Dutton's Dirty Diggers

About this book

"The book traces the beginnings, development, and demise of a unique program of mobile camps for Senior Girl Scouts in the American Southwest between the years 1947 and 1957. In addition to a history of the program, it features trip itineraries and selected memories from the nearly 300 girls who went through the program of two week caravan camps, each covering roughly 1200 miles of the northern Southwest. Girl Scouts visited National Parks and Monuments,and many other points of scientific and scenic interest,and often they returned for several seasons to see and learn yet more. The camps were led by Dr. Bertha Dutton, curator at the Museum of New Mexico and Associate in Archaeology at the School of American Research (now the School for Advanced Research), Santa Fe. They were jointly sponsored by Girl Scouts of the United States of America and the Museum and the School. Dutton was well versed in the Indigenous, Hispanic, and American heritages in the Southwest, as well as in the region's scenic and natural wonders. While on the road, Dutton and other experts in the fields of anthropology, archaeology, geology, natural history, history, and more, helped the campers appreciate what they were seeing and learning. At the request of the campers,and to further their experiences, Dutton also held two week excavation camps for six seasons at an archaeological site (Pueblo Largo) in the Galisteo Basin south of Santa Fe"--