School Back in Session: Life at School and Hannah Ford's Legacy

There was more to be revealed about people’s lives under the Thurgood Marshall School playground before and after the emergency yellow fever hospital. Archaeologists know this from written records, like the census who introduces Hannah Ford as the school's caretaker. But who was Hannah Ford? What was she like? We will never know her entire story, but archaeology can provide glimpses of Hannah Ford’s life. Archaeologists can extract information from this, and other artifacts, from this site that was Hannah Ford’s home and workplace for decades.

1908 photo of Beauregard School with Hannah Ford and family standing in front. Parish School Board Collection (MSS 147), Louisiana and Special Collections, Earl K. Long Library, University of New Orleans.

Hannah Ford lived on site as the school’s caretaker. She worked there until 1908, almost 10 years after it had served as an emergency yellow fever hospital, and right before it was destroyed to makeway for the construction of the building that became the Thurgood Marshall School. From written records, archaeologists knew that Hannah Ford was a widow. Her husband was reportedly hanged, leaving her with five small children. The event must have appeared to be a tragedy, Hannah’s neighbors raised 25 thousand dollars for her support – at the time, a small fortune. Hannah Ford then found a job with the school system, taking care of the school that opened in the early 1890s. She moved into the modest shotgun home on the school property on the 4600 block of Canal Street. Excavations at the nearby modest shotgun-style home where Hannah Ford’s lived as the school caretaker, provide a window into her household.

The excavation of Hannah Ford's privy. Courtesy of Goodwin and Associates.

Of more interest are the household items. Clearly, Hannah Ford’s privy was kept very clean in its the decades of use. There were very few items in the privy are things that people normally discard, like empty medicine bottles or broken dishes. Instead, whole items were discarded, and all dated from the 1910s. This photo shows the inside of Hannah Ford’s privy, as it was excavated.

Porcelain figure of youth in a hat, coat and scarf. Courtesy of Goodwin and Associates.
Porcelain teacup with scalloped rim, molded decoration and angular handle. Courtesy of Goodwin and Associates.
Views of a highly decorated Imari/Arita porcelain vase. Courtesy of Goodwin and Associates.
Pieces of a clear cake stand of glass decorated in pressed patterns of diamonds, fluting, circles, cross-hatching and fan patterns. Courtesy of Goodwin and Associates.

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The porcelain figurine, the teacup, the colorful vase, and this cake plate were probably thrown into the privy during Hannah Ford’s move in 1913. They were generally whole items, perhaps slightly damaged or no longer useful to the family as they moved. These artifacts suggest that Hannah Ford enjoyed keeping a beautiful home, baking and serving cakes, or perhaps a cup of tea after a long day taking care of a school full of children.

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