Brown's Mount Association
 



Timbering in 2007

bmount_Timbered_2007.jpg



 
   
Hey,

I took the archaeology club to Brown's Mount today. Guess what? It has been
timbered! Either the DNR or the Fish & Wildlife timbered the top of Brown's
Mount, probably about three months ago. They cut the pines, probably because
of pine beetles. When a logging operation starts, they come in with a
bulldozer and clear a loading area for the loader machine to load the trees
onto the trucks. The loading area is on top of the 1960's excavation of the
square earthlodge site, so I assume it got bulldozed. You can't see if for
the tree tops and limbs laying on the ground. They drove on top of Little
Mound (on the summit) and cut three trees off of it. Parts of the ridge
trail along the western cliffs are blocked by fallen trees and it has been
timbered right up to the edge of it. I have attached a map that shows the
logged area. I didn't walk along the eastern side, so my map may not be
entirely accurate. The State owns the land and the Fish & Wildlife operates
it under a long term lease. I had just heard that they were going to open it
to the public this month.

Who wants to go see a logging area? It pisses me off to have worked so hard
and then seen it sit dormant for a decade and then to have the State or DNR
timber it and set back its tourism/recreational potential another decade or
more. I am sure there is no landscaping plan to restore the damage. I
believe they did not know where the square earthlodge was and probably not
Little Mound.

This is not a Wildlife Management Area, it is supposed to be a public park.
I imagine they didn't get a land disturbing permit and they may be exempt
from it.

I will call the Fish & Wildlife tomorrow and ask for details. Don't do
anything right now, except go out to see Brown's Mount, to see what you
think of it.

I hate the damage, but I think this can and should be turned to symbolize
the need to transfer this land to the National Park Service or the Muscogee
Nation. I think we need to make a big deal in the media about how bad this
is. How can we save anything if this is how it is treated?  I wish we didn't
have to point out how bad the DNR or Fish & Wildlife is because that hurts
our cause, but it should be pointed out. They closed Stone Creek to canoeing
for invalid reasons pertaining to deceleration lanes, but the parking lot
could not hold the number of cars that would be needed to justify a
deceleration lane. This shows how ludicrous it is to manage Bond Swamp from
40 miles away. They are also planning to timber parts of the Bond Swamp
Refuge. I would like to see their plans now. It shows tremendous
insensitivity to the Native American significance and archaeological
significance of Brown's Mount, as well as the tourism potential. From
bulldozing the Simmon's house to building a parking lot, bathrooms and a
pavilion 1/4 mile away from Brown's Mount to opening it only on the weekends
for guided tours to timbering it, what has gone right?

The Monument is doing a study on expanding the Monument's boundaries. Now is
the time to promote outrage at this action and to promote its inclusion as
part of the Monument or, if the Muscogee's will push for it, for Muscogee
ownership of Brown's Mount.

I want to find out the details first and then spread the word to select
people and get everyone on the same page about a strategy to get Brown's
Mount out of the Fish & Wildlife's hands. This could also impact the EPE by
raising the attention level of the public about the destruction of
significant Native American sites.

So, I'll write back tomorrow.

Also, my email went down a few days ago, so if anyone sent me anything in
the last 5 days, please resend it.

John


Hey, the DNR did it. I talked to the Forestry guy and he didn't know
anything about Brown's Mount, except it had beetles, so they timbered it.
They were debating whether to do anything else, like plant pines or
hardwoods there or clear the areas with a bushhog or burn the logged areas.
Haven't read any emails yet, but will when I get back.

Gotta go
Later,

John


Hello,

Please forward this email and express your opinions.

I walked up Brown's Mount this weekend and was shocked to find that much of
the summit had been timbered. The loading area was located right over the
site of the square Earthlodge, which was excavated in the 1960's. The
trenches were still clearly visible prior to logging. The debris was too
thick to confirm that the site had been bulldozed, but the loading area is
normally bulldozed to allow the loading equipment and trucks to move in. The
(heavy) cutting machine also drove on top of the unexcavated Little Mound
and cut three trees off of it. The scenic "ridge trail" has trees blocking
it in places. They also timbered right up to the trail in places, which has
greatly diminished its scenic beauty and will lead to dense, unsightly
undergrowth. The falling pines, as well as the skidding of them, damaged
many hardwood trees.

WHO DID THIS?

I just found out about this, but in June 2007, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
noticed pine beetle-killed pines on top of Brown's Mount, so they reported
it to the Ga. DNR and they hired a logger to cut the pines off of 26 acres.
I called Carl Smitt, the DNR's forestry person in Social Circle, Ga., whom
was involved in the Brown's Mount timbering. He didn't know anything about
the archaeological significance of Brown's Mount.

PREHISTORIC BACKGROUND

As a brief background, Brown's Mount is a major Mississippian site, related
to the Ocmulgee National Monument. A stone wall and ditches once encircled
the entire summit and is thought to have been constructed in Woodland times.
An Earthlodge, almost identical to the one at Ocmulgee, was excavated during
the 1930's and the Mount was recommended for inclusion into the National
Monument. Little Mound sits on the summit and has not been excavated. The
square ear lodge is on the summit and was excavated in the 1960's. Myrtle's
Mound is on the side of the Mount and has a looter's pit in it's center.
Another small mound, near Myrtle's mound was bulldozed thirty years ago. The
whole top of Brown's Mount is considered an archaeological site and I assume
it is national register eligible.

BACKGROUND OF PRESERVATION EFFORTS

Brown's Mounts' geological and scenic attributes and adjacency to the Bond
Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, just 6 minutes from downtown Macon, make it
an ideal candidate for use as a public park. The Brown's Mount Association
worked for three years to acquire and preserve the Mount. The Tourism
Development Commission of Macon & Middle Georgia made preserving the Mount a
top 5 priority and the Macon-Bibb Industrial Authority paid $10,000 for a
purchase option to forestall development till funding could be raised. The
Peyton Anderson Foundation purchased the property and gave it to the Museum
of Arts & Sciences to manage. Later the State of Georgia purchased the Mount
and in July 2006, the DNR signed a long-term management agreement with the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife to manage the Mount. The Mount has been closed to the
public since its purchase over a decade ago, except for guided weekend
tours, once a month. The Fish & Wildlife is planning to open the Mount to
the public soon, possibly later this month.

WHO IN AUTHORITY KNOWS WHERE THE SITES ARE?

US Fish & Wildlife - Carolyn Rogers, assistant refuge manager at Piedmont
NWR (in charge of Bond Swamp NWR) said in a recent email concerning the
logging to Sylvia Flowers that:
"If you ever get the itch to show the refuge where some of these important

> sites are please let me know.  I have some published articles and a few
> bad
> maps.  The new refuge manager has been trying to locate some of the
> documented sites.  The regional FWS archeologist has all the locations but
> we haven't been able to get him to the refuge since we got management
> control.

GA DNR - Carl Smitt, of DNR Forestry in the Social Circle office
(706-557-3035), who was involved in the timbering, didn't have any personal
knowledge of Brown's Mount or its archaeological significance. Kevin Kramer
is the DNR chief for this region (478-825-6354).

WHO SHOULD OWN AND MANAGE BROWN'S MOUNT?

The Ocmulgee National Monument should own and manage Brown's Mount and they
are currently conducting a study on expanding their boundaries. They already
are authorized to almost triple their size to 2,000 acres, which could
include Brown's Mount, as was originally planned. The Macon Chamber of
Commerce and Tourism and Visitor's Bureau support the expansion and
redesignation of the Ocmulgee National Monument to National Park status. The
DNR has no interest in managing the property. The Fish & Wildlife has owned
part of Brown's Mount since its creation in about 1989 and they have been
negotiating a management agreement for the DNR's portion for many years
prior to the actual signing 1-1/2 years ago. Brown's Mount should not suffer
from the absentee management of the Piedmont NWR some forty miles away. If
they do not know where the individual sites are by now, then they have no
interest in presenting the cultural significance of the Mount. Brown's Mount
is important because of its Native American significance - period. It's
scenic views and rocky cliffs give it recreational appeal, but its wildlife
values do not distinguish it from a dozen other hills within ten miles. The
Fish and Wildlife is simply not the appropriate agency to protect, interpret
and promote this truly unique and important place. The Muscogee Nation would
be another candidate for ownership and management.

WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE?

First, the agencies in charge should have learned the value of what they are
in charge of protecting.
They should have marked the archaeological sites.
They should have hired a landscape architect to develop a site plan for the
creation of trails and the management of open and forested areas, instead of
letting the loggers driving the cutter and skidders machines make all the
decisions. Telling a logger to cut all the pines is not a landscape plan.
Logging can be conducted in ways which minimize damage to the remaining
hardwoods, but it requires planning, effort and oversight. This was not
done.

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?

This happened because Brown's Mount was not open to the public.

1. When the Museum of Arts & Sciences owned the property, they didn't know
what to do and they came to view the Mount as a fragile ecosystem, whose old
fields, undergrowth and old growth represented a teaching laboratory and
whose clear skies were an observatory. They blocked off the gate, so people
couldn't drive up the road to the top of Brown's Mount. Then, they closed
Brown's Mount road, so there was no public access from the main road,
Ocmulgee East Blvd. They built a new access road off of a secondary road.
Then, they built a new parking lot 1/3rd of a mile from the old, existing
parking lot at the base of Brown's Mount. [How many businesses would survive
or homes would sell if their parking lot was 1/3rd of a mile away?] Then,
instead of using either of the two existing houses as visitor's centers,
they built bathrooms next to the new parking lot. So, if a visitor on the
Mount had to use the restroom, they would have to walk 1/2 mile back to
their car to use one. An old person would most likely just leave and a
mother would have to walk back with their kids, so they could use the
restroom. [What business has bathrooms 1/2 mile away?] They also built a
pavilion, but it was only 1/4 mile from the base of Brown's Mount. That was
the facilities. As for operation, the Museum restricted visitation to guided
weekend trips at specified times, for $5 each person. They also taught
orienteering on some of these trips. [How many businesses could survive if
they required their customers to show up at one specified time, once a week
and possibly once a month?]

2. The Ga. DNR purchased the property and I heard the money was to fund a
permanent Museum position to keep leading tours to Brown's Mount. I am not
sure whether that happened or not, but I have not heard of any significant
activity and the Museum is not sending you this email.
When the DNR took over, the Museum's staff person moved out of the house at
Brown's Mount and the DNR let the houses deteriorate under leaking roofs and
then bulldozed them. Mrs. Simmons, the original owner, did have a well-kept
house and a beautiful yard, full of flowers.

3. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife assumed control and announced they would be
opening Brown's Mount to the public a year ago, but didn't. They say they
are going to open it soon, maybe even this month.

SUMMARY

In summary, a more concerted effort to keep people away from Brown's Mount
could not have been devised. People do whatever is convenient and businesses
thrive by offering convenience to their customers. We cannot build a case
for preserving natural areas or significant Native American sites if the
public cannot enjoy what has already been preserved. If we inject roadblocks
to the outdoor experience, people will watch television, work on their
computer, go to the Mall, or partake in an unlimited array of experiences
that are being pushed their way. If access is denied, there will be no
awareness or appreciation or concern about these special places. Brown's
Mount is an awesome asset, with a tremendous potential to enhance Macon's
quality of life, as a recreational, educational and tourism attraction. The
problem is that the Fish & Wildlife and the DNR are not recognizing and
promoting the greatest values of Brown's Mount and Macon is suffering from
it. Whatever money the DNR made will be offset by even greater cleanup costs
and decades of lost tree growth.

NO CANOEING IN BOND SWAMP

by far, the best way to experience Bond Swamp is to canoe Stone Creek. The
Fish & Wildlife used to allow group canoeing trips, but they have prohibited
that for many years now. They say they need a deceleration lane off Ocmulgee
East Blvd. (I think it costs $150,000)and a concrete canoe ramp and to
resolve a property dispute with a downstream landowner.
1. According to DOT guidelines, a deceleration lane is not required if less
than 50 [and possibly less than 100] vehicles per day turn into either
Brown's Mount or Bond Swamp per day. The Bond Swamp parking lot would
probably only hold 30 vehicles and most days there are none to two cars
there. Brown's Mount would be deemed a tremendous success if 50 cars visited
it a day or a weekend or even in a week's time. Waiting for funding to build
a $150,000 lane is not a valid excuse.
2. A concrete canoe ramp is not needed because the bank gradually slopes to
the water. Launching canoes has never been a problem in the past. The Fish &
Wildlife allows hunters to canoe in Stone Creek during the refuge hunts, but
does not allow the non-hunting visitor. Carrying a gun does not make a
better paddler. If a hunter can launch a canoe without a concrete canoe
ramp, why shouldn't a bird watcher be able to do it?
3. The property dispute, which blocks canoeing on Stone Creek, is located
2.3 miles downstream of the put-in point. Canoeists have plenty of stream to
canoe down and back up. Since this is a swamp creek, there is no current to
handicap upstream paddling.

SUMMARY

Both Bond Swamp NW Refuge and Brown's Mount are vastly under-utilized and
are subsequently under-appreciated. I spent many years working to preserve
both these places and I have tried to hold back from criticizing their
management, but this last episode is pure idiocy. Years after their
preservation, I should not walk up to Brown's Mount (past a locked gate) and
find Native American sites desecrated by the paid people in charge of their
preservation. The fact that this destruction occurred almost half a year ago
and I was the first person in all that time to recognize what had occurred
and how utterly senseless and wasteful it was is outrageous. Please open
these public lands to the public for their convenient use and enjoyment.
People are needed to protect land and more land needs to be protected.
Please voice your concerns and opinions.

Thanks,

John Wilson



At 12:53 PM 1/8/2008, David Crass wrote:
Hello--I'm not sure from this email what is transpiring.  Can you fill me in?  Please copy all as my Staff Archaeologist is on this list now,

Thanks,
Dave

 
 

Dr. Dave Crass
State Archaeologist
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Historic Preservation Division
34 Peachtree NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
404.656.9344 (Office)
404.535.0565 (Cellular)
404.657.1040 (Fax)


Dave,
I agree with you.... None of us is sure... Just what is going on...

I, Lindsay Holliday, was founding president in the late 1980's of the "Save Brown's Mount Task Force" aka "Brown's Mount Association"  .  Some (few) news articles are posted here:
http://www.hollidaydental.com/bibbcomm/bmount.htm

The citizens who elected me had many visions and dreams for Brown's Mount:  
We envisioned a 24/7 public access, to a beautiful natural area near Macon. 
We dreamed of hiking trails, camping, overlooks, canoeing, archeology, history, literature, astronomy, geology, botany...

No one ever mentioned logging to me...    
Though many mentioned looking forward to watching "natural succession" - which includes dying trees, decay, woodpeckers, beetles, mushrooms and moss.  

I suggest we have a public meeting where we can all get back on the "same page".
Thank-you,
- Lindsay 



Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 5:11 PM
Subject: Browns Mount Timbering - telephone calls this afternoon


I spoke personally today around 3pm to Dave Crass (archeologist for DNR, below),
and to Nick Nicholson <nick.nicholson@dnr.state.ga.us>, who is DNR-Forestry at Social Circle office at 706-557-3037

They seem a bit concerned that they did not know about archeology at BM.  Their new Regional Supervisor is Kevin Kramer (sp?) and none of them have any direct knowledge about BM.  They say that FWS signed off on the plan to take out infected pines.  They sounded embarrassed that such a mess was left there.  Nick said they might consider replanting long-leaf pines.  I suggested they might simply clean up the debris (carefully) and plan to open some areas for some meadows.

Dave and Nick both seemed open to meeting with us to see if we can make some lemonade out of this lemon experience. (My words, not theirs)

DNR does not have a "50 year management plan" for BM. 
***We ought to make sure that "citizen oversight" is a Major part of that plan.
- Lindsay



From: Sylvia Flowers [mailto:sflowers1@alltel.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 8:23 PM
To: Lindsay Holliday
Cc: Heather Duncan; Susan Hanberry; Victor Jones; Lee Martin; John Wilson; Stephen Hammack
Subject: Browns Mount Timbering

Lindsay,
 
OK, you guys dragged me out of hiding long enough to get involved.  Thanks to Lindsay's phone call, Dave Crass will be sending his Staff Assistant down here.  I sent them some background on Brown's Mount's archaeological/cultural importance and Stephen also sent information and asked for their assistance.  
 
In my opinion, DNR should NOT replant trees, since doing so would cause additional unnecessary disturbance to any remaining archaeological resources (Dave should know this).  Mr. & Mrs. Simmons farmed the summit for many years, yet the "square earthlodge" remained relatively intact when it was discovered in the 1970's.  We really have little knowledge as to the location of other features or how deeply they may be buried.  But, as part of the TCP, Brown's Mount has value far exceeding any individual artifact or feature.  
 
I'd like ASAP to see Stephen and volunteers do as good a walk-over survey as possible under present conditions and plot the locations of any artifacts found on the surface before anything more is disturbed. Perhaps this can be done in cooperation with Dave's office.  I agree that DNR should be encouraged to carefully clean up their mess (maybe as a penalty for not doing an appropriate preliminary study), then, once the debris is removed, there should be a second surface survey in conjunction with planting grass cover to prevent erosion.  In light of what happened at Bullard and Lamar, I'm concerned that looters will (or might already have) hit the site.  This possibility should be factored into any publicity about what has happened.   
 
By the way, I think there is a copy at OCMU of Mark William's report from his two trenches and surface survey in the 1990's.  I remember that one of his trenches intersected one of Dr. Kelley's 1930's WPA trenches and he made an interesting find of preserved wood at "Little Mound."  I didn't totally agree with Mark's conclusions regarding some of the work done by Dr. Kelley, but the report did document what he and his students did during the few days they worked there.
 
Do you know if anyone ever tracked down the artifacts from the 1970's work done by John Pellew, Richard (can't think of his last name, who worked back then at the Museum of Arts and Sciences) and others?  At one time, some of them were at the MAS, but I seem to remember someone saying that Richard took at least part of them with him when he moved away. Before John Pellew died, there was discussion about bringing him back to Macon so they could publicly share memories of this work, but it never happened.  I don't know if he is still alive.  
 
It would be nice to have copies of the documentation from the various efforts brought together for study, future planning, and as an addition to an archive on the TCP to share with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. There is already a pretty good file at OCMU. Perhaps DNR could pay for making four copies of all the material that can be located (one for them, one for the FWS, one for a TCP archive, and one for the Nation).  Hopefully, this will be a good learning experience for both the DNR and the FWS. As you said, maybe some lemonade can be made from this unexpected lemon.
 
Sylvia


From: "John Wilson" <bullsmountain@yahoo.com>
To: "Lindsay Holliday" <teeth ...snip... Flowers" <sflowers1@alltel.net>
Cc: "Guy LaChine" <guy_lachine@nps.gov>,
         ...snip... "Heather Duncan" <hduncan@macontel.com>
Subject: RE: Browns Mount Timbering

Hello,
 
Mark Williams wrote a report on the square earthlodge at Brown's Mount and mentioned it when he spoke at the last OAS meeting, about 2 years ago. I just found it. See the link to the Society for Georgia Archaeology website below.  I seem to remember that Mark said he came across or found or was given Richard Marshall's papers concerning the excavation. Stephen or some other OAS member may have a copy or Mark Williams may be able to email it to Heather and us. I would buy one.
 
 

Vol. 33, No. 2

(69 pages)

2005- Fall

An Experimental Approach to the Analysis of Two Maize Cob-Filled Features from Etowah (9BR1)  Mary Theresa Bonhage-Freund   

Ridgeway Road: An Archaeological Survey in West-Central Georgia James C. Waggoner, Jr.    

A Burned Macon Plateau Period Structure from Brown’s Mount, Georgia Richard A. Marshall and Mark Williams

In Search of Hernando de Soto: Charles Hudson and Paradigm Shifts in Southeastern Archaeology  Marvin T. Smith

4000 Years at a Glance: Patterns of Ceramic Style Distribution over Georgia  Mark Williams

“And The Sun Did Not Shine”: Experimental Archaeology at Macon Earth Lodge, 1938  Elizabeth C. Shirk

I will quote an undated Macon Telegraph article I have about the excavations:
 
title - Macon Archaeologists spend year excavating Indian log town house at Brown's Mount
 
"Excavation at Brown's Mount - Among the members of the Macon Archaeologist Society who have been working for the past year on the excavation of a structure at Brown's Mount are from left, Richard Marshall, John Walker and Louis R. Caywood. The square structure is called a small Log Town House. The discovery of two tunnellike entrances indicates that the original structure was destroyed and rebuilt. Mr.. Marshall examined the hearth in the center of the structure. The four large darkened areas around the side of the plateau mark the positions of the post holes."
 
My notes say this was from the 1960's and I have four more photos, which I didn't send in the last email.
 
thanks for all of your actions.
 
John


From: "John Wilson" <bullsmountain@yahoo.com>
To: "Stephen Hammack" <Stephen.Hammack@robins.af.mil>,
         ...snip... "Brian Adams" <badamsp23@hotmail.com>
Subject: Brown's Mount - hold a public meeting with all parties

Hey,

I think we should organize a public meeting for sometime next week and
invite the DNR, F&W, Museum, Monument and local officials to a discussion
about Brown's Mount. If we don't act like a group and make specific
requests, the DNR and F&W will decide in private what they will do.

I believe we should ask for:

1. Cleaning up the site by chipping up all the fallen trees and limbs. Some
could be burnt on site, but it may burn underlying clay and complicate the
distinction between prehistoric and historic clay - possibly, like house
daub. I'm not against the burning. Chipping requires human labor. If they
decide to burn it, they probably would get a skidder in there to grab and
pull the limbs to one pile for burning. More damage could be done with more
skidding, but it may be necessary. If they don't do chipping (with or
without burning), they will leave more debris on the ground. I think the
stumps should be ground up with a stump grinder. If they are not, then you
can't get a bush hog in there to mow it, so all the undergrowth will grow
unhindered. I think the timbered areas should remain open and kept mowed so
they will gradually become grassed.

2. I think we should discuss the overall plan or vision for Brown's Mount.
If it is going to be opened like the rest of Bond Swamp, can we hunt there
during the hunts? I hope not, but it needs asking. How can it be made better
and promoted? How can access to the pinnacle be obtained through Putnal's
land (150' x 50' would do)? Who will be seeking ways to purchase other
adjacent properties. Why is Brown's Mount blocked off to access at Sylvia's
Slough, on the swamp side. Should the Ocmulgee National Monument include
Brown's Mount in their current study on expanding the Monuments' boundaries?

3. The parking area, bathrooms and pavilion are 3/10ths of a mile further
away from the old, existing parking lot near where Mrs. Simmon's house was.
It will not cost anything, but a sign, to unlock the gates and allow
visitation through Brown's Mount Road. There is no reason not to allow it
and it will allow a lot more people to visit the Mount, like older people or
families with young children.

4. Bond Swamp is also about to have pine beetle timber cuts. Shouldn't they
also conduct archaeological studies at the loading areas, which get
bulldozed.

5. We should ask permission for Stephen to identify the wall. (Stephen, we
saw the long, big section of the wall I had intended to show you. It was
just past where we walked out to look at the timbering) Should we ask for an
archaeologist to locate the square earthlodge excavation again? Should the
Little Mound be covered with wire fencing and then a layer of wood chips, in
a circular form to identify and protect it from looters. If Brown's Mount is
to be opened, with little visitation and no on-site management, shouldn't
something be done to protect the mound. Surveillance video is another
possibility.

Does anyone agree or want changes or want to suggest a good date or time of
day?

Do you agree with this and can I proceed?

It could be the Brown's Mount Association and the Ocmulgee Archaeological
Society as the organizers. It needs to be decided early today, so it can be
included in Heather's story. Otherwise, the DNR and F&W will say they have
decided on the cure and that's it, like it or not, or they will say that
nothing was damaged.

john


Subject: RE: Browns Mount Timbering
From: "Hammack, Stephen A Ctr 78 CEG/CEVR" <Stephen.Hammack.ctr@Robins.af.mil>
To: "David Crass ...snip... bullsmountain@yahoo.com>

Hi folks,
Here are a couple photos of the logging at the earthlodge.  Most of the
photos were scenic views with a few of the group at the overlook.  The
purpose of the trip was for was for John to show us where the sites are
and get us interested in doing a project up there.  I have read Mark
Williams reports on the Lamar Institute webpage and have been up there
only once before, but myself know very little about the specific site
locations - so I can't speak much to what specific parts of the site
have been damaged by timbering.  I am relying on info from the Brown's
Mount Association for this.  We did see some flakes on the ground
surface, and maybe a couple pieces of eroded, possibly plain,
grit-tempered pottery but left them where they were.  There are
definitely areas where the ground surface has been disturbed, but I
don't know how deeply.  In other places the ground is not visible for
the logs and cut brush.

Thanks,
Stephen


Hey John,
I have copy of the issue you are referring to.  I also have digital
photos that were slides of photos John Pellew took in 1950-60 of
excavated units at BM.  I sent these to Mark Williams at about the time
John died a year ago.  In fact I still had the slides themselves when he
died and had to send them to his son in SC.  As far as I know they have
never been published.  Unfortunately I only got to know John in the last
year of his life.  I visited him at Carlyle Place a few times and gave
him rides to 2-3 of our meetings.  He was a real gentleman.

Thanks,
Stephen


Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 9:25 PM
Subject: Browns Mount

Carolyn,
 
The features on Brown's Mount aren't a series of sites.  The entire summit is encompassed by the Georgia Archaeological Site Designation 9Bi5 and all work done there is under this site number.  I have just discovered that Mark William's report, "A View From Above, Archaeological Excavations at Brown's Mount," is on-line.  It is the best report available because it covers the 1930's work in great detail and has a number of photographs included. The report is in .pdf format and is 109 pages long.  However, it is well worth waiting for it to download and should be valuable to the FWS archaeologist.
 
 
In my old computer files, I found the attached proposal that Larry Abbott (who was then archaeolgist at Ocmulgee N.M. and later at Robins AFB) made to the Museum of Arts and Sciences in anticipation of their constructing a visitor center at Brown's Mount.  It gives a short summary of previous archaeological work there.  Larry's great love was "soils" and he gives some good info along those lines.  You might find it interesting.
 
Also, Mark Williams collected information from Richard Marshall, who participated in the work done in the early 1960's (I think I earlier said 1970's, but I'm getting senile), and co-authored an article titled "A Burned Macon Plateau Period Structure from Brown's Mount, Georgia," which was published in the Fall 2005 (Vol. 33, No. 2) issue of the Society for Georgia Archaeology's Early Georgia.  I found one photo of that excavated structure in my files and have attached it.  I just learned from Stephan Hammock that he has copies of John Pellew's slides of this work.
 
I hope this info may be helpful.  Heather convinced me to go today.  She had never been there. I dragged Jerry along and we enjoyed "remembering."  The timbering does look bad, but the perimeter, especially the "Lily Cliffs" area is as beautiful as ever and the old road from where Mrs. Simmon's house once sat is still impressive. As I told her, it's impossible right now to tell what - if anything - was disturbed.  In my opinion, the DNR should (carefully) clean up the mess and plant grass cover to prevent erosion. That would, I believe, make everyone happy.
 
I had not seen the pavillion.  It is really nice, but obviously under-utilized (looks like it might have a resident bat population in its apex).  As I think I told you, years ago when I first went to work at Ocmulgee N.M., the Superintendent sent me on an errand to return some photographs to Mrs. Simmons.  We became friends and she kindly allowed a homesick E. TN mountain girl to roam among the rocks.  That's when I finally decided I could be happy living in Mid. GA.  I would love the place even if it had no archaeological value.
 
Sylvia
 
 
----- Original Message -----
To: "Sylvia Flowers" <sflowers1@alltel.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 5:18 PM
Subject: Re: Brown's Mount Timbering

> I spoke with Heather Duncan at length this afternoon so I do expect a large
> article in the paper.  To your knowledge does anyone know exactly where
> these archaeological sites are located.  The FWS regional archeologist
> found only one site officially recorded for Browns Mt but no location information. 
> He was not sure if it occurred on the DNR tract or Steve Putnel.  Unfortunately
> I fear you are right about the looters.  There is a lot of illegal looting going on
> along the river and it is very difficult to catch them.
>
> Let me know if any other questions or concern come up
>
> Carolyn Johnson
> Assistant Refuge Manager
> Piedmont and Bond Swamp NWR
> 478- 986-5441


From: "Sylvia Flowers" <sflowers1@alltel.net>
To: "Lindsay Holliday" <teeth@mindspring.com>
Cc: "Heather Duncan" <hduncan@macontel.com>,
         ...snip... Stephen.Hammack.ctr@Robins.af.mil>
Subject: Browns Mount Timbering

Lindsay,
 
OK, you guys dragged me out of hiding long enough to get involved.  Thanks to Lindsay's phone call, Dave Crass will be sending his Staff Assistant down here.  I sent them some background on Brown's Mount's archaeological/cultural importance and Stephen also sent information and asked for their assistance.  
 
In my opinion, DNR should NOT replant trees, since doing so would cause additional unnecessary disturbance to any remaining archaeological resources (Dave should know this).  Mr. & Mrs. Simmons farmed the summit for many years, yet the "square earthlodge" remained relatively intact when it was discovered in the 1970's.  We really have little knowledge as to the location of other features or how deeply they may be buried.  But, as part of the TCP, Brown's Mount has value far exceeding any individual artifact or feature.  
 
I'd like ASAP to see Stephen and volunteers do as good a walk-over survey as possible under present conditions and plot the locations of any artifacts found on the surface before anything more is disturbed. Perhaps this can be done in cooperation with Dave's office.  I agree that DNR should be encouraged to carefully clean up their mess (maybe as a penalty for not doing an appropriate preliminary study), then, once the debris is removed, there should be a second surface survey in conjunction with planting grass cover to prevent erosion.  In light of what happened at Bullard and Lamar, I'm concerned that looters will (or might already have) hit the site.  This possibility should be factored into any publicity about what has happened.   
 
By the way, I think there is a copy at OCMU of Mark William's report from his two trenches and surface survey in the 1990's.  I remember that one of his trenches intersected one of Dr. Kelley's 1930's WPA trenches and he made an interesting find of preserved wood at "Little Mound."  I didn't totally agree with Mark's conclusions regarding some of the work done by Dr. Kelley, but the report did document what he and his students did during the few days they worked there.
 
Do you know if anyone ever tracked down the artifacts from the 1970's work done by John Pellew, Richard (can't think of his last name, who worked back then at the Museum of Arts and Sciences) and others?  At one time, some of them were at the MAS, but I seem to remember someone saying that Richard took at least part of them with him when he moved away. Before John Pellew died, there was discussion about bringing him back to Macon so they could publicly share memories of this work, but it never happened.  I don't know if he is still alive.  
 
It would be nice to have copies of the documentation from the various efforts brought together for study, future planning, and as an addition to an archive on the TCP to share with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. There is already a pretty good file at OCMU. Perhaps DNR could pay for making four copies of all the material that can be located (one for them, one for the FWS, one for a TCP archive, and one for the Nation).  Hopefully, this will be a good learning experience for both the DNR and the FWS. As you said, maybe some lemonade can be made from this unexpected lemon.
 
Sylvia
 



Posted on Mon, Feb. 11, 2008
http://www.macon.com/209/story/262415.html

Another pox on Bibb County

The rape of Brown's Mount continues - yet another pox on Bibb County's failing to protect our historical, educational treasures.

Myrtel Simmons would have sold Brown's Mount to the Brown's Mount Association. She could have sold it many times. Judge Quarels wanted to buy it for the Boy Scouts. Only a short time before selling the property she had redone the interior, including a brand new kitchen. The association in good faith gave the property to the Museum of Arts and Sciences.

Within a very short time the house was destroyed and the property sold. I write with the authority as a trusted friend of Joe Brown. She gave me free rein to invite Bibb County school children by the bus load to study the history, fauna and flora on the Mount. This included seeing the colony of the lobed spleenwort (Asplenium pitatifidum) one of only six colonies in Georgia.

We listened to a taped reading of "On The Mount" by Harry Stillwell Edwards at the site of his cabin destroyed by fire. School teachers taking staff development courses studied as well as Girl Scouts, Civic Clubs and church groups. Before selling the property Joe Brown gave me a four mule World War I wagon, now in my yard. She cried as I drove off with the wagon on a trailer.

Any offers? Perhaps I can realize sufficient funds to purchase a historical monument to place on the Cochran Short Route at the entrance of the road that led to her home.

Charles B. Place Jr.

Macon















 








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