Archaeological Survey for Road Construction on State Road 44, Shelbyville, Shelby County, Indiana

Abstract

At the request of the Indiana Department of Transportation (InDOT), the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University (GBL) conducted a Phase Ia archaeological reconnaissance survey for proposed road construction on State Road 44 from 0.45 km (0.28 miles) east of the north junction of State Road 9 to County Road 325E in Shelbyville, Shelby County, Indiana. The proposed project corridor right-of-way measures approximately 15.2 meters north and 15.2 meters south of the current SR 44 centerline, resulting in a total corridor width of roughly 30 meters. The GBL surveyed the entire project corridor, a total of approximately 16.8 acres. The purposes of the survey were 1) to identify and document all of the cultural resources in the project area, 2) to evaluate any sites found with regard to their eligibility for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures (IRHS S), and 3) to make recommendations for the protection of significant and potentially significant sites. Fieldwork was conducted August 16, 2000 by GBL archaeologists Jeff Brown and Jeff Laswell. No previously unrecorded archaeological resources were identified during survey. An historical marker located on the north side of SR 44 identifies the location of "Indiana's First Railroad." The GBL believes that the currently proposed project area does not have the potential to provide any additional, potentially significant information about this railroad. No further archaeological work is recommended for the location identified by the historical marker. A modern railroad grade is located along the northern side of SR 44, within the project area. No evidence for structural remains potentially associated with the railroad or its use (i.e. depots) were discovered during survey. The GBL recommends that the railroad grade is unlikely to yield any additional information about Indiana history in the region. No further archaeological work is recommended for the railroad grade. Cultural resource clearance is therefore recommended for the proposed road construction project, provided that all earth-moving activities are restricted to the currently defined project area boundaries.