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ST0301C-CS141229 (3)HISTORICAL BUILDINGS ARCHAEOLOGY NATURAL SCIENCES AR Consultants, Inc. Archaeological and Environmental Consulting 805 Business Parkway, Richardson, Texas 75801 Phone: (214) 368-0478 Fax: (214) 221-1519 E-mail: arcdigs@aol.com AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE PROPOSED BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS Texas Antiquities Permit Number 7111 S. Alan Skinner, PhD Kandi Doming, BS and Molly Hall, MA Principal Investigator Submitted to: CITY OF COPPELL 255 Parkway Boulevard Coppell, Texas 75019 Submitted by: AR CONSULTANTS, INC. 805 Business Parkway Richardson, Texas 75081 Cultural Resources Report 2014-Draft December 29, 2014 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENT ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE PROPOSED BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS Texas Antiquities Permit Number 7111 S. Alan Skinner, PhD Kandi Doming, BS and Molly Hall, MA Principal Investigator Submitted to: CITY OF COPPELL 255 Parkway Boulevard Coppell, Texas 75019 Submitted by: AR CONSULTANTS, INC. 805 Business Parkway Richardson, Texas 75081 Cultural Resources Report 2014-Draft December 29, 2014 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENT i ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. ABSTRACT The City of Coppell is proposing to widen and improve Bethel Road, Coppell Road, and Park Street. The study area is in the Grapevine Creek Watershed and is adjacent to Grapevine Sprin gs Park. The park was constructed in 1937-38 by the Works Progress Administration. AR Consultants, Inc. was contracted by the city to conduct an archaeological survey of the limited project areas requested by the Texas Historical Commission. An intensive pedestrian survey of three study areas was conducted on December 22 and 23, 2014. Shovel testing was also done in order to explore for evidence of buried site deposits. No cultural resources or evidence of demolished structures were found on the surface during the field survey and no buried site deposits were found during testing in this primarily upland setting. AR Consultants, Inc. concludes that no significant cultural resources will be destroyed by road construction and recommends that the Texas Historical Commission concur that no further research need be carried out in conjunction with this project. If buried resources are found during construction work should cease in that area and the Texas Historical Commission and City of Coppell should be immediately notified. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENT ii ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ ii List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... ii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... iii Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Natural Environment ........................................................................................................... 4 Cultural History .................................................................................................................. 5 Research Design.................................................................................................................. 9 Results ............................................................................................................................... 11 Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 20 References Cited ............................................................................................................... 21 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Surveyed areas shown on a section of the Grapevine and Carrollton, TX 7.5’ USGS maps. .................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Survey areas and numbered shovel test locations shown on a recent aerial photograph of the study area. The two rock posts that mark the western entrance to Grapevine Springs Park are shown in pink on South Coppell Road. .............................................................................. 12 Figure 3. Plowed garden at north end of Park Street. The crushed rock in the picture is probably from an earlier version of Park Street. View is looking south. ............................................................................................. 13 Figure 4. Looking north from the south end of the Park Street survey area. Shovel test 01 is located by the screen and shovel. .................................... 13 Figure 5. Eastern end of the Bethel Road surveyed section showing leaf cover and with a large post oak tree on the right side of the eastward looking photograph. .................................................................................... 14 Figure 6. Yaupon holly concentration just south of fence with Bethel Road on the right of the picture. View is looking west. ........................................... 14 Figure 7. Young underbrush leaves, and a few larger trees in the Bethel Road study corridor. ............................................................................................ 15 Figure 8. View of drainage from south side looking northwest towards Coppell Road. ............................................................................................. 16 Figure 9. Building and retaining wall on the south side of the drainage, looking east from Coppell Road. ................................................................ 17 Figure 10. Cleared area on south side of drainage, looking west from Coppell Road. Note the bowling around trunks of mature pecan trees, this is an indication that fill was used to raise the ground surface level while protecting the well-established trees ................................................ 17 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENT iii ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Shovel Test Descriptions. ................................................................................... 19 r-arc Bethel and Coppell Road (141205) ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 1 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. INTRODUCTION The City of Coppell in Dallas County, Texas is proposing to install improvements along the following city streets: Coppell, Bethel, and Park which are located in the central part of the city (Figure 1). The improvements consist of widening all three streets and installing curbs. In the course of the widening, it will be necessary to elevate Coppell Road over an unnamed intermittent tributary of Grapevine Creek. The area of potential effect (APE) consists of 1.864 acres most of which is immediately adjacent to the existing roadways. Gabion walls will be placed on the edge of the floodplain and gabion mattresses will be installed upstream and downstream from the drainage crossing. Installation of the gabion features will involve only limited excavation, most of which will be in the creek floodplain. The City of Coppell requested that the Texas Historical Commission (THC) review the proposed roadway improvement project. In response, the THC advised that a pedestrian archaeological survey should be done in the vicinity of the intermittent tributary along Coppell Road. They also indicated that the property adjacent to Park Street should be surveyed for cultural resources. The City contracted with AR Consultants, Inc. (ARC) to conduct the requested survey, carry out shovel testing, and to produce the following report. This report was prepared to be reviewed by the Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Texas Historical Commission (THC). Relevant federal legislation includes the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (PL-96-515), the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL-90-190), the Clean Water Act, as amended (PL-92-500), the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, the Archeological and Historical Preservation Act of 1974, as amended (PL-93-291), Executive Order No. 11593 “Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment,” and Procedures for the Protection of Historic and Cultural Properties (36 CFR 800), Appendix C. The Texas Antiquities Code applies to this investigation because the City is a political subdivision of the State of Texas; furthermore, the THC will be the independent Section 106 reviewer for the Corps of Engineers. This report is written in accordance with report guidelines used by the Archeology Division of the THC (Council of Texas Archeologists n.d.). The following report presents a brief description of the natural setting of the project area, followed by a discussion of the culture history and previous investigations in the surrounding area. A chapter on the research design and methodology employed in the investigation is then followed by the results of the field investigation. The report concludes with recommendations followed by the references cited. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 2 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. Figure 1. Surveyed areas shown on a section of the Grapevine and Carrollton, TX 7.5’ USGS maps. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 3 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. Administrative Information: Sponsor: City of Coppell Review Agency: Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Archeology Division of the Texas Historical Commission. Principal Investigator: Molly A. Hall, MA Field Dates: December 22 and 23, 2014 Field Crew: Kandi Doming, Katy Pocklington, and S. Alan Skinner Acres Surveyed: approximately 1.864 acres Sites Investigated: Prehistoric: None Historic: None Number of Historic Resources Evaluated: None Curation: Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 4 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT The project area consists of three study areas that lie at the western edge of the Blackland Prairie plant community of North Central Texas where it interfingers with the Eastern Cross Timbers (Diamond et al. 1987: Figure 1). The undivided Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford group underlies this entire area from the south edge of the Denton Creek floodplain west to Grapevine, south to Irving, and in the valley of the West Fork of the Trinity River (Bureau of Economic Geology 1988). In the Denton Creek floodplain, Woodbine Formation and Fluviatile terrace deposits are located north of the study area. These formations may be the source of water for Grapevine Springs, which could be emerging from the interface of the overlying terrace sediments and the underlying, relatively impervious Eagle Ford Formation. The project area is located within the Texan Biotic Province, which is defined as the transitional zone between the eastern forests and the grasslands, giving access to the benefits of the prairie grasses along with the forest resources of the Cross Timbers (Blair 1950:100-102; Green et al. 1997:9). Grapevine Creek is incised into the bedrock formations. The study areas are located within the Wilson-Rader-Axtell Soil Association, which consists of nearly level to gently sloping upland loams (Coffee et al. 1980:General Soils Map). Along the Coppell Road study area which runs north-south, specific soils are mapped as Axtell fine sandy loam with 2 to 5 percent slopes with small amounts of Silawa and Raider fine sandy loams with 2 to 8 percent slopes, all of which are found on steam terraces. The A horizon of the Axtell fine sandy loam is described as being 8 inches (20 cm) (Coffee et al. 1980:55). In the second area running west-east along Bethel Road, the soil is mapped as Burleson clay with 0 to 1 percent slopes including less than 10 percent of Branyon and Wilson soils on the western end and Axtell fine sandy loam with 1 to 3 percent slopes with Mabank and Rader on the eastern end. In the third area along Park Street, the soil is mapped as Axtell fine sandy loam with 1 to 3 percent slopes with Mabank and Rader included soils making up less than 15 percent. The southern portion of the survey area is mapped as Burleson clay with 0 to 1 percent slopes that includes less than 10 percent of Branyon and Wilson clayey alluvium. The terrain is gently sloping on treads of Pleistocene stream terraces. Water resources include natural springs and intermittent and perennial tributaries that drain into the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. The study areas are located between two tributaries of Grapevine Creek. The Coppell Road study area crosses an unnamed first-order drainage. The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) maps Grapevine Creek as an intermittent second-order drainage, while the 1981 Carrollton, TX 7.5’ United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic map shows it as perennial (USGS 1981; Coffee et al. 1980: Sheet Number 1). In the area south of Park Street, a natural spring exits that was developed into the Grapevine Springs Park by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930’s (Green et al. 1997:7). In 1940, the WPA described the site as a natural beauty spot where a clear spring for med by a small creek flows in a winding course across the park from north to south (Brune 1981:154). They also describe a large grove of pecan, elm, and oak trees with gnarled and serpentine grapevines twisted around their trunks located near the spring. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 5 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. CULTURAL HISTORY The culture history of the Metroplex area has been summarized by various authors beginning with C.A. Smith (1969), and more recently by Yates and Ferring (1986), Prikryl (1990), and Peter and McGregor (1988). The following discussion synthesizes these sources as they relate to the archaeology of the Elm Fork Watershed. Culture History The following prehistoric culture history is derived largely from the Elm Fork survey monograph (Prikryl 1990). We have added a Historic European period. Paleo-Indian prior to 6,500 BC Archaic 6,500 BC - AD 700 Late Prehistoric AD 700 - AD 1600 Protohistoric AD 1600 - AD 1800 [Historic Native American] Historic European AD 1800 to Present Using the above temporal framework, the following paragraphs present a brief description of the culture history of the area. The Paleoindian period is distinguished by distinctive projectile point styles (Bever and Meltzer 2007:Table 1). Many of the points are made of exotic cherts that are not native to North Central Texas. Surface artifacts generally come from deposits on stream terraces above the level of the active floodplain. During this period, large mammals became extinct, and their extinction is attributed in part to a general drying of the environment. During the Early Archaic, the general drying continued, and sites are found on stream terraces. There is a hint of population increase and Lynott (1981:103) suggests that there was increased emphasis on the use of bottomland food resources. On the Elm Fork, Prikryl (1990:71) reports fewer bottomland sites than during the previous period. Middle Archaic sites are predominantly found on the first terrace above stream floodplains. As earlier, sites tend to be along the Elm Fork rather than along the smaller tributaries. The population density continued to be low. Late Archaic sites increase in number over the previous period, and sites are located along both the Elm Fork and its tributaries. There appears to be a shift in site location to tributary streams, and a pronounced population explosion. High population mobility among Paleoindians gradually decreased through the Early Archaic and Middle Archaic and in addition to population increase, led to increased territoriality (Prikryl 1990:83). Local Ogallala quartzite is being used prominently at this time, and this observation is taken by some authors (Skinner 1981; Prewitt 1983) as evidence of increased territorial constriction. During the subsequent Late Prehistoric period, the bow and arrow and pottery are appearing in artifact assemblages (Shafer 1977). Houses and probable evidence of agriculture first appear during this period, as shown at the Cobb-Pool site on Mountain Creek (Raab and Woosley 1982), and at site 41DL12, if a mussel-shell hoe indicates farming (Hughes and Harris 1951). Site locations mirror those of the Late Archaic, and quartzite continues as the common material for ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 6 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. chipped stone projectiles and tools along the Elm Fork. The West Fork Paleosol is tentatively dated to this period, although it has been dated earlier than AD 800 in some places. Drying continued into the subsequent period. Buffalo bones are common in later prehistoric sites (Dillehay 1974; Lynott 1979), and along with tools normally expected to occur at sites on the High Plains. It also appears that sites are once again located on sandy terraces above the floodplains. Historic Native Americans are reported in Dallas County by numerous authors. Very little archaeological evidence of historic Native American occupation has been found in the area. This is a pattern seen throughout much of North-Central Texas (Skinner 1988; Peter et al. 1996:3). The Anglo-American history of the Upper Trinity River Basin has been divided into the Frontier, Initial Cash Crop, Tenant Farming, and Agribusiness periods by Richner and Lee (1976:125 - 133). The Frontier period lasted from about 1820 to 1850, followed by the Initial Cash Crop period that lasted until 1870. Tenant Farming began at 1870 and continued to about 1940. Agribusiness began after the Great Depression and continues to the present. In 1832, the farming community of "Grapevine Springs" was organized in the vicinity of the present-day Grapevine Springs Park. Settlers began moving to the area in the 1840's. Most of the settlers in north central Texas were of German or French descent. By 1873, the community became known as "Gibbs," in honor of former Texas Senator and Lieutenant Governor Barnett Gibbs. The community of Coppell has been associated with many names over the past 150 years including Grapevine Prairie, Bethel, and Gibbs. The community became known as Coppell in 1890, was officially designated as Coppell in 1892, and incorporated as a city in 1955 (Coppell Historical Society 2014). Previous Investigations Sites in the Elm Fork were recorded by early surveys of the Dallas Archeological society (DAS). The first report of sites in the area was by R.K. Harris (1936). Harris and members of the DAS did considerable survey along the Elm Fork from Denton south. Prikryl (1990:21-29) presents a thorough review of this activity though the 1960s. DAS surveys have been reported by Jan and Paul Lorrain. The DAS attempted to relocate most of these sites (Bill Young 1998) and found that many of them no longer exist. There have been several archaeological investigations conducted within one mile of the study areas. Very few deeply buried sites have been investigated, and most known sites are on the first terrace above the floodplain of the Elm Fork and the Trinity (Prikryl 1990:83). Grapevine Springs Park is a historic preserve in the Dallas County Open Space System. The history of Grapevine Springs Park (41DL329) is well documented in a report by Green, Lorrain, and Lorrain (1997); however the site boundaries have not been defined. Local legend claims that Sam Houston camped at the springs while negotiating a treaty with North Texas Native American groups. Sam Houston left the area before the treaty was signed at Bird’s Fort on September 29, 1843 (Green et al. 1997:5). Construction of a formal park by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was begun in 1936-1937 to commemorate the site. In the early 1950s Dallas real estate developer A. Webb Roberts purchased the property. In the 1970s, the land was ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 7 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. given to the Baptist Foundation, and in 1991, the Baptist Foundation donated 15 acres of the site to Dallas County, who reopened the park with the City of Coppell providing maintenance. The DAS survey began in 1992, surveying 640 acres of land from Denton T ap Road on the east to Coppell Road on the west, Bethel Road on the north, and the St. Louis Southwestern Railroad to the south (Green et al. 1997:11). During survey, 30 prehistoric and 59 historic artifacts were recovered from the area with the majority of the prehistoric material coming from outside the park. This is likely due to the work done by the WPA that resulted in massive disturbances to the area around the spring. The prehistoric artifacts consisted mostly of flakes and shatter in addition to one arrow preform and a core. Ogallala quartzite was the principal lithic material found. Historic artifacts consisted primarily of bottle glass, nails, ceramics, and other items, the majority of which date to the twentieth century (Green et al. 1997:21). However, one ceramic sherd was dated to the 1830s based on type of paste, type of rim, and the type of shell edged decoration, and another undecorated, earl y ironstone sherd was dated to the 1840-1870 period. Today, the extensive stonework from the 1930s WPA development, recorded as Features 1-20 by Green and the Lorrains, is the most significant aspect of the park. The presence of historic and prehistoric artifacts demonstrates limited importance of this area and it is possible that the construction done by the WPA may have destroyed evidence of Sam Houston’s camp or of prehistoric occupation in the area of the springs. In 1999, a portion of the park area was investigated by AR Consultants (Trask and Skinner 2000). Results of the survey included seven historic house site locations and increasing the 12-acre park by another three acres. Recommendations also included that the two stone pillars associated with the west entrance to the park be restored. In 2007, ARC and DAS collaborated with residents and the City of Coppell to supervise metal detecting and archaeological testing in the Grapevine Springs Park (Todd 2009). The purpose of the investigation was to familiarize the residents of Coppell with archaeology and archaeological methods as part of Texas Archeological Awareness Month. The investigation included a pedestrian survey and excavation of four test pits. No cultural materials older than 50 years were uncovered during testing. Negative results are considered a result of the terracing, local collectors, and construction done to create the park by the WPA. Three additional sites (DL312, DL330, and DL309) are located within one mile of the study areas. One site (DL312) is located in old downtown Coppell and consists of a residential structure that was built in the 1930’s on top of the foundation of a drug store that was originally built in the early 1900’s. Two prehistoric sites (DL330, DL309) consisting of lithic artifacts are also recorded to the east near Grapevine Creek (TASA 2014). Integrated Environmental Solutions, LLC conducted a cultural resources survey of approximately 90.87-acres for the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport west of the current study areas, in an area located south of Bethel Road. During the survey, one historical residential and agricultural complex site was recorded (Stone 2013:9). The overall preservation of the structures and features was deemed poor and the site was recommended as ineligible for listing on the NRHP. This site is significant because it demonstrates occupation in the 1800s was also taking place away from drainages. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 8 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. Historic Map Review A review of historic maps was conducted to look for historic structures in the project areas. Sam Street’s map of Dallas County shows people were settled along Coppell and Bethel roads before 1900. The structures mapped along the survey area are located near roads; however, Park Street did not yet exist. A 1931 topo map of Coppell shows Park Street appearing as a two-track unnamed road with one structure mapped on the south end, near what is now the parking lot at the north entrance to Grapevine Springs Park. The first-order drainage near Coppell Road also appears on this map on the east side of the road, but not crossing it. Additionally, there are two structures shown on the east side of Coppell Road in the study area that no longer appear by 1960. A 1945 topo map shows the drainage crossing over Bethel Road rather than Copp ell Road. On the east side of Coppell Road the post 1960 map shows one structure in the floodplain on the north side of the drainage. Along Bethel Road, the 1931 topo map shows one structure on the south side of the road in the study area, but by 1960, there are no structures mapped in the area. On Park Street, the 1960 map shows at least four structures along the west side of the road in the study area. After 1960, the scale and accuracy of the topo maps seem to be more reliable. Historic aerials are available beginning in 1958. At that time, there were no structures in the study areas along Coppell and Bethel roads and there are at least three shown along the west side of Park Street. The land south of Bethel Road and west of Park Street appears to have been used for farming. By 1968, a pecan orchard can be seen in this area. However, it was not extended north to the Bethel Road study area. The orchard remains today. Historic aerials also reveal that all but two structures along the west side of Park Street, at the north end, were removed by 1995. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 9 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. RESEARCH DESIGN Research Design Two predictions were formulated in order to examine the archaeological potential of the project area. First, based on the research conducted by ARC and others (Green et al. 1997; Trask and Skinner 2000; Todd 2009) it was expected that the study areas have low potential for containing evidence of prehistoric occupation. The Coppell Road survey area is located in the floodplain of a first-order intermittent tributary of Grapevine Creek which contains water primarily only after rain events and even then only for short time periods. The remaining project areas along Bethel Road and Park Street are located along terraces in the Grapevine Creek watershed. The only water near either area is Grapevine Springs and it is not close to either area. While the potential of finding prehistoric archaeological sites is low in the area, the location with the highest potential is where the intermittent tributary of Grapevine Creek crosses under Coppell Road. Because of water today and in the past, trees which produced/produce nuts are likely to have been present along the tributary channel. Nuts would have attracted deer and smaller mammals to the area at least on a seasonable basis and the channel floodplain would also have allowed for growth of other native fruits, berries, and herbs which may have been edible. Water would not have been present all the time but sporadic rainfall would have provided enough moisture for the plants and animals, including man to have lived off the land. Prehistoric occupation might tend to occur in the Grapevine Springs area but Prikryl’s thesis research (1990) in the region and investigations in the spring area have failed to discover any in situ evidence of prehistoric occupation. Thus it is unlikely that prehistoric sites will be found in the Coppell Road area, particularly because of the historic development/impacts that have occurred in association with the road and with housing along the road over the past one hundred plus years. The same is also true for survey areas along Bethel Road and Park Street. The second prediction is that there was a moderate potential of historic sites being within the project area. In terms of historic resources, the potential for encountering the remnants of historic structures in the survey area is moderate due to the occupation of the area since the mid-1800s and the presence of residences along the roads that constitute the survey areas. This is based on previous investigations, as well as a review of historic maps and aerial photographs, which show several structures near the roads and in the study area. Structural remnants might have included foundation stones or piers, cisterns, wells, or root cellars, and may include accompanying artifact scatters. The potential for encountering either prehistoric or historic cultural resources is tempered by the disturbances that have taken place in the study area over the past few decades. The area was farmed as early as the 1830s. In the area along the southern side of Bethel Road, north of the Grapevine Springs Park, the highest potential for historic sites exists at the east and west ends of this survey line. This is based on historic aerials showing the ground surface in the center of the line has trees that were planted in an orderly fashion between 1958 and 1968. If artifacts or structural remnants are found, there is a strong possibility they may have been displaced, disturbed, or destroyed due to activities of collectors and development in the area. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 10 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. Methodology Survey was conducted in accordance with the standards set forth by the THC (n.d.). Field personnel walked the study areas in transects no more than 20 to 30 meters apart. Shovel tests were placed in the survey area and on each side of the intermittent drainage and elsewhere where ground visibility was below 30 percent. Sandy and loamy soils were screened through ¼” screens; clayey soils was inspected visually and broken into smaller chunks in order to determine if cultural materials were present. Soil matrices from shovel tests were described with regard to composition, texture, and color. The Munsell Soil Color Chart (2009) was used to identify soil colors. The crew made notes about the ground exposure, drainages, soil types, and disturbed areas where subsoil was exposed. Photographs were taken during the survey usin g a digital camera. Shovel test locations were marked with a handheld Garmin GPS receiver. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 11 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. RESULTS Introduction The following chapter begins by describing the pedestrian survey of each of the surveyed areas (Figure 2) beginning at the south end of Park Street and then proceeding to Bethel Road and concluding with the intermittent creek crossing on Coppell Road. The Bethel Road section was added to the survey area based on the presence of an observed concentration of yaupon holly shrubs in the dense brush along the road between Coppell Road and the entrance to the Grapevine Springs Senior Center. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the findings in relation to the research design and by attempting to define the horizontal extent of the Grapevine Springs historic archaeological site. Field Survey Park Street extends south from Bethel Road to the north entrance to Grapevine Springs Park as shown and described by Green et al. (1997:Figure 5). The city is proposing to slightly widen the road, repave it, and install curbs from just south of Benson Lane. The northern end of the route is presently a fenced and plowed garden plot associated with the house that is just to the west along Bethel Road (Figure 3). This section was closely inspected from the fence and no artifacts other than a narrow band of crushed rock were observed along the eastern edge of the plowed field. Continuing to the south, the surface is generally level but with some low mounding in the northern half. Concrete fragments, crushed rock, pebbles, and other construction materials were exposed on the surface in parts of the route but no evidence of foundations was noted (Figure 4). Furthermore, no residential artifacts were noted in association with the construction residue. The construction material appears to have been spread over the surface possibly in the course of house removal or demolition that occurred as discussed in the map review. Two shovel tests, ST 01 and 02, were excavated along Park Street (Table 1). Construction materials were found in the upper 18 cm of sandy clay in ST 01 and below that the matrix was sterile sandy clay to a depth of 40 cm. The upper 20 cm in ST 02 was ver y loose and apparently the plowed garden had once extended south to include this area. No cultural materials were found in the topsoil and the lower 17 cm were sterile sandy clay and rested on sterile clay below 47 cm. Survey continued beginning at the east end of the Bethel Road section and proceeding west along a transect that paralleled the road. A parallel tract was walked back to the point of origin and three shovel tests were excavated. At the eastern end a large post oak is located just outside the road widening area and an excavated drainage ditch there provided excellent subsurface exposure but no artifacts had been exposed on the surface (Figure 5). A roughly circular area of relatively young yaupon holly shrubs covering five meters in area (Figure 6) is in the study corridor but upon inspection it appeared likely that this is not an indication of a former house site but more likely is where shrubs were discarded and took root. Shovel test 03 exposed a thin (5 cm) layer of loose sandy loam that rested on sterile brown, dry, and compact clay that extended to 20 cm. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 12 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. Figure 2. Survey areas and numbered shovel test locations shown on a recent aerial photograph of the study area. The two rock posts that mark the western entrance to Grapevine Springs Park are shown in pink on South Coppell Road. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 13 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. Figure 3. Plowed garden at north end of Park Street. The crushed rock in the picture is probably from an earlier version of Park Street. View is looking south. Figure 4. Looking north from the south end of the Park Street survey area. Shovel test 01 is located by the screen and shovel. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 14 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. Figure 5. Eastern end of the Bethel Road surveyed section showing leaf cover and with a large post oak tree on the right side of the eastward looking photograph. Figure 6. Yaupon holly concentration just south of fence with Bethel Road on the right of the picture. View is looking west. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 15 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. Smaller yaupon hollies occur in the brushy area to the west and there are no major post oak trees. Honey locust, bois d’arc, hackberry, juniper, elm, red oak, and other volunteer trees are present in the brush along with expanses of greenbriar and honeysuckle (Figure 7). Leaves from the various deciduous trees litter the ground but would not have obscured brick, concrete, or rock foundations had they been present. Shovel test 04 was placed near the center of the surveyed section and no cultural materials were found in the sterile sandy loam or underlying compact sandy clay. A drainage ditch had been cut through the western end of the survey area in order to carry water runoff from the adjacent parking lot and medical office complex. No evidence of occupation was exposed in the ditch walls or on the ground surface in this area. Shovel test 05 was excavated west of the ditch and dug to a depth of 30 cm. The upper 23 cm was a mixed deposit of very dark grayish brown fairly loose clay that contained chunks of yellowish red clay. Below that was similarly colored undisturbed moist clay. No evidence of occupation was found in the survey area along the south side of Bethel Road. Figure 7. Young underbrush leaves, and a few larger trees in the Bethel Road study corridor. The study area along Coppell Road is located within the floodplain of the intermittent tributary of Grapevine Creek (Figure 8). Vegetation along both sides of the road included mature post oak, elm, and pecan trees. Honey locust, bois d’arc, and willow trees were also noted in the area. Understory vegetation consists of young trees, green briar, poison ivy, short grasses, and grape vines. As a result of leaf litter and grass there was no ground visibility. One shovel test was excavated on the north and south sides of the drainage, on both sides of Coppell Road. Shovel tests on the north side of the drainage uncovered undisturbed soils. ST 07 located on the north side of the drainage east of Coppell Road consisted of 45 cm of brown sandy clay atop 30 cm of ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 16 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. dark brown wet sandy clay. A strong brown with dark gray sandy clay was encountered at 75 cm below surface (cmbs). Shovel test 09, located on the north side of the drainage west of the road, had 2 cm of yellowish brown and dark grayish brown sand atop 16 cm of very dark gray clay. Mottled sandy clay was encountered at 18 cmbs. Figure 8. View of drainage from south side looking northwest towards Coppell Road. The south side of the drainage has been severely disturbed. There are modern buildings and a retaining wall on the east side of the road (Figure 9). During these construction activities, it is likely that the area was bulldozed and cleared, resulting in the movement and addition of fill soil. Evidence of similar activities was observed on the west side of the road in the bowling visible around the trunks of well-established trees (Figure 10). Shovel tests excavated along this southern side exposed sandy clay fill mixed with concrete conglomerate and modern trash. Additionally, the west side of the study area beyond the area that will be impacted by the project was walked and visually inspected. No cultural materials were encountered within the area of the proposed gabion mattresses along the drainage. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 17 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. Figure 9. Building and retaining wall on the south side of the drainage, looking east from Coppell Road. Figure 10. Cleared area on south side of drainage, looking west from Coppell Road. Note the bowling around trunks of mature pecan trees, this is an indication that fill was used to raise the ground surface level while protecting the well-established trees. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 18 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. Conclusions Survey and testing along Bethel Road and Park Street concurs with the findings of the previous park property investigations that were sponsored by the City of Coppell and supported by the Dallas Archeological Society. The absence of prehistoric occupation in any of the three areas is largely attributed to the absence of permanent water sources. However, the absence of prehistoric artifacts in the immediate area of Grapevine Springs may be more a reflection of the disturbance that occurred as the result of WPA construction and reconfiguration o f the landscape. Green’s investigation recovered 30 prehistoric artifacts but the majority of them came “…from the area outside the park [that was] used as pasture (Green et al. 1997:21).” Brune mentions that the spring was used by historic Native Americans and it is logical to expect that it was used prehistorically as well. Because of the presence of the spring and food resources that were probably available along Grapevine Creek, it is logical to predict that park construction or earlier utilization of the land as farmland or pasture may have removed evidence of prehistoric occupation in the three study areas. Artifacts described by Green and the Lorrains indicate that occupation occurred in the area before the park was constructed. However, land clearing before and after the WPA constructed the rock and water features, clearly impacted the configuration of the terrain. Furthermore, the presence of twentieth century houses shown on various 20th century historic maps proves that houses were once there. However, virtually all of those residences that were in the study area were demolished or moved off the property before ARC surveyed the Bethel Road and Park Street areas in 1999. It is our conclusion that Grapevine Springs Park as an archaeological site should be considered to encompass the area defined by Green et al in Figure 5 as well as the roadway that extended from the west entry on Coppell Road to the area of the fence and rock features constructed by the WPA. We do not know that the eastern and southern edge of the park as an archaeological site should be but it is our opinion that the limits of the park can be refine d using GPS technology and discovering WPA records of the planned construction. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 19 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. Table 1. Shovel Test Descriptions. ST# Depth ( cm) Description* Comments/Artifacts 01 0-18 18-30 30-40+ Very dark gray (10YR3/1) sandy clay mixed with pebbles, crushed rock Very dark gray (10YR3/1) sandy clay None 02 0-20 20-35 35-47 47+ Very dark gray (10YR3/1) sandy loam Very dark gray (10YR3/1) mixed sandy clay Very dark gray (10YR3/1) sandy clay Very dark gray (10YR3/1) clay None 03 0-5 5-20+ Very dark grayish brown (10YR3/2) loose, thin sandy loam Brown (10YR4/3) compact clay None 04 0-16 16-35+ Very dark gray (10YR3/1) sandy loam Dark yellowish brown (10YR3/6) compact slightly sandy clay None 05 0-23 23-30+ Very dark grayish brown (10YR3/2) with yellowish red (5YR4/6) moist clay Very dark grayish brown (10YR3/2) moist clay None 06 0-2 02-18 18-74 Yellowish brown (10YR5/6) with 10% dark grayish brown (10YR4/2) sand Very dark gray (7.5YR3/1) wet clay Very dark grayish brown (10YR3/2) with 5% strong brown (7.5YR5/6) sandy clay None 07 0-13 13-45 45-75 75-85 Black (7.5YR2.5/1) duff Brown (7.5YR4/2) sandy clay Dark brown (7.5YR3/2) wet sandy clay Yellowish brown (10YR5/8) with 10% dark gray (10YR4/1) sandy clay None 08 0-30 30-35 Very dark gray (7.5YR3/1) sandy clay Brown (7.5YR5/4) sandy clay with 5% very dark gray (7.5YR3/1) sand None 09 0-33 Very dark gray (10YR3/1) mixed sandy clay with 20% dark brown (10YR3/3) sand None ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 20 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. RECOMMENDATIONS The purpose of this investigation was to determine if significant cultural resources are present within the three areas described as having an archaeological potential by the Texas Historical Commission. Based on the results of pedestrian survey and shovel testing it is the conclusion of ARC that virtually all of the surveyed areas have been disturbed by farming, land modification, or construction that may be attributed to the WPA. AR Consultants recommends that the proposed widening of the survey areas will not endanger any significant cultural resources and that further archaeological investigations are unwarranted. This recommendation is made with the understanding that in the event deeply buried cultural resources are uncovered during construction work should cease immediately in that area and the Texas Historical Commission and City of Coppell should immediately be contacted. Work should cease in that area until clearance has been provided by the appropriate regulatory agencies. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BETHEL AND COPPELL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS 21 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ AR CONSULTANTS, INC. REFERENCES CITED Bever, Michael R. and David J. Meltzer 2007 Paleoindians of Texas: A Third Revised Edition of the Texas Clovis Fluted Point Survey. Bulletin of the Texas Archeological Society 78:65-99. Blair, W. Frank 1950 The Biotic Provinces of Texas. Texas Journal of Science 2(1):93-117. Brune, Gunnar 1981 Springs of Texas Volume 1. Branch-Smith Inc. Ft Worth. Bureau of Economic Geology 1988 Geologic Atlas of Texas, Dallas Sheet. The University of Texas at Austin. Coffee, D.R., R.H. Hill, and D.D. Ressel 1980 Soil Survey of Dallas County, Texas. USDA, Soil Conservation Service in cooperation with Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. 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