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Patrick Martin came to Michigan Tech in the Fall of 1977, expecting
to stay only one year. Various events combined to alter that expectation.
He taught a variety of courses in archaeology and anthropology,
while also conductingt contract research projects for sponsors
such as the National Park Service, US Forest Service, US Navy,
Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan Historical Center,
and several local government agencies. During the early years
of his tenure, these research projects were primarily portions
of environmental assessments connected with Federally-sponsored
undertakings, such as road construction, timber harvest, and land
exchanges. They turned increasingly to investigations of historic
sites under development and/or reconstruction. For example, survey
work at the Norwich Mine in Ontonagon County preceded the development
of the North Country Hiking Trail through the site; excavation
of a worker's cabin at Fayette set the stage for eventual reconstruction;
excavation of the Guardhouse and Blacksmith Shop at Fort Wilkins
led to accurate reconstruction of both buildings. Other selected
projects include broad area survey on Isle Royale, survey and
testing at the Bay Furnace site near Munising, and additional
excavations at Fayette and Fort Wilkins. Recent work has focused
on Cultural Landscape studies at two mining sites in the Wrangell
St. Elias National Park in Alaska, and a geophysical survey and
excavation at Estate Whim, a sugar plantation on St. Croix, US
Virgin Islands. Together with colleagues David Landon and Tim
Scarlett, Martin has directed student crews at the Carp River
Forge, a bloomery in Upper Michigan, and a field school and research
project at the West Point Foundry in Cold Spring, New York.
In the early 1990s, Martin was instrumental in establishing the
Industrial Archaeology Master's program within the Department
of Social Sciences and serves as the Director of Graduate Studies.
More than 30 graduates have gone on to rewarding careers in the
field, or to Ph.D. programs in Anthropology. Beginning in
1995, Martin assumed the Editorship of IA, the Journal of the
Society for Industrial Archeology, and has since been named
the Executive Secretary of that organization. In this latter role,
he oversees the operation of the SIA Headquarters at MTU, ably
aided by Donald Durfee.