An Intensive Survey Of 1.9-Acres On The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas

In January 2015, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville (UTRGVB) (Client) contracted with Raba Kistner Environmental, Inc. (RKEI) to perform an intensive cultural resources survey of approximately 2.5-acres for the proposed construction of a new Academic Educational Building on the UTRGVB Campus, Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. A previous survey in 2002 investigated 0.6-acres of the southern portion of the APE reducing the current project area to 1.9-acres. The project is owned by the UTRGVB. Since the project area is currently owned by a political subdivision of the state, the project falls under the Antiquities Code of Texas as administered by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The project is located near the historic site of Fort Brown (41CF96) which is designated as a National Register District. The purpose of the survey was to determine whether historic or prehistoric cultural resources are located within the Area of Potential Effect (APE), and if so, assess their significance and eligibility for formal designation as State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs) and for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The project was carried out between February 5 and 6, 2015 under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 7170. Dr. Steve A. Tomka served as Principal Investigator. Kristi Miller Nichols and Mark Luzmoor served as Co-Project Archaeologist, and they were assisted by Cyndi Dickey during the field work. Six shovel tests (STs) and two backhoe trenches were excavated within the APE. Surface visibility was around 80% in approximately two-thirds of the APE. Surface visibility was under 5% throughout the rest of the property. No buried or surface-exposed historic or prehistoric materials or features were encountered during the survey. Therefore, our assessment is that the project will not impact significant historic properties and/or cultural deposits. As a result, RKEI suggests that the project may proceed as planned. No cultural materials were encountered during the field work and all project-related documents are permanently housed at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory

A Pedestrian Survey Of A Temporary Building Pad Site And A 1000-Ft Roadway Segment On The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville Campus, Cameron County, Texas

In June 2015, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville (UTRGVB) (Client) contracted with Raba Kistner Environmental, Inc. (RKEI) to perform an intensive cultural resources survey for a temporary building pad site and a 1000-ft. road segment and accompanying parking lot to be constructed on the UTRGVB Campus, Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. In addition, the asphalt pavement over an existing parking lot was to be removed. The project is sponsored and the right-ofway is owned by the University. Given these parameters, the project falls under the jurisdiction of the Antiquities Code of Texas as administered by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The project is located near historic Fort Brown (41CF96), a National Register of Historic Places District. The purpose of the survey was to determine whether historic or prehistoric cultural resources are located within the Area of Potential Effect (APE), and if so, assess their significance and eligibility for formal designation as State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs) and for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The project was carried out on June 12, 2015 under Texas Antiquities Committee Permit No. 7307. Dr. Steve A. Tomka served as Principal Investigator and Mark Luzmoor was the Project Archaeologist. Upon arrival to the project area, it was apparent that construction activities for the temporary building and pad site had already begun. The 1000-ft road segment had been graded just prior to the investigation. Therefore, the field work consisted of the visual inspection of the graded areas and shovel testing along the roadway in search of shallowly buried cultural materials. Having been shallowly graded, surface visibility was 100% throughout the APE. Reconnaissance of the right-of-way identified no cultural features exposed on surface. In addition, examination of the soils that had been piled near the ROW discovered no cultural materials what would have been scraped off the original surface during grading. Finally, the four shovel tests (STs) that were excavated along the APE identified no buried or surface-exposed historic or prehistoric materials or features. Therefore, while the project area has been impacted by grading prior to the inception of the field investigations, the oversight actually created a high surface visibility context that improved the potential to encounter shallowly buried cultural deposits and features. Despite this high visibility and the excavation of a small number of shovel tests, no prehistoric or historic cultural deposits were noted during the field investigations. As a result, since the proposed and already underway project will not impact cultural deposits, RKEI suggests that the project may proceed as planned. All project-related documents are permanently housed at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory

An Intensive Cultural Resources Survey For Goforth Road Between IH-35 And Kyle Parkway, Kyle, Hays County, Texas

In December 2014, Lockwood, Andrews & Newman, Inc. (Client) contracted with Raba Kistner Environmental, Inc. (RKEI) to perform an intensive cultural resources survey along Goforth Road between Interstate Highway (IH)-35 and Kyle Parkway for the expansion of the Right-Of-Way (ROW) and the installation of storm sewer inlets, manholes and one bridge in Kyle, Hays County, Texas. The purpose of this survey was to determine whether cultural resources were located within the Area of Potential Effect (APE), and if feasible, assess their significance and eligibility for designation as State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs) and for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The project was sponsored by the City of Kyle and the owner of the project is the City of Kyle owns the road and its ROW. Since the ROW is owned by a political subdivision of the state, the project falls under the Antiquities Code of Texas as administered by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The field work was carried out between December 29-30, 2014 under Texas Antiquities Committee Permit No. 7117 issued to Dr. Steve A. Tomka, who served as Principal Investigator. Mark Luzmoor was the Project Archaeologist and Kristi Nichols and Chris Murray assisted during the field work. Background research revealed that no previously recorded archaeological sites are located within the boundary of the APE. However, there are two archaeology sites, seven historical markers and four National Register Properties, within a one mile radius but outside of the APE. A total of 16 shovel tests (STs) were excavated within the APE. Surface visibility was around 10% throughout the APE. Due to extensive disturbances of the banks of Plum Creek, no backhoe trenches were excavated during the project. No artifacts were encountered in any shovel test or on surface during the pedestrian survey. Since no cultural deposits were encountered, RKEI recommends no further archaeological work within the project boundaries. All project related documents are permanently housed at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory

Proposed Salado Creek Trail, Lions Park Lake to SE Military Drive, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

In December 2015, Vickrey & Associates, Inc. (Client) contracted with Raba Kistner Environmental, Inc. (RKEI), to perform an intensive pedestrian survey for a proposed 3.2 mile hike and bike trail along Salado Creek near San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The proposed trail is an extension of the existing South Salado Creek Greenway Trail which was installed in 2008. The project is owned by the City of San Antonio. Since the project area is currently owned by a political subdivision of the state, the project falls under the Antiquities Code of Texas as administered by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The purpose of the survey was to determine whether historic or prehistoric cultural resources are located within the Area of Potential Effect (APE), and, if so, assess their significance and eligibility for designation as State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs) and for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The project was carried out in early January 2016 under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 7491. Dr. Steve A. Tomka served as Principal Investigator. Kristi Nichols served as the Project Archaeologist, and Mark Luzmoor served as field technician. Several circumstances delayed the completion of the survey. Construction activities for a new apartment complex hindered the survey along the northern portion. During the survey, it was noted that the trail was to be placed on portions of an already laid cart path from the Pecan Valley Golf Club that was in this area from 1963-2012. Furthermore, because the golf course had fill brought in to build up the fairways and greens, no shovel tests or backhoe trenches were placed in these areas. Right-of-Entry issues also delayed progress within the golf course as well. Weather also postponed the survey due to wet and muddy conditions. One backhoe trench (BHT) and 19 shovel tests (STs) were excavated within the APE. Surface visibility was around 90 percent throughout the APE. No buried or surface-exposed historic or prehistoric materials were encountered during the survey. All documents collected during the course of the project were returned to the RKEI Archaeological Laboratory for processing. All project related documents, are permanently housed at the RKEI Laboratory. No cultural material was collected over the course of the project

Archaeological Monitoring of the Demolition of a Historic Cistern Unassociated with the Stegman Building, Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas

Raba Kistner Environmental, Inc. (RKEI) was contracted by Muñoz & Company (CLIENT) to conduct archaeological monitoring association with the proposed partial demolition of a historic cistern located within the footprint but under the floor of the historic Stegman Building, in Brownsville’s Historic Downtown District, Cameron County, Texas. The monitoring was requested by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and was initiated by the fact that the age of the cistern feature and its association with the Stegman Building was not clearly known. The Stegman Building, the Area of Potential Effect (APE), is located at the intersection of East 11th Street and East Washington Streets, in downtown Brownsville. Figure 1 depicts the APE on the East Brownsville (2597-433) USGS 7.5 Minute Quadrangle Map. The Stegman Building was erected in 1912 and is named for Baldwin G. Stegman, who came to Brownsville in 1905 and was an investor in the city’s first streetcar line. Plans call for the School of Music of the University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley to move its music academy into the renovated building. The cistern was uncovered during on-going rehabilitation of the building and while it was suspected that the feature was not functionally related to the Stegman Building this was not established with certainly prior to the need to partially demolish the feature. Since the Stegman Building is a historic property, therefore, the archaeological monitoring and related services were requested by the THC to document the construction methods and morphology of the feature and collect temporally diagnostic artifacts that may document the age of the feature. In addition, archival research was to also be carried out to compile additional information related to the approximate year of construction of the cistern and its relationship to homesteads that stood nearby

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

In December 2014, Vickery and Associates (Client) contracted with Raba Kistner Environmental, Inc. (RKEI) to perform an intensive cultural resources survey of approximately 111-acres for the proposed Town Creek/Haeckerville Road Levee Project in Cibolo, Guadalupe County, Texas. The City of Cibolo is proposing improvements to the floodplain of Town Creek in Guadalupe County, Texas. The project consists of approximately 1.5 miles of drainage improvements, channel modifications, and minor levee or earth embankment construction along Town Creek. The project also will involve the reconstruction of Haeckerville Road and modifications to Schaeffer Road from S. Main to Haeckerville Road. The project easement is owned by a mix of City and private landowners. The archaeological crews investigated all but one private property for which no Right-of-Entry was secured prior to the field work. The purpose of this survey was to determine whether historic or prehistoric cultural resources are located within the Area of Potential Effect (APE), and if so, assess the significance and eligibility for designation as State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs) and for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The project was carried out between January 5 and 8, 2015 under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 7123. Dr. Steve A. Tomka served as Principal Investigator. Kristi Miller Nichols served as the Project Archaeologist and Mark Luzmoor, Chris Murray and Cyndi Dickey served as field technicians. A total of 34 shovel tests (STs) and three backhoe trenches were excavated within the APE. Surface visibility was around 90% throughout the APE. No buried or surface-exposed prehistoric materials were encountered during the survey. A historic homestead, 41GU169, was documented near the southern terminus of the project area. Two shovel tests excavated within the boundaries of the site were positive for historic materials. The historic site is a farmstead that likely was constructed circa 1920s. It is recommended that the site is potentially eligible for listing on the NRHP and for formal designation as a State Antiquities Landmark. Proposed project plans call for the acquisition of an access-easement thorough the site. This easement may impact one dilapidated outbuilding found on the site. No other negative impacts are expected. A second historic farmstead may be present on the property that could not be accessed during the survey. No detailed information exists on the condition of this site and therefore its eligibility cannot be assessed. With regards to the remainder of the project area, RKEI recommends that since construction activities will extend to a depth of 20 feet below surface, construction monitoring be carried out to document any cultural materials that may be buried below the reach of the current project activities (i.e. 1.5 meters or 5.5–feet). All project related documents, are permanently housed at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory. No cultural material was collect over the course of the project

Archaeological Investigations Associated With The 1886 Hidalgo County Courthouse And Jail, Hidalgo County, Texas

EGV Architects Inc. (Client), on the behalf of the City of Hidalgo, contracted with Raba Kistner Environmental, Inc. (RKEI) to perform archaeological services in support of the on-going restoration to the Old Hidalgo County Courthouse and Jail located in Hidalgo, Hidalgo County, Texas. Services requested included the documentation of two historic cisterns present in the vicinity of the Courthouse and Old Jail Building and the mapping of foundations recently uncovered during the restoration of the Courthouse Building. The Courthouse and Jail were constructed simultaneously in 1886 by S.W. Brooks and were listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1980 (THC 2016). The Courthouse originally served as the Hidalgo County Courthouse until the county seat was moved to Chapin (later Edinburg) in 1908. The original structure was two-stories, with a cupola. The roof, cupola, and entire second story were destroyed in a fire on Sunday January 18, 1920 (Le Meschacebe 1920). The building later served as an immigration and customs facility. Historic photographs and aerials depict a wall that surrounded the Jail and a probable guard house on the southeast corner within the wall. The tract of land the Courthouse and Jail currently stand contains at least two historic cisterns, one still extending above the existing ground surface (Cistern 1) and another that is currently buried below a functioning parking lot (Cistern 2). A third historic cistern, located at the northwestern corner of the courthouse, is also associated with the courthouse and jail, but is not located within the current project area. In addition to these cisterns, recent excavations for the installation of utilities also uncovered a series of shallowly-buried foundations. The network of these foundations was not been fully exposed. Their exact relationships to each other and to the standing structures on the Courthouse grounds are not well understood. The project had two principal goals. The first goal was to map the recently uncovered foundations that were discovered during the installation of utilities associated with the site. Secondly, RKEI was to collect cultural materials encountered if midden or trash deposits contemporaneous with the use of the Courthouse were revealed during the re-exposure of the foundations. A minimal number of cultural materials, consisting mostly of glass and ceramic, were observed during investigations. As a result of the project, RKEI archaeologists were able to uncover, map, photograph and profile several features within the project area. The edges of the known cistern just south of the jail (Cistern 1) ii were exposed to determine the cistern’s diameter. The buried cistern under the parking lot just east of the Jail (Cistern 2) was uncovered and profiled. The four corners of the original wall that surrounded the Jail were all exposed. The foundations of the guard house located at the southeast corner of the Jail wall were uncovered and documented. Finally, the original brick-lined storm water drains that led from both the Courthouse and Jail to the cistern extending above the existing ground surface just south of the Jail (Cistern 1) were exposed and documented. All exposed features were documented as archaeological site 41HG260. Since the project area is currently owned by a political subdivision of the state, the project fell under the Antiquities Code of Texas as administered by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The proposed impacts to a property that is listed on the National Register had to conform to the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as administered by the Texas Historical Commission. The monitoring was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 7808. Dr. Steve A. Tomka served as Principal Investigator, Mark P. Luzmoor served as Project Archaeologist, and Tomás Cruz served as field technician. Stephen Walker, Landscape Architect and volunteer on the project, aided with excavations and provided insight into the locations of features within the courthouse complex. All field records, photographs, and diagnostic cultural materials collected during investigations will be curated at the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio

Archaeological Investigations and Monitoring of the Installation of a Water Line along Cunningham Avenue Near the Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

In the fall of 2016, Raba Kistner Environmental Inc. (RKEI) contracted with K Friese & Associates (CLIENT) to monitor the installation of a San Antonio Water System (SAWS) waterline along Cunningham Avenue (Ave.), between Broadway Street (St.) and N. Pine St., along the northern fence line of Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston (JBSA-FSH) and the old Playland Park property. SAWS plans to install waterlines along four distinct locations surrounding JBSA-FSH. Of the four proposed waterlines, only one waterline has the potential of impacting a recorded archaeological site. The proposed waterline warranting archaeological investigation is located along Cunningham Ave. and is projected to intersect the known route of the Acequia de Valero (Acequia de Valero) also known as archaeological site 41BX8. As the utility installation is located on land owned by the City of San Antonio, a political subdivision of the State, and funding will be partially derived from public sources; the project is subject to review under the Antiquities Code of Texas (Texas Natural Resource Code, Title 9, Chapter 191) which protects historic resources found on state lands or lands owned by a political subdivision of the state. Additionally, the project is subjected to review by the City of San Antonio under the City of San Antonio’s Preservation Ordinance (Article VI, Historic Preservation and Urban Design, City of San Antonio, Unified Development Code). All work was performed in accordance with the Council of Texas Archeologists (CTA) and Texas Historical Commission (THC) Survey Standards, under Texas Antiquities Committee Permit No. 7833. Kristi Miller Nichols served as Principal Investigator and Mark Luzmoor served as Project Archaeologist. Assistant City Archaeologist, Matt Elverson was present during the exposure and documentation of the acequia. The Acequia de Valero was the first irrigation canal excavated by the Spanish colonists in the upper San Antonio River drainage. The construction of the canal began in January of 1719 for the purpose of transporting water to the agricultural fields of Mission San Antonio de Valero. Previous research conducted by RKEI within the former Playland Park property, south of the current project area, revealed a portion of the Acequia de Valero. Due to the potential of the acequia extending into the project area, the City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation (COSA-OHP) requested that RKEI monitored the mechanical excavation of a 1,000-foot portion of the waterline along Cunningham Ave., specifically focusing on an approximately 66-feet (20 meter [m]) area where the project route of the Acequia de Valero intersects Cunningham Ave. Prior to the installation of the SAWS waterline, the COSA-OHP requested that a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey be conducted to determine if the acequia alignment is still present within the project area. Additionally, the COSA-OHP requested that an exploratory trench be excavated in the area where the acequia crosses the APE, in an attempt to identify and document the acequia. On November 28, 2016, Kristi Miller Nichols and Cynthia Dickey conducted the GPR survey; however, no distinguishable anomalies were detected within in the GPR data. Therefore, on March 7, 2017, monitoring of the exploratory trenching began of an approximately 20 m long trench. The purpose of excavation of the trench was to determine if remnants of the acequia existed within the project area, prior to installation of the waterline. Due to the many layers of fill within the acequia at this location, it was difficult to identify the channel during excavation of the trench. After sections of the trench were excavated, an archaeologist entered the trench and cleared the trench walls to carefully inspect each profile for any signs of the acequia. Approximately 140 m to the east of the intersection of Broadway/Cunningham Ave., there appeared to be an outline of a ditch. Based on the location of the alignment of the acequia on historic maps and further investigations of the profiles, it was determined to be the Acequia de Valero. The north wall profile of the trench revealed the acequia to be approximately 4.15 m wide at the top of the channel and 70 centimeters (cm) wide at its base. The base of the acequia was 1.24 m below the top of the asphalt and neither the base nor its walls were lined. The south wall profile of the trench revealed that the acequia had been partially impacted on this southern edge as it was only 2.9 m wide. The southern wall profile revealed that the eastern end of the acequia was offset from the northern wall, approximately 60 cm to the east, indicating that the trench crosscut the acequia at an angle. Some similarities were noticed between this portion of the acequia and that uncovered within Playland Park, although, the Playland Park portion appears to have been truncated. Similarities between the two sections included the soil types encountered (i.e. the dark soil with cultural material). Once the documentation of the trench walls was complete the trench was filled in. After consultation with the THC and COSA-OHP, SAWS was permitted to install the waterline in the already excavated trench. No further investigations are recommended for this project as long as excavations did not further impact the acequia. All field records and photographs produced during investigations were curated at the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio

Proposed Salado Creek Trail, Lions Park Lake to SE Military Drive, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

In December 2015, Vickrey & Associates, Inc. (Client) contracted with Raba Kistner Environmental, Inc. (RKEI), to perform an intensive pedestrian survey for a proposed 3.2 mile hike and bike trail along Salado Creek near San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The proposed trail is an extension of the existing South Salado Creek Greenway Trail which was installed in 2008. The project is owned by the City of San Antonio. Since the project area is currently owned by a political subdivision of the state, the project falls under the Antiquities Code of Texas as administered by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The purpose of the survey was to determine whether historic or prehistoric cultural resources are located within the Area of Potential Effect (APE), and, if so, assess their significance and eligibility for designation as State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs) and for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The project was carried out in early January 2016 under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 7516. Dr. Steve A. Tomka served as Principal Investigator. Kristi Nichols served as the Project Archaeologist, and Mark Luzmoor served as field technician. Several circumstances delayed the completion of the survey. Construction activities for a new apartment complex hindered the survey along the northern portion. During the survey, it was noted that the trail was to be placed on portions of an already laid cart path from the Pecan Valley Golf Club that was in this area from 1963-2012. Furthermore, because the golf course had fill brought in to build up the fairways and greens, no shovel tests or backhoe trenches were placed in these areas. Right-of-Entry issues also delayed progress within the golf course as well. Weather also postponed the survey due to wet and muddy conditions. One backhoe trench (BHT) and 19 shovel tests (STs) were excavated within the APE. Surface visibility was around 90 percent throughout the APE. No buried or surface-exposed historic or prehistoric materials were encountered during the survey. All documents collected during the course of the project were returned to the RKEI Archaeological Laboratory for processing. All project related documents, are permanently housed at the RKEI Laboratory. No cultural material was collected over the course of the project

A Cultural Resources Survey Of The Proposed Water And Sewer Line Project On SH-16 Helotes, Bexar County, Texas

In November 2014, LNV Engineers (CLIENT) contracted with Raba Kistner Environmental, Inc. (RKEI) to perform an intensive cultural resources survey along State Highway (SH) 16 for a proposed water and sewer line project in Helotes, Bexar County, Texas. The project occurred within the existing SH-16 Rightof Way (ROW). The purpose of this survey was to locate surface exposed or buried cultural deposits with the project area. The project is sponsored by the City of Helotes. Therefore, the proposed project falls under the Antiquities Code of Texas as administered by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The project was carried out between November 24-26, 2014 under Texas Antiquities Committee Permit No. 7087 issued to Dr. Steve A. Tomka, who served as Principal Investigator. Mark Luzmoor served as the Project Archaeologist and Chris Murray served as the field technician. Background research carried out prior to the fieldwork revealed no known archaeological sites within or in the vicinity of the Area of Potential Effect (APE). One historical marker is present within the APE. Although there are no archaeological sites within the boundary of the APE, there are ten sites, three historical markers, and one National Register Property within a one mile radius of the project area. A total of 26 shovel tests (ST) were excavated within the APE. Due to the lack of deep soils within the APE, no backhoe trenches were excavated. No buried artifacts were encountered during shovel testing and none were noted on surface during the pedestrian survey. Since no cultural deposits were encountered, RKEI does not recommend that further archaeological investigations within the project boundaries and the proposed project can proceed as planned. All documents generated during the course of the project are permanently housed at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory (TARL)