Interstate 15 Construction -- Indian Burial Grounds Collection MS-0133
James Kenneth White, Bill Payne, and Jossie Chavez
Special Collections & University Archives
02/26/2008
5500 Campanile Dr. MC 8050
San Diego, CA 92182-8050
askscua@sdsu.edu
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & University Archives
Title: Interstate 15 Construction -- Indian Burial Grounds Collection
Creator:
Interstate 15 Construction -- Indian Burial Grounds
Identifier/Call Number: MS-0133
Physical Description:
0.42 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1977-1978
Language of Material:
English
.
Scope and Contents
The
Interstate 15 Construction – Indian Burial Grounds Collection consists of a small group of correspondence, memoranda, notes and newspaper clippings from June 1977 to April 1978. The
primary subject of these documents is the preservation, excavation and examination of several prehistoric Native American
sites associated with the Luiseno Indians of Southern California which were discovered by Caltrans archaeologists in preparation
for the construction of the Interstate 15 extension.
Individuals whose correspondence appears in the collection include representatives of the Federal Highway Administration,
the Office of Historic Preservation of the Department of Parks and Recreation of the State of California, the Department of
Transportation for the State of California, and the American Native Heritage Commission, and the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation.
Of particular note in the collection is a transcript of the proceedings of a public information meeting held by the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation on March 22, 1978 at Lincoln Elementary School in Escondido, California. This document provides
detailed information about the construction of Interstate 15, the discovery of the archaeological sites, and the controversy
surrounding their excavation and examination.
While many of the letters in the collection are photocopies, some of them are originals.
Arrangement Note
The
Interstate 15 Construction – Indian Burial Grounds Collection, composed of 20 folders in one box. The collection is arranged in the following manner: Letters appear first in chronological
order, followed by memoranda, transcript, statements, notes, and newspaper clippings.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The copyright interests in these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with
the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections
is such that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Requests for permission to publish must be
submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission
is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission
of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available
for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including
but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.
Related Materials
Imperial County Highway Construction Collection
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, folder title, box number, Interstate 15 Construction -- Indian Burial Grounds Collection, Special
Collections and University Archives, San Diego State University Library.
Historical Note
In 1968 the United States government and the California Highway Commission recognized the need for an additional route in
Southern California which would convey traffic in a north-south direction was needed, and a decision was made to extend Interstate
15 from the Riverside and San Bernardino area southward along U.S. Highway 395.
Required to comply with section 106 of the Federal Historic Preservation Act, the Federal Highway Administration and Caltrans
undertook a preliminary archaeological survey in 1971, and in 1976 the discovery of some bedrock mortars prompted a new survey
which revealed additional evidence of previous Native American activity and habitation. Caltrans archaeologists identified
several sites which would be affected by the proposed highway construction route.
Accruals
9999-045
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Personal Papers
Luiseño Indians
Highway planning--California--San Diego County
Indians of North America--Funeral customs and rites--California, Southern
Roads--California--San Diego County
Interstate 15
Cemeteries--California, Southern
Luiseño Indians--Antiquities
Luiseño Indians--Funeral customs and rites
California. Dept. of Transportation
box 1, folder 1
Letter: Knox Mellon to Omar L. Homme Folder 1
October 13, 1977
box 1, folder 2
Letter: Rex L. Wilson to Robert M. Utlet Folder 2
October 13, 1977
box 1, folder 3
Letter: C.G. Clinton to Knox Mellon Folder 3
January 27, 1978
box 1, folder 4
Letter: C.G. Clinton to Robert R. Garvey, Jr. Folder 4
February 9, 1978
box 1, folder 5
Letter: Louis S. Wall to Omar L. Homme Folder 5
Februaty 17, 1978
box 1, folder 6
Letter: Dekema to Ezell Folder 6
March 7, 1978
box 1, folder 7
Letter: Ball to Wall Folder 7
March 6, 1978
box 1, folder 8
Letter: Gordon to Garvey Folder 8
March 24, 1978
box 1, folder 9
Letter: Gar to Iwrin-Williams Folder 9
April 7, 1978
box 1, folder 10
Letter: Ezell to Garvey (draft) Folder 10
April 16, 1978
box 1, folder 11
Letter: Ezell to Irwin-Williams Folder 11
April 17, 1978
box 1, folder 12
Memorandum: Allen to Gray Folder 12
March 21, 1978
box 1, folder 13
Memorandum: Woods to White Folder 13
March 27, 1978
box 1, folder 14
Memorandum: Vasquez to Ezell Folder 14
April 4, 1978
box 1, folder 15
Transcript hearing by Smith Folder 15
March 22, 1978
box 1, folder 16
Statement of Cahce Folder 16
March 22, 1978
box 1, folder 17
Note on telephone call: Wall to Ezell Folder 17
March 24, 1978
box 1, folder 18
Recommendations: Luiseno Tribe Folder 18
June 17, 1977
box 1, folder 19
Ezell's File Folder 19
March 1978
box 1, folder 20
Newspaper clippings Folder 20
June 18, 1977
box 1, folder 21
Newspaper clippings: San Diego Union Folder 21
March 23, 1978
