Archaeological Field Reconnaissance and Intensive Assessment at State Recreation Areas 1979

The archaeological field reconnaissance and intensive assessment at State Recreation Areas were initiated with a request from Boyd E. Phelps, Inc. to Ball State University under the direction of Ronald Hicks. The request entailed an initial archaeological records search for four Department of Natural Resources construction projects (E15-702C, E15-702G, E15-702H, and E15-702J) near the Mississinewa and Huntington Reservoirs in Wabash and Huntington Counties, Indiana. Projects E15-702C, E15-702G, and E15-702J were recommended for an archaeological field reconnaissance since they were found to occupy topographic locations that could have been selected for prehistoric occupation, and additionally could affect substantial amounts of land. It was also recommended that an intensive literature search be conducted to locate any historic sites. Project E15-702H was not recommended for further assessment because the surrounding land appeared to be too disturbed to qualify for the National Register (Cochran 1979a).

Ball State University conducted an archaeological field reconnaissance for six projects on the Mississinewa, Salamonie, and Huntington Reservoirs in Miami, Wabash and Huntington Counties, Indiana. The objective was to identify archaeological sites through a surface survey of each project area. The six projects included E-15-702-B (Francis Slocum State Recreation Area), E-15 702C (Hogback Ridge), E-15-702D (Miami), E-15-702F (Dora-New Holland), E 15-702G (Little Turtle), and E-15-702J (Kilsoquah). Prehistoric occupation was found in four of these projects areas, but it was the recommendation that project area E-15-702C be subjected to further archaeological investigation (Cochran 1979b).

An intensive assessment of two proposed routes for DNR Project E15-702C at Hogback Ridge State Recreation Area located three prehistoric sites, 12WB24, 12WB25, and 12WB26, and a chert outcrop. A series of test pits plus additional shovel probes and reconnaissance on site 12WB24 indicated that the primary concentration of cultural materials had been in a field where it was heavily disturbed, rather than the adjacent woods, and that the wooded portion of the site contained only scattered remains that did not appear to meet the National Register criteria of significance. However, it was also noted that there were additional possibly significant sites associated with a nearby chert outcrop and that these may be subject to secondary impact as a result of the proposed construction. The recommendation of the archaeological reconnaissance was that this project would have a harmful secondary effect on potentially significant archaeological resources in the vicinity and that the project should be moved or a complete study should be implemented prior to construction (Cochran 1979c).

The digital materials in this project were processed by the Veterans Curation Program (VCP), and include field catalogs, finding aid, oversized material database, site survey records, and three final reports with figure drafts. Additional digital materials held by the VCP include blueprint sketches, construction maps, correspondence, handwritten notes, oversized aerial maps, project time logs, and quad maps. For additional information on these materials, refer to the Finding Aid.