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In an effort to continue preserving the history of the Great Dismal Swamp, Perri Meldon is writing her PhD dissertation at Boston University about the environmental and cultural history of the Swamp.

Meldon has narrowed her research to post-Civil War through the 1970s, when the Swamp became a national wildlife refuge. On Jan. 25, she published six years worth of research in an accessible essay for Encyclopedia Virginia, complete with a timeline and virtual tours.  

Last Thursday, Meldon traveled to Chesapeake to give a presentation on her research findings. She focused on how and why the Great Dismal Swamp survives today when so many other swamps were drained in the 20th century. 

“As I learned more about the swamp and really became amazed by the history of Maroon communities and enslaved resistance, it got me wondering … what about after the Civil War,” Meldon said. “We still have this massive swamp. What became of it and what eventually led to it becoming a wildlife refuge?”

In her essay, Meldon writes about the Swamp’s geological history, the 17th century, attempts to “tame” the swamp, effects from the Civil War, recreation, conservation, hunting, and the wildlife refuge it is today.

Another key part of Meldon’s research is her digital mapping efforts. 

Adam Courville, the director of grants and fellowships at Virginia Humanities, worked with Meldon during her year-long fellowship with them. He pointed out her interest in integrating history and digital mapping.

“Anyone can be interested in it and then actually come and visit it, you know, digitally, online, virtually, just, you know, from anywhere,” Courville said.

Meldon credits the quality of her research to those who have orally shared their stories about the swamp with her. 

“People have been really generous in sharing their stories of growing up in or near the Swamp, hearing legends about the Swamp, and some of them also working there, either as advocates for its eventual protection as a wildlife refuge or serving as biologists, bear trappers, and fire monitors,” she said.

One good thing about focusing on a post-Civil War time period, Meldon added, is having time on her side. Purposeful records are starting to be kept, so she isn’t relying on hand-written letters.

While completing her research, Meldon said an unexpected favorite topic of hers has become hunting in the Swamp. She said, “there’s a really fascinating cultural conversation around race and class that happens around hunting.”

In her essay, Meldon writes about advertisements depicting the Great Dismal Swamp as an “exotic wilderness rife with game.” People living in the Swamp working for logging companies were granted permission to hunt and build hunting cabins. Meldon spoke with Nansemond chief emeritus Sam Bass about written accounts of their Tribe’s bear-hunting and wolf-trapping.

Meldon said that overall, her work has been eagerly received by the local community, and people are happy to contribute their personal experiences. She said people “treasure” their local histories, and she wants them to know they don’t have to be historians to be experts in their history.

“It’s my hope that the research I conduct will just support whatever local history initiatives follow,” Meldon said.

Courville added that it’s so important to preserve the history of the Great Dismal Swamp because of how many people have been impacted by it and will continue to be impacted by it.

“By integrating the history and doing the scholarly research and then making it accessible to a broader audience, by showcasing the ongoing dedication of scholars like Perri and others doing work like hers in these communities, projects like this encourage a deeper appreciation for the Swamp … [and] reinforce the importance of preserving these fragile lands for future generations,” he said.