Article Title

A Cultural Resources Survey Of The Proposed Town Creek/Haeckerville Road Levee Project, Cibolo, Guadalupe County, Texas

Authors

Kristi Miller Nichols
Mark P. Luzmoor

Agency

Texas Historical Commission

Abstract

In December 2014, Vickery and Associates (Client) contracted with Raba Kistner Environmental, Inc. (RKEI) to perform an intensive cultural resources survey of approximately 111-acres for the proposed Town Creek/Haeckerville Road Levee Project in Cibolo, Guadalupe County, Texas. The City of Cibolo is proposing improvements to the floodplain of Town Creek in Guadalupe County, Texas. The project consists of approximately 1.5 miles of drainage improvements, channel modifications, and minor levee or earth embankment construction along Town Creek. The project also will involve the reconstruction of Haeckerville Road and modifications to Schaeffer Road from S. Main to Haeckerville Road. The project easement is owned by a mix of City and private landowners. The archaeological crews investigated all but one private property for which no Right-of-Entry was secured prior to the field work.

The purpose of this survey was to determine whether historic or prehistoric cultural resources are located within the Area of Potential Effect (APE), and if so, assess the significance and eligibility for designation as State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs) and for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The project was carried out between January 5 and 8, 2015 under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 7123. Dr. Steve A. Tomka served as Principal Investigator. Kristi Miller Nichols served as the Project Archaeologist and Mark Luzmoor, Chris Murray and Cyndi Dickey served as field technicians.

A total of 34 shovel tests (STs) and three backhoe trenches were excavated within the APE. Surface visibility was around 90% throughout the APE. No buried or surface-exposed prehistoric materials were encountered during the survey. A historic homestead, 41GU169, was documented near the southern terminus of the project area. Two shovel tests excavated within the boundaries of the site were positive for historic materials. The historic site is a farmstead that likely was constructed circa 1920s. It is recommended that the site is potentially eligible for listing on the NRHP and for formal designation as a State Antiquities Landmark. Proposed project plans call for the acquisition of an access-easement thorough the site. This easement may impact one dilapidated outbuilding found on the site. No other negative impacts are expected. A second historic farmstead may be present on the property that could not be accessed during the survey. No detailed information exists on the condition of this site and therefore its eligibility cannot be assessed. With regards to the remainder of the project area, RKEI recommends that since construction activities will extend to a depth of 20 feet below surface, construction monitoring be carried out to document any cultural materials that may be buried below the reach of the current project activities (i.e. 1.5 meters or 5.5–feet). All project related documents, are permanently housed at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory. No cultural material was collect over the course of the project.

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