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