Testing and Evaluation of Three Sites Along U.S. Highway 19 Widening, Taylor and Upson Counties, Georgia

Archeological field investigations, archival research and informant interview was used to assess the significance of three archeological sites that were discovered during a previous survey of a proposed highway widening corridor in Taylor and Upson Counties. Two sites, 9TR41 and 9TR54, are distinct portions of an historic Creek town (possibly Salenojuh) and the third site, 9TR65, is McCants Mill, a nineteenth to mid‑twentieth century mill site that at various times housed a grist and flour mill, a saw mill and a cotton gin, along with an associated millers house, turbine, seed house, and sheds. It is our recommendation that 9TR41 and 9TR54 are eligible to the National Register of Historic Places, as they contain features and artifact distributions that would provide important information on the little studied historic Creek Indian period of central Georgia. The sites are situated on both sides of existing U.S. Highway 19/80, and both sides were archeologically examined to determine which would be preferred for highway widening in terms of minimizing impacts to archeological resources. The proposed widening× corridor on the west side of the existing highway has been severely disturbed by plowing, grading and erosion and holds little research potential. Most of the remnant information, such as the artifact assemblage, has been gathered by the survey and testing of the sites. The proposed widening corridor east of the highway has been plowed but not severely eroded or graded. It has a moderately high potential to yield important information. It is our recommendation that the widening be directed to the west of the existing highway. However, there is the possibility that this area of the site contains the lowest portions of Creek burials. For that reason, we recommend that a 30 by 60 m area of each site be mechanically stripped and selectively shovel shaved well in advance of project construction in order to detect any graves that might be present. Current law and DOT procedures for dealing with aboriginal burials should be followed in the process of locating and dealing with such burials.

We recommend that McCants Mill is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, at the State level of significance, under criteria a, b, c and d. It is representative of the important formative years of commercial/industrial development in the Georgia frontier, is associated with the regionally prominent McCants family, possesses a double pen millers house that is representative of the type, and is likely to yield additional information on the dating and construction details of the grist mill. Although highway construction plans are not yet finalized, the site could be largely destroyed by the proposed widening project. If the site cannot be avoided and preserved, we recommend that a data recovery program be conducted at the site. This data recovery would involve more archival and informant research and the exposing (by draining the mill basin) and detailed recordation (measured drawings and photographs) of the grist mill and saw mill remains.