The original 2001–02 Timbertown fieldwork in Castor, Louisiana, documented the people, work, places, and traditions of the region’s timber communities. Twenty-five years later, its interviews, photographs, field notes, and thesis provide a foundation for returning to the questions—and the families—behind the historical record.

Returning to the field

Preparations for renewed fieldwork include reconnecting with original narrators and their families, developing new leads, rephotographing places, and comparing what the 2001–02 record says with what residents remember and observe today. The planned Christmas 2026 visit to Castor is an opportunity to develop that work, not evidence that new interviews have already taken place.

A second layer of the record

New fieldwork will be identified by its own dates and sources. When a later account contradicts an earlier one, both belong in the research record with their contexts intact. Community contributions—stories, photographs, corrections, leads—will be reviewed with attention to attribution and consent.

Explore the Timbertown collection or share a research lead.