Wyoming State Historic

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1 Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office News WINTER 2008 Vol. iv, No Year in Review Mary Hopkins, Interim State Historic Preservation Officer The 75th anniversary of the New Deal will commemorate structures such as the band shells in Buffalo, Laramie, and Lingle (pictured from left to right). Photos by Richard Collier. Continued on page continued to be a productive and successful year for Wyoming Historic Preservation activities. Many of you participated and contributed to the development of On the Road to Preservation, Wyoming s comprehensive statewide historic preservation plan that is now available on our website as well as in print. The Plan addresses statewide challenges in historic preservation and strategies to meet the goals of preserving the important places we value. We encourage your participation in meeting these goals, as it will take a public effort to see that they are realized. We also worked diligently for Wyoming Preservation at the national level. In February 2007, our office took the lead on surveying the status of digital efforts throughout the nation on behalf of the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO). Much of this information is being used to develop a competitive grant program for states to digitize their inventories and make them more accessible to project proponents and the public. We also hosted the NCSHPO summer board meeting to bring Wyoming development issues to the forefront. A tour through the Jonah Oil and Gas field was an enlightening experience for many of our SHPO counterparts. As Wyoming continues to lead the Nation in this type of development, we feel it important for those at the national level to understand the pressures we all face and how we are working together to find balance and yet preserve resources. Milward Simpson, Director, State Parks and Cultural Resources Sara Needles, Administrator, Division of Cultural Resources Mary Hopkins, Interim State Historic Preservation Officer Dr. Mark Miller, State Archaeologist State Historic Preservation Office Barrett Building 2301 Central Avenue Cheyenne, WY Phone (307) Fax (307) Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist Dept E. University Avenue Laramie, WY Phone (307) Fax (307) Cultural Records Office Dept E. University Avenue Laramie, WY Phone (307) Fax (307) Photo Credit: On the Way to Yellowstone Park Via Cody Gateway Wyoming State Archives, J.E. Stimson Collection 1

2 2007 Year in Review continued from page 1... US Senators John Barrasso and Mike Enzi receive a Preserve America grant on behalf of the Wyoming SHPO from First Lady Laura Bush and Secretary of the Department of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. One of the major highlights of 2007 was receiving a Preserve America grant from the National Park Service and a Johanna Favrot Grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for local preservation training. We are beginning our planning for this effort and will be traveling around Wyoming this summer along with preservation staff from the Trust. We were pleased that Senators Enzi and Barrasso were able to accept the Preserve America award from First Lady Laura Bush on our behalf. Honors to members of the Wyoming community also highlighted Governor Freudenthal proclaimed Mabel Brown Day at the Wyoming Capitol with numerous friends, family, and professional colleagues in attendance. Mabel is a well known and respected Wyoming historian and served on the National Register Review Board for many years. We deeply appreciate Mabel s work and dedication to Wyoming history and historic preservation; she remains a role model for us all. Described as a credit to the U.S. Army and the citizens of Wyoming, Project Director Dave Reiss with the Office of the State Archaeologist was presented with the prestigious Honorary Wyoming Cowboy Colonel Award by the Adjutant General Major Gen. Ed Wright. The Centennial Farm and Ranch Program honored thirty-three Wyoming families at the Wyoming State Fair in Douglas this past August. These families embody the intangible qualities of what makes Wyoming the independent and unique place that it is. We are humbled by their long lasting commitment to the land and dedication to their families. In cooperation with the Wyoming Bureau of Land Management, we also embarked on a statewide site stewardship program to help reduce vandalism to fragile archaeological resources. Improvements and research conducted at Legend Rock State Archaeological Site, high altitude archaeological research, and work done by the Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist (OWSA) continues to aid in our knowledge and understanding of Wyoming s prehistory. OWSA staff provided numerous public programs throughout the state on research they continually conduct on archaeological resources. The first of two volumes written on the extensive research conducted by the University of Wyoming Department of Anthropology entitled, Medicine Lodge Creek: Holocene Archaeology of the Eastern Big Horn Basin, Wyoming Volume I, edited by George C. Frison and Danny N. Walker is now available for purchase. The volume is the definitive work on excavations conducted at Medicine Lodge Creek State Archaeological site in the 1970 s. Congratulations to Dr. s Frison and Walker on a fine publication of one of North America s most important archaeological sites. Medicine Lodge Creek is a public treasure and this work enables us to better understand and appreciate this resource. New Deal Resources will be in the spotlight this coming May throughout Wyoming. A traveling photo exhibit and a celebration to be held at Guernsey State Park on May 3, 2008 is being planned to commemorate the 75 th anniversary. Many New Deal structures remain in Wyoming and are still used for events and public programs. What would the Laramie summer band concerts be without the Edgar Lewis Band Shell in Washington Park? It provides a connection to 2

3 the past and allows us to enjoy a similar pleasant summer evening concert as past residents did before our lives became filled with electronic entertainment. We also hope you will mark your calendar to attend Preserve Wyoming 2008: Preserving Main Street and Beyond a join effort with the Wyoming Main Street Program to be held May in Cheyenne, Wyoming. You can become more informed and involved in historic preservation in your community by attending this event. I would be remiss not to mention the opening and dedication of the new Anthropology Building on the University of Wyoming campus. This facility houses the state s archaeological and historic site records collection as well as up to two million archaeological artifacts in the University of Wyoming Archaeological Repository. It is a state of the art facility and allows our programs efficient access to faculty and students. We are looking forward to our future work with the Department and encouraging students to study and participate in historic preservation and archaeological research efforts in Wyoming. Lastly, I want to sincerely thank everyone for their support and participation in all of the programs this past year. My position as Interim SHPO allowed me to learn from, meet new, and reacquaint with old friends. It is clear that many of us in Wyoming have a common goal, to make Wyoming a great place to live. This past year was full of successes and I am looking forward to the opportunities we will all face in Fossil Cabin Nominated to National Register Nancy Weidel, Architectural Historian, SHPO The Fossil Cabin off of Highway 30, Carbon County. Photo by Richard Collier. Wyoming s Fossil Cabin, located along U.S. Highway 30, eight miles east of Medicine Bow, has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. The cabin is unique in the state, and perhaps even the country, for being made of 5,796 fossilized dinosaur bones recovered from nearby Como Bluff, the site of some of the most important dinosaur discoveries in the world. The Fossil Cabin was a tourist mecca along the once-busy Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental autoroute that was heavily traveled in those pre- Interstate 80 days. Although the curious cabin housed a museum that displayed dinosaur bones, Indian artifacts, and other relics, its primary purpose was to lure travelers off the road to fill er up at the nearby gas pumps. Thomas Boylan, builder of the Fossil Cabin, constructed it in 1932 and lived in the house located just yards away from the cabin. Ripley s Believe It Or Not featured the Fossil Cabin in its nationally syndicated cartoon in 1938 and the TV show, Candid Camera, visited in Jody Fultz bought the cabin and surrounding property in 1972 and tries to keep the museum open in the summer. The cabin is now for sale but is in danger of leaving the state as an interested person offered to buy the cabin and move it to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The nomination is on its way to Washington, DC and should be listed by spring,

4 Dr. Larry Todd and students map and record bighorn sheep processing area in the Upper Greybull Valley. From left to right: Dan Martinez, Ryan McElhoe, Larry Todd, Marcy Riser, and Eric Gingerich. Photo by Dan Eakin. Forrest Green standing beside remains of Native American structure found in Sunlight Creek drainage. Photo by Dan Eakin. The Wyoming Bighorn Sheep Trap Location and Mapping Project Advances in 2007 Dan Eakin, Project Archaeologist, OWSA The Wyoming bighorn sheep trap location and mapping project made good progress during the summer of The goals of the project include location and mapping of Native American bighorn sheep traps and related sites in northwest Wyoming. The 2007 work was sponsored in part by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, as well as cost-share agreements with the Shoshone National Forest and a stipend from the Dubois Museum of Fremont County. Fieldwork included placement of permanent datum markers as well as GPS mapping, videotaping, and photography of 10 of 13 known traps. Five separate forays (three on foot, two with horse support) were made into sheep trap country. One trip into Sunlight Basin resulted in discovery of remains of a Native American structure. On a later trip into the Upper Greybull Valley and the site of the Little Venus Fire of 2006, remains of a bighorn sheep processing area were relocated. The 4 processing area had been visited in the 1980s but never investigated because of its remote location (Frison 2004:160). We found that the Little Venus Fire had exposed over 30 bighorn sheep skulls and thousands of butchered post-cranial bones and bone fragments. The find prompted me to contact Dr. Larry Todd (Colorado State University) who has been working in the area for nearly a decade, and in midseptember a second trip to the site was made. He and four students mapped and recorded a good portion of the site assemblage, including trinotched projectile points and teshoa, a little known tool type found in association with similar Shoshonean assemblages to the north on Boulder Ridge (see SPCR Spring 2006 Newsletter; Wyoming s Bighorn Sheep Traps: A Resource in Peril). One of the most noteworthy things I can mention from 2007 concerns the generosity shown by several interested citizens, whose overall willingness to help contributed to a highly productive summer. These include Craig and Virginia Griffith and John Burns of Meeteetse, and Marshall Dominick of Cody. On two separate occasions these individuals provided a pack string and saddle horses for transport of our food, personal and scientific gear into the Greybull River Wilderness. Others, including Bill Eckerle (WesternGeoArch Research), Forrest Green (Wyoming Archaeological Society, Park County Chapter), Chris Finley (Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area), Sally Wulbrecht (Dubois Museum) and my wife Julie, donated their time and energies toward fieldwork. The Shoshone National Forest, as well as Dick and Jane Van der Weyden (Whiskey Mountain Wildlife Conservation Camp), deserve thanks for providing shelter during fieldwork. Frison, George C Survival by Hunting, Prehistoric Human Predators and Animal Prey. University of California Press, Berkeley.

5 Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month Celebrated in September Governor Dave Freudenthal proclaimed September Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month during a brief ceremony in his office Thursday, August 23, Gov. Freudenthal was joined during the proclamation signing by members of the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist, the Wyoming State Archives, the Wyoming Arts Council, the University of Wyoming Department of Anthropology, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. After signing the proclamation, Governor Freudenthal was presented with this year s Archaeology Awareness Month poster and a recent publication on Wyoming rock art entitled Ancient Visions authored by Drs. Julie Francis and Lawrence Loendorf. Dr. Frison, professor emeritus from the University of Wyoming, explained the significance of the Mummy Cave Site portrayed in this year s poster to the governor. The Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month celebration also included the ninth annual George C. Frison Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology sponsored lecture, People in High Places - Getting to and Living on the World s High Plateaus, by Dr. Mark Aldenderfer of the University of Arizona. The lecture was held in Laramie at the University of Wyoming with a reception following in the new Anthropology building. The 2007 Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month poster featuring Mummy Cave is available free of charge. It may be picked up at the State Historic Preservation Office in Cheyenne in the Barrett Building, 2301 Central Ave., 3rd floor or in Laramie at the Anthropology Building, 12th and Lewis, 3rd floor, Room 318. The posters are also available via mail with an $8 charge to cover mailing costs. Limit one poster per person. Send your request along with a check or money order payable to Wyoming Archaeology Month and your name and mailing address to: Judy Wolf, State Historic Preservation Office, Wyoming Archaeology Month, Dept 3431, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie WY The 2007 WAAM t-shirts and coffee mugs are available at the State Museum Store in Cheyenne or via wyoshpo.state.wy.us/waamindx. htm. The design depicts a horse and rider based on a prehistoric petroglyph from a site in southcentral Wyoming. Short sleeve shirts are available at a cost of $15. Shirts in sizes 2XL are available for an additional $1.50. Long sleeve shirts are available for $22. Add $1.50 for size 2XL. For the first time, ceramic coffee mugs, featuring the same horse and rider design, are available for $ Proceeds from the sale of the t-shirts and mugs are used to help fund Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month activities. Left to right: Judyth Reed, Barb Pahl, Ian Ritchie, Ranel Capron, Joe Daniele, John Laughlin, Sara Needles, Richard Currit, Mary Hopkins, Governor Dave Freudenthal, George Frison, Mark Miller, Judy Wolf, Rita Basom, Julie Francis, Roger Joyce, Renee Bovee. 5

6 Doors Open on the New UW Anthropology Building Sharon A. Long, SHPO, Cultural Records Office (WYCRO) Mark E. Miller, State Archaeologist, OWSA George W. Gill, University of Wyoming Anthropology Department New University of Wyoming Anthropology Building, Laramie. In the fall of 2007, the Department of Anthropology and affiliated programs moved into a new building on campus at the corner of 12th and Lewis. Housed in this 53,644 square foot structure is the Department of Anthropology with all of its academic sub-disciplines and affiliated programs, which include the Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist (OWSA), the UW Archaeological Repository, managed by OWSA, the Wyoming Cultural Records Office and the Planning and Context Development Program of the SHPO, Comparative Osteological Museum Collections, Geographic Information Systems Classrooms, Human Remains Repository, George C. Frison Institute, Library, and the Anthropology Museum. When entering the building, you come into a bright, sunny atrium adjacent to a comfortable lounge and stand directly in front of the museum entrance, whose exhibits are still being developed. When completed, displays will occupy recessed areas along the hallway walls near classrooms and labs. Not only do students enjoy the modern classrooms, but each month the June Frison Chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society holds their regular meetings in the building. State-of-the-art labs and classrooms contain specialized equipment, such as sophisticated audiovisual instruments, fume hoods, security cabinets, and sediment traps in wet labs, enhancing our teaching, research, and public outreach efforts. Compact shelving was installed for the growing collections in the archaeological repository, comparative faunal collections, and cultural records files. Sensitive instruments were placed in collection storage areas to detect changes in humidity and temperature that might threaten perishable collections. All collection storage areas are locked for security. These are tremendous improvements over previous storage facilities, and the investment essentially brings the repository into step with current federal guidelines for structures that curate public artifacts. 6

7 Centennial Farm and Ranch Program Honors Thirty-Three Families in 2007 The Wyoming Centennial Farm and Ranch Program enjoyed another successful year in 2007 by recognizing 33 families and ranches at the State Fair. Both Senator Enzi and Senator Barrasso attended the recognition ceremony and spoke of the importance of agriculture to Wyoming. Nineteen of the ranches honored are in Sublette County, thanks to the efforts of the Green River Valley Cowbelles/ Cattlewomen who promoted the program locally. Interest in the program has grown since its inception two years ago and we expect another big year in If you know of a Centennial Farm or Ranch in your area, please encourage them to apply. If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Weidel at The 2007 honorees are: Kip and Bonnie Alexander, Cora The Guio family, Big Piney The Dan Budd Family, Big Piney Brian & Chad Espenscheid, Big Piney The Conwell Family, Daniel Frank Fear Cattle Company, Big Piney The Duncan/Finley Family, Dubois The Smyth Family, Boulder The Goodrich Family, Wheatland David and Hiroko Hansen, Meriden The Thomas-Hassan Family, Cody The Wardell & Hill Family, Big Piney Donald & Marilyn Jensen, Boulder The Johnson Family, LaGrange The Johnson Family, Van Tassell The Kuhbacher Family, Moorcroft The Lozier Family, Cora The Luman Family, Pinedale Don Mercer, Hulett The Robert M. Miller Family, Big Piney The Murdock Family, Pinedale William and Martin Murdock, Big Piney The Richard Noble Family, Cora Mary Lerche, Christian Lerche, Newcastle The Charles & DeeAnn Price Family, Daniel The Ramsbottom Family, Buffalo The Rennard Family, Lusk The Gary Rollins Family, Lyman The Sommers Ranch, Pinedale Thompson s Cross Lazy Two L&L, Big Piney The Helen Uhlman Family, Wheatland The John & Mary Walker Family, Lyman The Wardell Family, Big Piney The Goodrich Family from Wheatland, Photo by Richard Collier. The Richard Noble family from Cora, Photo by Richard Collier. 7

8 Wyoming CLGs Complete Wide of Array of Grant Projects Audrey York, Certified Local Government Program Coordinator, SHPO 318 S. 11 th Street, Laramie. One of the many properties surveyed for the Laramie University Neighborhood. Photo by Jonas Landes. A portion of the Newcastle Commercial District. Photo by Richard Collier. Many interesting projects, funded through Certified Local Government (CLG) grants, were completed in Below is a description of each project. Grant funding for these projects totaled $54,890. The Albany County Historic Preservation Board completed two projects. The first entailed a comprehensive survey of Laramie s University Neighborhood. Listing the district on the National Register is planned. Their second project was the first phase of a walking tour project. They were able to compile new research and photographs for updating several of their current walking tour brochures. The board has also been awarded two grants for fiscal year 2008 to complete each of these projects. The Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board received two grants to send board members and one city of Cheyenne employee to training. They attended the 2007 Colorado Preservation Inc. s Saving Places Conference in Denver, CO, and the 2007 Wyoming Main Street Design Seminar in Rawlins, WY. In order to support the preservation efforts of Cheyenne, each educated other board members on what they had learned from attending the conferences. They also received a third grant to complete a survey of the Moore Haven Heights district. The Board was awarded a fiscal year 2007 grant to nominate the district to the National Register. The Evanston Historic Preservation Commission completed a building assessment of the Harrison House, which is in the Downtown Evanston Historic District. The assessment detailed construction needs, mold remediation suggestions, and possible uses for the structure. The accompanying report will help the City of Evanston return the structure to a viable use while preserving its historic nature. The Fremont County Historic Preservation Commission sponsored a grant to host the 2006 Wyoming Association of Municipalities convention. The grant provided registration and hotel fees for two member of each commission across the state. The Glenrock Historical Commission was able to install new windows in the Commerce Block building in their downtown. Glenrock received CLG grants in the past to list the building on the National Register and conduct a structural assessment. This bricks and mortar phase has brought the Commerce Block project once step closer to completion. The Green River Historic Preservation Commission completed an evaluation of the Elinore Pruitt Stewart Homestead. Log stabilization expert, Harrison Goodall completed the evaluation and provided the commission with a report of recommended repairs. The cabin is currently listed on the National Register for its long overlooked role of women homesteaders in the American West and the literary merits of Mrs. Stewart s book, Letters of a Woman Homesteader, a warm and lively chronicle of her ranch life in the southwest corner of Wyoming. (Excerpt from the National Register nomination form.) The Sheridan County Historic Commission received a grant for training. One member of the Commission attended the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC) Forum in Baltimore, MD. The attendee reported to her commission, her community, and to the SHPO on what 8

9 she learned. Held every other year, the NAPC Forum is an opportunity for commission members across the United States to meet, exchange ideas, and learn more about historic preservation issues. The Weston County Historic Preservation Board completed two nominations for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The first will list their downtown commercial district. The proposed district consists of 23 contributing buildings, noted for their architectural integrity and association with their role in the formation of Newcastle. The second nomination is for Toomey s Mill, which has made a significant contribution to the commerce and industry of Newcastle. These matching, reimbursable, competitive grants are awarded each year to CLGs that are in good standing with the National Park Service and the SHPO. Fiscal year 2007 grant projects have recently begun and will be completed by September Grant recipients for fiscal year 2008 have just been selected and have until September 2009 to finish their projects. Historic Plains Hotel. Photo courtesy of Wyoming State Archives. Please join us at the Historic Plains Hotel on May for Preserve Wyoming 2008: Preserving Main Street and Beyond. Hosted by Wyoming Main Street and the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office, this conference will be a great opportunity for those interested in preserving the historic resources of their communities while improving quality of life. For more information, please contact Audrey York at or ayork@state.wy.us. Sponsored by ARTS. PARKS. HIS Y. Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office Participants at the 2007 WAM Convention toured the Reliance Tipple in Sweetwater County. In addition to tours of historic sites in and around Rock Springs, educational sessions were held on historic preservation basics and new ideas for CLG projects. Photo by Mary Hopkins. 9

10 Archaeology in the Jonah Field a Programmatic Approach Richard L. Currit, Senior Archaeologist, SHPO Wyoming is a state that is blessed with an abundance of resources, both natural and cultural. Occasionally, all of these blessings occur in the same spot. Such is the case with the Jonah Natural Gas Field. One of the premier natural gas fields in the nation, the Jonah has also been described as an archaic laboratory. While many of the cultural resources located in the Jonah are fairly typical, the area also contains the largest concentration of early archaic housepit structures in the Rocky Mountains. These habitation structures, generally shallow depressions containing internal features, (see photo) are consistently located in San Arcacio soils, and carbon date to approximately 6,000 years before present. Archaeologically, structures from this time period are poorly understood and very rare, making the Jonah Field the best place in North America to study this resource. But how do you properly deal with this important resource in the middle of an intensely developing natural gas field? In consultation with the U.S.D.I. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pinedale Field Office, EnCana Oil and Gas (USA), Inc., B.P. America Production Company, Jonah Gas Gathering Company, and the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, a Programmatic Agreement (PA) detailing how adverse effects to these resources will be mitigated was executed. This PA allows for the expedited recovery of fossil fuels, while providing for the scientific study of cultural resources. Key components of this PA include the following: a standardized data recovery plan for typical resources (eliminating the need for development of individual plans and consultation for each one), a Research Design for evaluating resources and determining which are typical and which deserve additional attention, identified areas with low and high potential for buried cultural resources (allowing for a stratified approach to cultural resources management, some areas will receive no further work, while others more intense management), a Management Plan that defines how Educational Documentary to Portray Shoshone Culture Dan Eakin, Project Archaeologist, OWSA Reba Teran (left) and summer intern Sharmayn Tillman (right) take a break from filming (sheep trap catch pen in background) in the Upper Wind River Valley. Photo by Dan Eakin. Through an internal grant provided by the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources, Dan Eakin (OWSA Archaeological Survey) acted as consultant and guide to Reba Teran, Eastern Shoshone Cultural Center, Fort Washakie. In addition to her duties as a linguist specializing in Eastern Shoshone dialects, Reba is working on an educational documentary focusing on Shoshone prehistory, traditional-cultural history, and contemporary life. The documentary is funded by the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and will be distributed in June Eakin provided transportation to and information on traditional and archaeological sites in the Upper Wind River Valley, Bighorn Basin, western slopes of the Bighorn Mountains, North Fork of the Shoshone River Valley, and Yellowstone National Park. 10

11 these resources will be managed, and a commitment from the gas companies to fund a set amount of purely scientific data recovery of the unique resources within the Jonah. This win-win PA would not have been possible if several factors hadn t come into play, first and foremost, the resources themselves. Additionally, in a pro-active approach to planning, the companies had funded cultural resource surveys of the entire field, allowing a holistic approach to management. It should also be noted that this PA would not have been possible without the commitment of time and resources by the companies and their consultant (Bill Current, Current Archaeological Research), and the Pinedale BLM. In 75th Anniversary New Deal Celebration Nancy Weidel, Architectural Historian, SHPO The Guernsey Museum built by the CCC located in Guernsey State Park. Photo by Richard Collier The Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources is making a big deal of the New Deal in 2008, which marks the 75th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt s introduction of new federal programs Early Archaic House-pit in the Jonah Field. Photo by Dave Vlcek, Pinedale Field Office Archaeologist. close consultation with our office, Mr. Current and Dave Vlcek (Pinedale BLM Archaeologist) produced the supporting documents for this PA, in record time. meant to stimulate the economy and lead the country out of the depths of the Great Depression. A May 3rd celebration will take place at the Guernsey State Park museum, one of the finest Civilian Conservation Corps-built structures in the country. The free public event will highlight the importance of the New Deal to Wyoming and feature speakers, a few CCC veterans, followed by a reception. An exhibit of SPCR photographer Richard Collier s black and white photographs of various CCC and WPA projects around Wyoming will be on display. The photo exhibit will eventually travel to six venues around the state. Circle the date May 3rd on your calendar and plan to attend! Work is Underway for a Military Sites Context for Wyoming: A. D Mark E. Miller, State Archaeologist, OWSA The State Archaeologist is working on an update of Wyoming s historic context for military sites first developed by consultant Robert Rosenberg in Contexts have been defined by the National Park Service as patterns or trends in history by which a specific occurrence, property, or site is understood. Contexts are organized by establishing a relevant theme (military sites in this case), geographic area (Wyoming), and chronological period ( ), and then linking all properties into a common data set by descriptive and analytical parameters to assess their significance. The research value, management implications, and interrelationships of hundreds of sites hopefully will be explained to the reader in the final document. The military sites context traces combat behavior beginning with evidence at Protohistoric rock art sites for the introduction of the horse and gun into Native American populations. It continues with the formal involvement of the U. S. Army in topographical surveys and emigrant protection, the bloody episode of the Indian Wars, the close of the frontier, and ends with America s global expansion during World War I. Evidence from both historical and archaeological sources is blended to give readers a better sense of the nature, condition, and significance of these properties. Once completed, it should be a valuable synthesis of data relevant to scientific research, public education, and resource management. 11

12 The Wyoming Site Stewardship Program Sees Early Success Joseph Daniele, Archaeologist, SHPO BLM Archaeologist Sam Drucker and Wyoming Site Stewards on a visit to the Wardell Buffalo Jump this past July. Photo by John Laughlin. SHPO Archaeologist John Laughlin and Site Stewards at the Names Hill Site. Photo by Joseph Daniele. The Wyoming Archaeological Site Stewardship Program (WYSSP) is comprised of concerned people committed to protecting and preserving Wyoming s rich cultural heritage. Professional heritage/ cultural resource specialists and trained volunteers work together to monitor cultural resources throughout the State adding to the existing documentary record, sustaining a regular presence to deter looting and vandalism, and reporting these activities when they occur. The site stewardship program officially got off the ground in 2007 with a meeting between the Bureau of Land Management, the State Historic Preservation Office, and several site stewards interested in preserving Wyoming s cultural resources. The initial two-day Wyoming Site Stewardship training took place this past summer in Pinedale, Wyoming. The Wardell site, in addition to getting site stabilization, is now under the supervision of Wyoming Site Stewards. The Wardell Buffalo Trap, which contains the earliest known evidence of a communal bison kill and trap involving the use of the bow and arrow on the Northwestern Plains, was excavated by the University of Wyoming in the early1970s. Excavations at the Wardell Buffalo Trap resulted in the discovery of post-holes defining a trap boundary, several hearth structures both within the bone bed and adjacent processing area, over 450 projectile points, pottery sherds, ground stone, the remains of over 230 individual bison, and hundreds of tools. In whole, over four tons of archaeological material was recovered. The Wardell site can be placed into a larger context within the Upper Green River Basin settlement system as other sites in the vicinity of the Wardell site are akin to bison trapping and imply that Wardell is a centrally located component of a large procurement system. Dr. George C. Frison of the University of Wyoming originally excavated the Wardell site in 1970, and although site publicity has been kept relatively low considering the importance of the site, vandalism and theft of artifacts still occurs. The Wardell Buffalo Trap has greatly improved our understanding of late prehistoric human buffalo procurement and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wardell Buffalo Trap has sustained substantial adverse effects through natural erosion from heavy rains during the summer and fall of 2004 and vandalism during the spring and early summer of 2005, making the site a good candidate for a site steward. Supplementary information relating to the excavations of the Wardell site can be found in Prehistoric Hunters of the High Plains (1978 1st Ed., 2nd Ed. 1991) 12

13 and The Wardell Buffalo Trap 48 SU 301: Communal Procurement in the Upper Green River Basin, Wyoming (1973). Two sites, the Wardell Buffalo Trap and Names Hill, are currently being monitored with several more sites planned to receive monitoring soon. The primary objective of the stewardship program is to periodically monitor selected cultural resources to maintain a record of resource condition. Information collected by stewards will include evidence of new vandalism or looting and evidence that the resource may be deteriorating from natural conditions or inadvertently from human activity at and near the site. Information on vandalism and looting, reported promptly, can greatly increase the effectiveness of investigation, and in some instances, act to thwart further site destruction. Information on other conditions that may be affecting a site is used to improve general site management. Each volunteer site steward has responsibility for one or more particular sites and works with a site stewardship field coordinator to establish the monitoring requirements for each site. The following responsibilities of the site steward are carried out in consultation with the site stewardship program field coordinator: Monitoring sites on a regular basis on an agreed upon schedule. Establishing a photo monitoring system, including photomonitoring points Filling out monitoring forms after each visit and providing them to the field coordinator. Reporting any changes in condition to the field coordinator, reporting as soon as possible any evidence of new vandalism or looting. Assisting with updating site records as needed and reporting any unrecorded cultural resources that may be observed to the field coordinator. Notifying the field coordinator if unable to perform a monitoring trip. Sharing your itinerary with someone who can alert authorities in the event that you do not return home as scheduled. The Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Wyoming sponsor the Wyoming Site Stewardship Program jointly, and these two agencies exercise oversight of the program. Other agencies, organizations and individuals are invited to become sponsors or official supporters of the program. To learn more about becoming a Wyoming site steward, please contact Joseph Daniele (307) or John Laughlin (307) at the SHPO or Judyth Reed at the Wyoming BLM. Commission Established to Celebrate the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Kara Hahn, National Register Program Coordinator, SHPO Wyoming is one of only fourteen states to establish a commission to celebrate the bicentennial of Lincoln s birthday. The commission, composed of fourteen historians and educators, wishes to use this opportunity to educate the public about President Lincoln and his profound impact on our state. Abraham Lincoln proved instrumental to Wyoming s development and his influence is evidenced today by the presence of his name. The state founders considered naming the state Lincoln and Lincoln County was named after him, as was the Lincoln Highway and the Lincoln Monument. His support for the transcontinental railroad proved instrumental in the expansion of the territory and eventually the state. In addition, the 1862 Homestead Act, signed by Lincoln, helped lead to the settlement of Wyoming. Over the course of the next year, the commission will plan and organize events that honor the sixteenth President and provide educational opportunities for the community. For more information, please contact Kara Hahn at or khahn@state.wy.us. 13

14 Archaeological Survey at Independence Rock David G. Eckles, Director, OWSA The Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist (OWSA) Survey Section performed a cultural resource survey at the Independence Rock State Historic Site in September This type of survey is an intensive ground surface reconnaissance that identifies physical evidence of archaeological and historic sites. Six segments of the Oregon Trail were found, as were two new prehistoric sites, one new historic artifact scatter, and a historic fireplace possibly dating to the Oregon Trail era. The Oregon Trail segments were located on all sides of the Independence Rock outcrop. They encircle the Rock and several merge together. In places, there are at least two parallel sets of ruts over 60 feet wide that cut rather deeply into the ground (see figures), indicating there may have been two or more lanes of wagons moving around the rock at the same time. Some historic artifacts (food cans and bottle glass) date to the Oregon Trail era, and a long abandoned fire place was very close to one of the trail segments. We like to refer to Independence Rock as the first truck stop (i.e. wagon stop) in Wyoming. These segments are in an excellent state of preservation and they convey the feeling and association of the 1840s to 1860s historic period in which they were created. Segment with parallel ruts. Segment with deep ruts. 14

15 Wyoming s Comprehensive Statewide Historic Preservation Plan Completed Judy Wolf, Chief of Planning and Historic Context Development Program, SHPO Wyoming s Comprehensive Statewide Historic Preservation Plan was approved by the National Park Service in December The plan guides the actions and sets the priorities for historic preservation activity in Wyoming through Developed in consultation with our preservation partners, the plan identifies goals and strategies for addressing historic preservation challenges in Wyoming. Members of the preservation community in Wyoming asked us to develop a plan that provided specific goals for SHPO programs they work with on a regular basis. The plan provides a summary of each SHPO program with specific goals and strategies for these programs. Success stories, submitted by preservationists from across the state and by SHPO staff, are included throughout the plan. These stories illustrate the variety of ongoing efforts by communities, agencies, and preservation organizations to preserve Wyoming s history. The Comprehensive Statewide Historic Preservation Plan is Cover of the State Historic Preservation Plan available on the SHPO Web site at SHPOweb2002/2002webpages/ contexts.htm or by contacting the State Historic Preservation Office. Governor Honors Mabel Brown for Lifetime Commitment to Wyoming s History Kara Hahn, National Register Program Coordinator, SHPO The State of Wyoming had the opportunity to honor the long-time resident and innovative historian, Mabel Brown. On September 19, 2007, Governor Freudenthal recognized her achievements by proclaiming Mabel Brown Day. He urged the people of Wyoming to honor Mabel for her lifetime efforts in the service of Wyoming history and culture. After this ceremony at the State Capitol, the historic Plains Hotel hosted a luncheon in her honor. Over the course of four decades, Mabel Brown published a magazine, Bits and Pieces, wrote four books, and hosted a radio talk show. She served on the Wyoming National Register Review Board and held nearly every office of the Wyoming Historical Society, including a founding member of the Weston County Chapter. The State Historic Preservation Office organized this event as a tribute to Mabel Brown and her efforts to preserve the history of Wyoming. According to her daughter, Mabel described this as the most important day of her life. Governor Dave Freudenthal congratulates Mabel Brown during the September ceremony. Photo by Richard Collier. 15

16 Student Spotlight The Wyoming SHPO offers student internships each semester to University of Wyoming graduate and undergraduate students. Contact Steve Sutter at or Mary Hopkins at to apply. Hillary Jones, SHPO Intern and her mother, Kerry Anderson of Greybull, Wyoming, at the artist s reception for the White House Christmas Tree, November The Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Christmas Tree Ornament, designed by Hillary Jones, White House Christmas Ornaments Depict Two of Our National Parks Hillary Jones, SHPO Intern and University of Wyoming Anthropology student While working as an archaeologist for Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area last summer, an announcement was made that Laura Bush had decided on a National Park theme for the 2007 White House Christmas tree. This would entail the painting of large ornaments to represent each of the 391 National parks, Historic Sites, Monuments and Recreation Areas. Each park was to choose an artist to decorate one of the cantaloupe-size ornaments to represent their park. The artist would then be invited to Washington D.C. for a reception at the White House. After submitting sketches of my ideas to our park superintendent, I was ultimately chosen to depict the Bighorn Canyon ornament! But unexpectedly, I was also selected to paint the ornament of another nearby park, Little Bighorn Battlefield. Our superintendent manages both parks and decided I was the best woman for both jobs! For the Bighorn Canyon ornament, I painted a wrap-around view of the Devil s Canyon Overlook. This was very difficult to do on a spherical surface; it was something like fitting a world map back onto a globe. In addition, I included a wild mustang and bighorn ram, the park s most iconic animals. The Little Bighorn Battlefield ornament features the concrete monument on Last Stand Hill overlooking a group of white marble gravestones. On the other side of the piece are a Lakota warrior grave marker and a soldier s headstone situated in a broad grassy valley. Over the top of the ornament is a coup stick with eagle feathers flying in the wind crossed with a 7th cavalry guidon flag. In November, I traveled to Washington D.C. for the artist s reception at the White House. I saw all of the ornaments displayed on the official Christmas tree, an 18-foot high Fraser fir located in the Blue Room. I will never forget standing next to the huge tree decked with hundreds of ornaments and looking out the front window of the White House. It s not a view many people get to see and I am very honored to have had the opportunity. 16

17 SHPO Intern Attends 2007 Field School in Jamestown, Virginia Ashley Mowl, SHPO Intern and University of Wyoming Anthropology student This summer I had the opportunity to go to Jamestown, Virginia, and participate in Jamestown s 2007 field school. Aside from the first day, with activities including a $100 taxi fee, getting lost in Williamsburg, Virginia (I know, who would have thought?), finding my dorm, and obtaining my peanut butter and jelly food ration, my arrival in Virginia went smoothly. During my six weeks in Virginia, I learned excavation techniques, site methodology, survey, mapping, curation methods including: washing, sorting, cataloguing, and storing of artifacts, and conservation methods. I understand that each site is different when it comes to all of the above, but I came away from Jamestown with a basic knowledge and understanding of these important (and meticulous) aspects of archaeology. The wonderful thing about Jamestown is that it had history before it was settled, and a history after it was abandoned. During excavations, my peers and I would find anything and everything from arrowheads, Native American pottery, civil war gun platforms, musketballs, European pottery, potters dams, aglets, cloak pins, sprew, animal bone, halberd heads, gunpowder, and the list goes on and on. Basic field methods were not all that I learned during my trip. I learned about colonial archaeology, historic and prehistoric archaeology of the area, the history of the area, zooarchaeology, bioarchaeology, and architectural archaeology. While all of these are important, the most significant part of my studying in Jamestown came in the form of Public Archaeology. Because Jamestown is in the public eye more than other sites, I was able to become involved in educating the public on Jamestown and archaeology in general. Other than dealing with the (monstrous) cockroaches and humidity, my field experience in Ashley Mowl during Jamestown s 2007 field school. Virginia was amazing. I have come away from that experience with lasting friendships, future colleagues, and a greater understanding of, and respect for, archaeology. UWAR a Great Opportunity for Students The University of Wyoming Archaeological Repository (UWAR) is a University of Wyoming facility managed by employees of OWSA. Seven university students, five of whom are working on graduate degrees, are currently employed by the repository through grant monies and box fees collected for curation of collections. Student involvement at UWAR includes, but is not limited to, the cataloging of pre-existing collections, data entry and verification, and packaging and labeling the collections to current standards. The atmosphere maintained by the repository staff allows for students to explore several areas of archaeological research not necessarily encountered in course work and to perfect their skills in artifact and faunal analysis. 17

18 A R T S. PA R K S. H I S Y. Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office 2301 Central Avenue Cheyenne, WY Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 7 Cheyenne, WY Visit us on the Web at Best Out West Grain Elevator, Clearmont. Photos by Richard Collier In this issue: Year in Review Fossil Cabin Nominated to National Register...3 The Wyoming Bighorn Sheep Trap Location and Mapping Project Advances in Wyoming Archaeology Awareness Month Celebrated in September...5 Doors Open on the New UW Anthropology Building...6 Centennial Farm and Ranch Program Honors Thirty-Three Families in Wyoming CLGs Complete Wide of Array of Grant Projects Preserve Wyoming Archaeology in the Jonah Field a Programmatic Approach Educational Documentary to Portray Shoshone Culture th Anniversary New Deal Celebration...11 Work is Underway for a Military Sites Context for Wyoming: A. D The Wyoming Site Stewardship Program Sees Early Success Commission Established to Celebrate the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial...13 Archaeological Survey at Independence Rock...14 Wyoming s Comprehensive Statewide Historic Preservation Plan Completed...15 Governor Honors Mabel Brown for Lifetime Commitment to Wyoming s History...15 Student Spotlight If you would like to make a comment or suggestion, please contact Audrey York at (307) or ayork@state.wy.us.