Resurrecting Old Pattonia: Uncovering The Lifeways Of A 19th Century Shipping Port Community

Abstract

An East Texas steamboat landing community, known as Pattonia, operated from 1843 to the late 19th century. Here I attempt to identify what socioeconomic stratification and consumerism on the landscape meant for the daily lives of Pattonia's past occupants. In order to address this question, I interpret the architectural features that once stood at Pattonia and their spatial organization. Additionally, I conduct a ceramic analysis of two household assemblages with unknown occupants in order to determine their relative socioeconomic status and reconstruct the social landscape of Pattonia. These methods enable a greater understanding of the unique historical and social significance of Pattonia. The Pattonia landscape was a place of struggle and perseverance, and was ultimately abandoned as it failed to endure beyond its entrepreneurial foundations.