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Along with research to assist in the actual
restoration of the Lakeport Plantation, Arkansas State University and
the Research Team have conducted ongoing projects to understand the
people who lived and worked at Lakeport and their contributions to
shaping the culture of the region. Major research is being conducted in
the following areas:
Archeological surveys have
been completed prior to proceeding with each phase of
restoration work at Lakeport. Remote sensing has
been done in areas surrounding the main house (where many of the
outbuildings were located), as well as in one of the
African-American cemeteries on site. Additionally,
dendrochronology testing was done to determine the age of the
main house and an adjacent log structure. We will be posting
some of the materials from these reports.
Genealogy-related
research is being conducted to assist in understanding the
Johnson family and the lifestyles at the Lakeport
Plantation. Though no diaries or memoirs have been located
for the immediate family at Lakeport, such documents have
located for relatives and associates. Deed and Probate
records, census records, marriage and death records,
cemetery records, family Bibles, family genealogy books, and
other family documents also have been examined and copied.
- African American Heritage
Research is
underway for the families of former enslaved people of
Lakeport. In addition to the sources utilized in other
genealogical research, this team is looking at documents
on slave transactions, newspaper articles on run-aways,
family interviews, slave narratives, and other related
sources. Reports have been prepared by ASU graduate
students on slave cemeteries, burial customs, and the
process of clothing the enslaved workers of Lakeport.
Oral history
interviews with individuals associated with the
Lakeport Plantation (including family members,
plantation workers, and descendants of slaves and
sharecroppers) are being conducted. To date,
more than 75 individuals have been interviewed.
Excerpts of interest will be posted as they become
available.
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This
page is maintained by Ruth Hawkins