facility's design, the archaeologists wanted to know if perhaps the nearby stream had been diverted to provide a reliable flow of cool water through the basement of the facility that could moderate the temperature for the milk being stored there.
One possible solution was to call the Fort Drum Fire and Emergency Services. Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Spellman and Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention Steven LaRue made a site visit with the archaeology team to discuss a plan for flooding the structure in order to study the possibilities. LaRue and Captain Jeff Hambsch joined the archaeology field team along with 3,000 gallons of water and a pressure hose system, and the excitement began. The archaeology crew witnessed water flowing through one section of the structure and learned that other sections were designed for containment. The fire crew then assisted with additional soil removal that revealed artifacts and architectural features relating to a large doorway system. Along with new discoveries come new questions, so there is still much to be learned about the Plank Road Milk Site.
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