In today’s fast-paced world, it can be easy to forget that we walk right in the footsteps of history.
Mrs. Harney’s MVCC Dual Credit New York State and United States History Courses at Camden High School had the opportunity to do exactly that on Thursday, May 11th. The students participated in a local history research field experience in the Florence Hill New York State Forest Preserve, and learned that there is a lot more to that land than meets the eye.
Around 1845, a community known as the Florence Farming Settlement was established on that site. It was intended to create a community where free Black people could own land, establish their own farms, and create economic and social opportunities for themselves in a time period where reaching these aspirations was especially challenging.
Local abolitionist and philanthropist Gerrit Smith gifted the land to several settlers, and through the assistance of Stephen Myers, approximately 80 to 90 families called Florence home by 1849. The community flourished until growing pre-war tensions compromised the safety of the residents, the Florence Farming Association ceased to exist, and the community disbanded in approximately 1860.
Over the last nine years, Camden High School students have assisted in research about the settlement. The classes have the opportunity to walk that very same site and get more detail about the experiences of the people who lived there.
This year’s students learned about public lands, state forests, public history, NYS archeology, historic preservation through a comprehensive field experience that contributed six hours of public history research. These hours also counted as community service hours.
Throughout the day, students worked alongside experienced and knowledgeable professionals from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Museum, Hartgen Archeological Associates, and the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence Museum.
Along with professional people, the classes worked with professional-grade archaeological technology including Global Navigation Satellite Systems, GPS, and metal detection. Professional archeologists from the NYS Museum modeled additional data collection techniques such as the Magnetic Susceptibility Meter. Students learned about the laws around NYS Forest Preserves and state lands from Region 6 DEC Forester Jessica Mosher from the DEC’s Herkimer office. Mosher assisted the team with permits for research for educational purposes.
While the settlement is long gone, there were plenty of signs of life to be found.
"Artifacts found help shape our idea about who lived there and what each building could have been,” junior Lilyan Baker said. “The day we went, we found an old stove door. This led us to hypothesize that the building was a sugar shack for maple syrup making."
Harney emphasized that the benefits students receive from this opportunity go well beyond earning a grade, community service hours, or college credit. The lessons and experiences have evolved over time, and students get a chance to make a positive and profound impact while working with dedicated experts.
"While we have been working on this project for nearly 9 years, each year we find something new,” Harney said. “Each year, students get to be part of a larger project and are having a real impact in collecting historical evidence and contributing to our larger understanding of the Florence Farming settlement of free Black people from 1846-1860. As their teacher, I am so grateful for all of the professionals from the partner agencies that give of their time for my students to be exposed to different career fields that include history, archeology, forestry, and historic preservation while also celebrating our local history."
Baker expressed that the experience was a true eye-opener towards understanding the storied past that we live in the echoes of in the present. "This felt much closer to home,” Baker said. “It made me feel proud to live near such an important historical site. I never thought much about the Florence Settlement before, but now it's like I know a little secret that only a few people know." The class wishes to thank the Florence Town Board and Town Supervisor Scott Outrim for their hospitality during their lunch break at the Florence Town Hall.
In Their Words
"Being able to actually participate in finding history in a place that is so close to home was pretty cool."
Layla Killino, MVCC Dual Credit US History Class
"This was an amazing experience, I am so glad to be a part of this research and to help preserve our local history."
Devyn Dewan, MVCC Dual Credit NYS History Class
