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Soapstone with sides sawed into a right angle.
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Archaeology, Cultural Objects

Soapstone Quarry Fragment with Initials

People
Maker/Creator: Unknown
Date
1903
Places
Burks Fork (Burks Fork District)
Material/Medium

Soapstone or Steatite

Specifications
  • Length: 16 inches
  • Width: 10 inches
  • Height: 6 inches
Description

Found at a recognized quarry site near Buffalo Mountain, this piece of soapstone has two flat faces perpendicular to each other. A wood saw was used to cut the stone. The remaining portion of the fragment was left natural. It may have been discarded after fracturing during the shaping process. Initials and dates scratched into the stone faces appear to be GMH  February 11, 1908; AEH and LALA Sept. 1903; and HLH  SEPT. 13, 1903.

Keywords
Soapstone, Steatite, Buffalo Mountain
Bio Sketch

George Matthew Hylton, Amon Fieldon Hylton, and Harry Lee Hylton were siblings who grew up near this quarry. Two sisters (but no Lala) and four other brothers rounded out the family of John William and Rosetta Weeks Hylton.