A Phase I Cultural-Resource Survey for the Proposed Booker Range Renovation Project, Fort Benning, Chattahoochee County, Georgia

TerraXplorations, Inc. (TerraX) of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, through Stella of Franklin, Georgia, was contracted by the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, Fort Benning, Georgia (Contract No. W911SF-12-D-0013;

Delivery Order 5), to conduct a Phase I cultural-resource survey for the proposed Booker Range renovation

project on Fort Benning Military Reservation in Chattahoochee County, Georgia. The Phase I survey

was performed on April 8, 2013 by Kenny Pearce and Warren Carruth, under the supervision of Principal

Investigator, Paul D. Jackson. All work was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National

Historic Preservation Act of 1966, with regulations implementing this legislation (36 CFR Part 800: Protection of Historic Properties), the Secretary of Interior’s Guidelines for Evaluating and Documentation, and with standards set by the Georgia Historic Preservation Division. The purpose of this study was to determine if

any prehistoric or historic properties exist within the limits of the project area, and if so to document and

assess each based on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) criteria.

The project area is located near the city of Columbus, on Fort Benning, in Chattahoochee County, Georgia.

It is comprised of an approximate 16 acre parcel encompassing Booker Range and a portion of the A20 DUD

impact area. The subject property can be found on the 1955 (revised 1993) Fort Benning, Georgia-Alabama,

USGS 7.5’ series topographic quadrangle (Figure 1). Booker Range lies on the north end of the survey tract

adjacent to the A20 DUD impact area. The northern end has been cleared of timber and is covered by patchy

grass. The remainder of the survey tract lies within pine forest interspersed with hardwoods. The topography

consists of level to steeply sloping ridges bisected by an intermittent drainage that extends through the central

portion of the property. Elevations range from 370 to 410 feet (ft.) (113 to 125 meters [m]) above mean

sea level (AMSL). The northern portion of the area has been heavily disturbed by previous construction of

Booker Range (Figure 2), as evidenced by eroded surfaces, large berms, and underground bunkers observed

here. A few structures are also present on Booker Range, which are utilized for military training exercises.

According to aerial photographs, these structures were built in the recent past sometime between 1999 and

2005. Photographs depicting the present state of the land within the project area are provided (Figures 3-8).