A cultural resources survey of the proposed East Watkinsville-Mars Hill 115 kV transmission line was conducted during the winter of 1986-87. Approximately 11 km (7.1 mi) of right-of-way was surveyed. Twenty-one archeological sites and three occurrences were discovered. The sites represented prehistoric and Protohistoric Indian and 19th - 20th century historic occupation. Two of the sites are considered to be potentially eligible to the National Register of Historic Places at a local level of significance. One of these is the low visibility remnants of a small nineteenth century mill, which may have served an antebellum plantation. This survey has gathered extensive information concerning the mill and further work will not yield any important new information. The other site, located just up-slope from the mill remnants, is a Protohistoric period Indian site probably dating to the early 1600s. The construction of the power line could adversely impact the Indian site if special precautions are not followed. The site must be spanned, i.e., power poles must be placed outside the site boundaries. To avoid other construction related impacts, the clearing crew must remove vegetation by hand.
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