Archaeological excavation open house set at Miller Grove

Archaeology enthusiasts will have an opportunity to visit an active dig in process with the Southern Illinois University Archeology Field School and Shawnee Natural Forest.

On Sunday, June 15, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., the Miller Grove site northeast of Vienna will be open to the public to come and experience history being uncovered.

Miller Grove is the site of a pre-Civil War African American settlement near Glendale. From its establishment in the 1840s through the early 20th Century, Miller Grove became a home for emancipated families from Tennessee.

The subject of Sunday’s excavation efforts will be the home of Jim and Fannie Miller McClure, who were residents of Miller Grove during the Great Depression.

Past archaeological research at Miller Grove has included the house and outbuildings of Bedford and Abby Miller, as well as the community’s church, school and cemetery.