MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE The Archeology Of Bathhouse Row, Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas Prepared By Author William J. Hunt, Jr. Midwest Archeological Center Technichal Report 102 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Midwest Archeological Center Lincoln, Nebraska 2008 Cover Caption Hot Springs National Sanitorium, Ark. Arlington Hotel, Central Ave. and Bath House Row in 1888 “Postcard printed by Eastern National based on a poster by J.R. Buckingham and printed in 1888 by Woodward and Tiernan Printing Co., St. Louis. This report has been reviewed against the criteria contained in 43CFR Part 7, Subpart A, Section 7.18 (a) (1) and, upon recommendation of the Midwest Regional Office and the Midwest Archeological Center, has been classified as Available Making the report available meets the criteria of 43CFR Part 7, Subpart A, Section 7.18 (a) (1). MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE The Archeology Of Bathhouse Row, Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas By William J. Hunt, Jr. Midwest Archeological Center Technical Report No. 102 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Midwest Archeological Center United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Midwest Archeological Center Lincoln, Nebraska 2008 hot sprinGS ABSTRACT For many, the oldest “park” managed by the federal government is not Yellowstone National Park (set aside in 1872) but Hot Springs National Park (HOSP) in Arkansas. Congress set aside the hot springs and adjoining mountains here as a federal reservation in 1832 to protect the resource and preserve it for public use. For centuries before this, the hot springs may have used by Native Americans, their occupations having little impact on the resource. But with EuroAmerican use, this began to change. At first, the area around springs saw little change but after the Civil War, development began in earnest. The hot waters from the springs were harnessed and forced to flow to a series of ever larger and more extravagant bathhouses built on the east side of Hot Springs Creek. Native American use and over 210 years of EuroAmerican occupation has created the potential for the existence of significant prehistoric and historic archeological resources at HOSP. Until recently, archeological exploration of the park has been sporadic and this is especially true for Bathhouse Row. This report provides an overview and analysis of the 2003 to 2004 archeological investigations in Bathhouse Row, the Grand Balustrade, and the Promenade. These structures and facilities are located in Garland County at the heart of the City of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Hot Springs National Park is administered by the National Park Service. Bathhouse Row was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It is considered a threatened resource by the National Park Service. Initiation of stabilization and rehabilitation of six of the eight bathhouses on Bathhouse Row in 2003 set the stage for the Midwest Archeological Center (MWAC) to investigate areas of the park sealed off by decades of development. Investigative goals were to: 1) create a historic, to-scale base map incorporating all known structures; 2) monitor ground disturbing construction actions inside and outside the six bathhouses (excluding the Fordyce and Buckstaff); 3) conduct test excavations as necessary to identify and evaluate buried cultural resources as they were encountered; 4) officially record discovered cultural resources as archeological sites with the Arkansas Archeological Survey. These goals were accomplished over six months of intermittent work. Subsequent to the recovery of 4621 artifacts from four locations and discovery of 19th century structural features in four of the bathhouses, five archeological sites were recorded with the Arkansas Archeological Survey. The sites’ conditions, disturbance and threats were evaluated. All were determined to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. A summary of findings is presented and is followed by recommendations to Park managers for future investigations focused on resource identification and actions designed to enhance archeological resource preservation, protection, and interpretation. i hot sprinGS ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project is the product of the labor of many individuals. Grateful appreciation is extended to Midwest Regional Director Ernest Quintana, HOSP Superintendent Josie Fernandez, and HOSP Assistant Superintendent Dale Moss for supporting this project. Thanks go to HOSP Facility Manager Leonard Lawson and his staff for their support while my crews and I were in the park. The Maintenance staff went far beyond the call of duty to make us feel welcome and provided every assistance to help us get our work done efficiently, safely, and as comfortably as possible in what were difficult working conditions. Among Larson’s staff, I would particularly like to mention the assistance of HOSP Maintenance Mechanic Jack Thompson and his crew. Thanks also to Lisa Garvin, HOSP Chief of Cultural Resources, and her dedicated staff with special appreciation noted for the assistance and hospitality of HOSP Park Ranger Mark Blaeuer and HOSP Museum Specialist Sharon Shugart. Blaeuer and Shugart were more than helpful throughout the planning and implementation of this project. They made themselves available throughout my numerous visits providing advice and information on park history and archeology whenever I came knocking on their doors. They have also provided much of the historic information and many of the illustrative materials used in this report. At the Midwest Archeological Center, I want to thank Tom Thiessen who was at that time MWAC Parks Archeology Program Manager for his direction and leadership during this project. Finally, I must certainly acknowledge MWAC Manager Mark Lynott, MWAC Administrative Officer Bonnie Farkas, and the rest of MWAC’s fine staff in Lincoln, Nebraska, for all their help without which this project would never have been completed. Finally, it should be noted that Larich Inc., Bolin Enterprises Inc., and Power Lift Inc. management and personnel were extremely helpful throughout the course of the fieldwork. Larich was the primary contractor for the stabilization project. Bolin Enterprises Inc., and Power Lift Inc. were subcontractors for the initial stabilization of Maurice and Lamar Bathhouse foundations and structures. I was particularly grateful to be able to work closely with Bolin Enterprises and Power Lift owners and project supervisors. Their crews were often forced to work around the archeology crews. They did so without complaint and often provided assistance when needed to help complete the archeological tasks in a timely fashion. William J. Hunt, Jr. Midwest Archeological Center iii hot sprinGS iv table OF CONTENTS Abstract .............................................................................................................................i Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................iii Table of Contents ..............................................................................................................v 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................1 Environment ..............................................................................................................2 Historic Background .................................................................................................3 Project Background ...................................................................................................9 2. Investigations at Stevens Balustrade and The Grand Promenade ...............................13 Historic Background ................................................................................................13 GIS Mapping/Records Review ................................................................................16 Grand Promenade Project ........................................................................................17 Stevens Balustrade Project .......................................................................................20 3. Bathhouse Row Stabilization: Developing a Scope of Work......................................31 4. Investigations at Hale, Maurice, Quapaw, and Ozark Bathhouses ............................39 Cartographic/GIS Investigation ...............................................................................39 Hale Bathhouse Investigation ..................................................................................40 History..............................................................................................................40 GIS Mapping ....................................................................................................41 Archeological Investigation .............................................................................41 Miscellaneous Monitoring ...............................................................................46 Maurice Bathhouse Investigation ............................................................................47 History..............................................................................................................47 GIS Mapping ....................................................................................................49 Archeological Investigation .............................................................................49