Has anyone heard anything about what sort of CRM plan Disney has if/when they start construction of their "history" park in Virginia? Jerel Crosland writes that these seem to be petty complaints by historians and "it would be different if they were digging over Indian burial mounds or something but it's just land." Well, I've done contract archaeology work in that part of Virginia, and there is potential for Indian sitesthere. (Despite long settlement and farming of the area, the firm I did temp work for found an amazingly well-preserved stone tool manufacturing site less than half a meter below the surface.) Any part of Virginia is pretty much "steeped in history." According to an article in the Washington Post (11/12/94 p.C1) there is an abandoned plantation complete with slave quarters on the Disney land. If Disney is planning to rip up the country side, how can we save the information about the past that is embodied in that site? I grew up in Virginia and have seen the sprawl of the Washington suburbs slowly eat away at the countryside, so my opposition to the Disney plan is both emotional as well as professional (assuming one can be both). I know that both the Virginia legislature and many other residents are looking at the boost to the economy that Disney would bring, but with that will come increased traffic and pollution and strain on the surrounding environment. I see both the destruction of a landscape I love, as well as the loss of important historic and archaeological information that would help us understand our past better. (I won't get on my soap box about history education here). Right now, I don't see how Disney will be stopped when the governor of Virginia is welcoming them with open arms (I didn't vote for the man), but if they have the commitment to history that they claim they do in building this "history" park,will they try to recover information as they destroy archaeological sites? (I'll leave the environmental argument to someone else.) Carolyn Brady PS. As a Virginia taxpayer I don't want to foot the bill for the expanded highway system that will have to be constructed so that all the tourists can reach Disney. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [log in to unmask] | MA Program in Public History | Life is something that happens to you Indiana University- | while you're making other plans. Purdue University at ü Indianapolis | --Margaret Millar _____________________________ ü_________________________________________