From UAFS to Preserver of History: Anna Vincent

Written By: Ian Silvester

“My goal was to work for something related to Oklahoma history, ideally for the Oklahoma Historical Society. So, to not just work for them but also here in my hometown where I grew up, what are the odds?”
 
Anna Vincent, a history graduate ('17) of the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, finds herself twenty miles from the UAFS campus, where history and culture are buried in time. The Spiro Mounds in Fort Coffee, Oklahoma, contain artifacts from the Caddo Mississippian people who called the mounds home more than 1,200 years ago.
 
Vincent began overseeing the preservation of the geological and physical remnants of the area on March 1, 2023, as the historical facility manager at the mounds, which she said was a dream come true.
 
Working in her hometown to honor the history of those who were among the first settlers on the land “was just pure dumb luck.”
 
“I was visiting my mom in Fort Smith and lying on the couch one Sunday morning,” Vincent recalled. “I decided to check the Oklahoma jobs board, see what’s going on, I do it periodically, and I just happened to see it, and I was like, ‘you got to be kidding me?’ and I applied to it.”
 
Vincent is excited to reinvigorate interest in preserving history and her community as she takes over the site. She is working on improving the guided tour program, developing new programs, and planning special events throughout the year.
 
But before Vincent can bring these things to the mounds, looking back at how she arrived gives a glimpse into how much she believes in keeping history and culture alive.
 
After graduating from Spiro High School in 2003, Vincent said continuing her education wasn’t in the cards. She worked in the service industry for the next six years, but a trip to the Wichita Mountains in 2009 sparked her interest in returning to school. Soon she was enrolled at UAFS as a student in the history program, minoring in anthropology, and even joined the UAFS History Club.
 
Through her studies in anthropology at UAFS, Vincent got a first-hand account of what it means to preserve history. She was hired to work for the Arkansas Archaeological Survey (AAS) thanks to the help of Professor Tim Mulvihill of the AAS’s research station at UAFS.
 
“Most of my work was done in the lab on campus, cleaning and cataloging artifacts from various digs conducted through the Survey’s UAFS station. I also assisted with excavations the station was carrying out at the Wilhauf House (in Van Buren), where we uncovered a huge cellar and found various artifacts, including dominoes and a really cool 19th-century pharmacy bottle,” she said.
 
After UAFS and working for the AAS from 2015 to 2017, Vincent rounded out her education and skills by earning a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. She said her desire to serve the community and be a steward of the land is what motivated her to put her education and passion to work in a practical way.
 
“To me, it’s the golden virtue of being a historian, or anyone working in public history or historic preservation,” Vincent said. “You are responsible for making sure that this place is just as accessible to future generations as it is to you so that they can appreciate it like you did.”
 
The mounds became part of the National Registry of Historic Places on September 30, 1969, but some 30 years before, it was almost wiped out.
 
Treasure hunters came through the area, running a track right through the middle of Brown Mountain and pillaging the Craig Mound – the site’s burial mound – finding one of the world’s largest collections of artifacts. With trade linked from Mexico to the Great Lakes, the Caddo Mississippian people who called the mounds home left behind a history that was scattered around the globe.
 
Today, visitors can see replica artifacts and learn about the Caddo Mississippians. With Vincent in charge, lessons will be fueled by a love for her community and the history she grew up learning about in her backyard.
 
“Even though you may not have known that this place existed, it did exist, and incredible things happened here,” she said. “Incredible things were found here, and more people should be aware of it.”

• Tags:
• College of Arts and Sciences
• Anthropology
• Arkansas Archaeological Survey
• History
• History degree