The Lincoln Returns, Twenty more carts are staged, the Land is Filled

The Lincoln has been repaired and once again needles its way through the Saline carrying precarious loads.  Twenty more carts have been staged at a site near the recently capped landfill, and three at High Cross Rd. Bridge.  We have cleared carts from the Cunningham Ave. Bridge and Saline to Interstate 74.  Two miles Fifty carts.   

  

Almost Home

A Dig Reveals Artifacts, Industrial Ceramic Production 

The banks of the Saline have historically been used as land-fills and to a large degree still are.  We thought we might excavate after finding an area with many bits of strange ceramic pieces exposed by erosion.  The dig revealed a cache of objects relating to the industrial production of ceramics: Kiln stands, plaster molds, clay residues, mold positives like a keystone, and many hand sized steel discs and plates each treated with a different porcelain finish.  Perhaps the most striking forms were those vessels looking something like jet engines.  We found many broken examples but managed to find one complete although in three pieces.  It is not clear what these vessels were used for but they certainly had a specialized function.  One in particular was found with a copper tube nestled inside.  Evan speculates that it could have been some type of electrical component.  I believe we may have discovered the remnants of a long gone Urbana Industry; it will be interesting to see if we can locate a possible source for these objects.  My best guess for time period is 1960-70, based on the style of Pepsi Bottle found in the same layer but I am not certain.  

   

Still life at the Saline

Conditions: Cool and overcast becoming clear in early evening,  Water very low, clear, moderate insect perturbance

Observed Fauna:  Heron, Three Owls ( these are the same three barred owls we see each time we near the old landfill,  today one had a squirrel in its clutches) , Grackle ( This is a common bird of course but this one in particular perched in the Bush Honeysuckle above my head and whined a mammalian sounding call), Geese and three adolescents