Final Report: Phase I Cultural Resource Survey For West Point Project Lands in Troup and Heard Counties, Georgia and Chambers County, Alabama

Between December 14, 2015, and March 9, 2016, SEARCH completed Phase I cultural resource survey at 10 previously recorded historic properties on West Point Lake Project Lands in Heard and Troup Counties, Georgia, and Chambers County, Alabama. These resources include sites 9HE76, 9HE138, 9HE140, 9HE141, 9TP62, 9TP366, .9TP478 (Young's Mill), Pott's Cemetery, 1CH75 (McCosh's Mill), and 1CH143 (Wehadkee Creek site). This project was conducted under Contract W91278-15-D-0046, Task Order 0001 between the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mobile District, and SEARCH.

Site 9HE76 is a large Native American site located near the confluence of Brush Creek and the Chattahoochee River/West Point Lake in south-central Heard County, Georgia. The site covers 42,822 square meters (10.6 acres) and is situated on a low terrace within the river floodplain. Fieldwork conducted by SEARCH in December 2015 at site 9HE76 produced results consistent with findings reported by Cantley and Joseph in 1989. A large number of Native American artifacts are present within intact, subsurface, feature-bearing deposits. Site 9HE76 has viable research potential and can contribute new and important information to the prehistory of the region. As a result of the current investigation, SEARCH's research efforts support Joseph and Cantley's (1991) previous recommendation that site 9HE76 is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Furthermore, the site should be preserved through avoidance. If avoidance is not a viable option, then mitigation of impacts to the site is recommended.

Site 9HE138 is a Native American site northwest of the confluence of Zachry Creek and the Chattahoochee River/West Point Lake in south-central Heard County, Georgia. The site encompasses 6,263 square meters (1.6 acres) and is located on a slightly elevated terrace within the river floodplain. During the initial site identification, Joseph and Cantley (1991:229) recommended additional work to determine if site 9HE138 was eligible for listing in the NRHP based on the site's ability to address lithic economy and technology within a defined floodplain environment. Fieldwork results at site 9HE138 by SEARCH in December 2015 are consistent with findings reported by Cantley and Joseph in 1989. Soil profiles and artifact classes are similar to those encountered during the previous Phase I survey. There is no indication that site 9HE138 has been adversely impacted to a point that warrants a change to the site's NRHP status from unknown or unassessed to ineligible. In agreement with the previous assessment, SEARCH concurs that site 9HE138 has the potential to add new and important information to the prehistory of the region. Therefore, the site remains unassessed for its potential to be listed in the NRHP and should be monitored and protected until a significance assessment can be conducted.

Site 9HE140 is a Native American site located on the eastern side of and adjacent to the Chattahoochee River/West Point Lake in south-central Heard County, Georgia. At discovery, the site measured 50 meters long and 30 meters wide, covering approximately 1,500 square meters (0.4 acres) of a wide, low flat terrace within the river floodplain. In December 2015 and March 2016, SEARCH archaeologists encountered flooded lowlands that prevented archaeological testing at site 9HE140. The absence of rapidly flowing water through the area, however, suggests that scouring and sheet erosion exhibited at other sites adjacent to the Chattahoochee River or other fast flowing streams and creeks are unlikely at site 9HE140 and suggests minimal adverse environmental impacts to the resource. Until such time as the site is revisited, its NRHP status remains unassessed/unknown. Furthermore, the site 9HE140 should be monitored and protected until a significance assessment can be conducted.

Site 9HE141 is a Native American site located approximately 400 meters north of site 9HE140 on the eastern side of and adjacent to the Chattahoochee River/West Point Lake in southcentral Heard County, Georgia. The site measures 120 meters north-south by 135 meters eastwest, and covers 8,057 square meters (1.9 acres) on a wide, low flat terrace within the river floodplain. During the initial site identification, Joseph and Cantley (1991:230-231) recommended additional work to determine if site 9HE141 was eligible for listing in the NRHP based on the site's ability to address temporal and spatial variability of Late Mississippian cultural assemblages and refine Mississippian/Historic Native American chronology in north Georgia. Fieldwork results at site 9HE141 by SEARCH in March 2016 are consistent with findings by Cantley and Joseph in 1989. is the current research at the site provided no indication that site 9HE141 has been adversely impacted to a degree that warrants a change to the site's NRHP status from unknown or unassessed to ineligible. In agreement with the previous assessment, SEARCH concurs that site 9HE141 has the potential to add new and important information to the prehistory of the region. However, the site remains unassessed for listing in the NRHP and should be monitored and protected until a significance assessment can be conducted.

Site 9TP62 is a Native American site just north of Chattahoochee Park in north-central Troup County, Georgia. In March 2016, the exposed portion of the site measured approximately 210 meters north-south and 100 meters east-west, and encompassed 12,471 square meters (3.1 acres) situated on a low terrace within the river floodplain on the west side of the Chattahoochee River/West Point Lake. Cantley and Joseph (1991:223-225) conducted a Phase II significance evaluation of the site in 1989 and determined that that site 9TP62 was eligible for listing in the NRHP based on "significant data pertaining to both Woodland and Mississippi period adaptations in the Middle Chattahoochee River Valley." SEARCH's conclusions based on fieldwork conducted at site 9TP62 in March 2016 are consistent with findings by Cantley and Joseph in 1989. The available data indicates that the site possesses intact, subsurface, feature bearing deposits associated with Middle Woodland and Late Mississippi period contexts. As a result, SEARCH's current research efforts support Joseph and Cantley's (1991) previous recommendation that site 9TP62 is eligible for listing in the NRHP. Furthermore, efforts should be made to preserve the archaeological deposits at site 9TP62. Site 9TP366 is a Native American site just west of Carter Creek Recreation Area in north-central

Troup County, Georgia. The exposed portion of the site in March 2016 measured approximately 50 meters north-south and 230 meters east-west, and covered 12,501 square meters (3.1 acres) on a low terrace within the river floodplain on the south side of the Chattahoochee River/West Point Lake. Cantley and Joseph (1991:221-223) conducted a Phase II significance evaluation of the site in 1989 and recommended that the site was eligible for listing in the NRHP based on the site's ability to "provide information on assemblage composition and the geographical distribution of location Middle Woodland phases present in the project area." Fieldwork results at site 9TP366 by SEARCH in March 2016 are consistent with findings by Cantley and Joseph in 1989 that indicate the presence of Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippi period components at the site. As a result, SEARCH's fieldwork efforts support Joseph and Cantley's (1991) previous recommendation that site 9TP366 is eligible for listing in the NRHP. Furthermore, efforts should be made to preserve the archaeological deposits at site 9TP366. If avoidance is not a viable option, then the mitigation of impacts to the site is recommended.

Site 9TP478 is a historic mill site located in central Troup County, Georgia, that has been owned by Robert M. Young, Sr., and his direct descendants from the middle 1870s to the late 1940s. The site was built along Beech Creek and included a dam, a grist mill, a saw mill, two cabins, and a store/office building. Given the extensive amount of documentation and background research conducted by Brockington and Associates (1989) for site 9TP478, the fieldwork plan for the site revisit focused on examining the site's condition, including evidence of vandalism or deterioration that has occurred since the detailed documentation of the site conducted by Espenshade and Gardner in 1989. For the most part, site 9TP478 remains relatively unchanged since Espenshade and Gardner's 1989 documentation. The west cabin chimney, grist mill foundation and flume, saw mill foundation and flume, and dam remain in relatively good condition. However, the vandalism and deterioration of the store/office's west facade and the loss of the east cabin chimney and piers demonstrates that these features continue to be impacted by natural elements and human action. At this time, there is no indication that site 9TP478 has been adversely impacted to a degree that warrants a change to the site's NRHP status from eligible to ineligible. Site 9TP478 has continued research potential and can contribute new and important information to the history of the region. As a result, the site should be monitored and protected. If preservation is not a viable option, then the mitigation of impacts to the site is recommended.

The Pott's Cemetery is located approximately 300 meters east-southeast of Potts Road in the southern portion of Maple Creek Park in southwestern Troup County, Georgia. Brockington and Associates visited Pott's Cemetery in 2000 record and assess its archaeological integrity (Jordan et al. 2000). Site plan mapping showed extensive damage to the cemetery wall, most of which has large gaps likely caused by falling trees. Based on the absence of graves and the condition of the surrounding cemetery wall, Jordan et al. (2000:57-58) recommended that the site was ineligible for listing in the NRHP. In December 2015 and March 2016, SEARCH archaeologists visited Pott's Cemetery to examine the condition of the existing surrounding wall. The investigation revealed large breaches in the structural framework with some sections of the wall reduced to ground level. Of the approximately 100 linear meters of wall examined during the site visit, only a small percentage could be considered intact. Based on the widespread damage exhibited at the Pott's Cemetery, SEARCH concurs with Brockington and Associates' (Jordan et al. 2000:57-58} recommendation that Pott's Cemetery does not meet the criteria for listing in the NRHP.

Site 1CH75 is a historic mill site located in northeastern Chambers County and southeastern Randolph County, Alabama; the site has been owned by James E. McCosh and his direct descendants from the late 1870s to 1931. The site was built on the banks of Wehadkee Creek and included a 3 X story mill building and associated equipment, the miller's house, the dam, and the millrace. In 1985, the mill building was intentionally burned by vandals. The fire damaged the internal equipment and destroyed the floors and roof of the structure; however, the walls remained standing. Attempts were made to stabilize the walls, but these efforts were unsuccessful. The upper story walls were removed, leaving only the basement level remaining. With the exception of modern trash disposal and vandalism, the site has changed very little since the fire destroyed most of the mill house in 1985. Nearly all of the elements discussed by Floyd and Mertins {1976} and Jeane {1979} can be found at the site today and most of the structures appear to be relatively intact. There is no indication that the overall integrity of site 1CH75 has been adversely impacted to a point that warrants the mill to be removed from the NRHP. The site has continued research potential and can contribute new and important information to the history of the region. Efforts should be made to preserve the structural remains and archaeological deposits at site 1CH75. If avoidance is not a viable option, then the mitigation of impacts to the site is recommended.

Site 1CH143 is a large multicomponent Native American site located on the west side of Wehadkee Creek in northeastern Chambers County, Alabama. This site is located within the lower creek floodplain and cycles annually through periods of exposure during lake level reduction and inundation during lake level rise. The primary purpose of the current work is to delineate the limits of the site boundary. In consultation with USACE, Mobile District archaeologist Michael Federoff, it was agreed that this would be accomplished through surface survey and systematic subsurface testing in areas with exposed surface artifact scatters across the lower floodplain and judgmental shovel testing across the uplands to the north. Based on the data from surface survey and subsurface testing, intact portions of site 1CH143 are limited to the creek floodplain, floodplain/forest interface, and northern eroded shoreline. Areas within the floodplain to the northwest, west, and south of the four tree islands displayed a shallow layer of brown to yellowish-brown loamy sand over yellowish-red clay subsoil. These areas produced very few artifacts and appear to be eroded or deflated. Results of the current investigation will be integrated into the Phase II significance evaluation of the tree island area in an effort to examine contextual integrity across the entire site.