Archaeological Survey of Owen Cochran Mills Trail Improvements, Fulton County, Georgia

On behalf of the City of Chattahoochee Hills, New South Associates conducted an

archaeological resource literature review and archaeological reconnaissance survey in Owen

Cochran Mills Park, Fulton County, Georgia. This work was pursuant to a requirement for an

archaeological survey as a condition of Grant Application HP-160524-002, and was performed

in advance of improvements to an existing trail and construction of a new trail, referred in this

report as the survey areas. The review and reconnaissance survey were conducted to identify

archaeological resources in and near the survey areas and to assess the impacts the project may

have on those resources.

The study area is located within the Chattahoochee Hills city limits on Parcel Number 07

210000101659 within the 65th Tax District of Fulton County and includes two locations near

Cochran Mill Road (Figure 1). Three of the survey areas are roughly 0.4 miles (0.6 km)

northwest of the intersection of Cochran Mill Road and South Fulton Parkway (Figure 2). These

include a pull-off at the head of Cochran Mill Loop Trail on the east side of Cochran Mill Road,

which would be converted for use as a handicapped parking area (Survey Area 1); the existing

trail extending from Survey Area 1 to the bridge at Little Bear Creek (Survey Area 2); and a

lawn on the northeastern side of the Little Bear Creek bridge that would be used as a viewing

area for the Owen Cochran Mill ruin and falls (Survey Area 3). Survey Area 4, is roughly 0.7

miles (1.2 km) northwest of the same intersection. It begins at Cochran Mill Road and would

consist of a new trail between the road and the existing bridge over Big Bear Creek (Figure 3).

Review of the Georgia Natural Archaeological and Historic Resources Geographic Information

System (GNAHRGIS) revealed that one archaeological survey has been conducted within 0.62

miles (1.0 km) of the survey areas. L.W. Meier surveyed Cochran Mill Park in 1982. Meier’s

work encompassed the present survey areas and identified five sites (Meier 1982) (Figure 3).

Meier’s report could not be located and the document in GNAHRGIS was a supplement to it.