Discovery of cultural artifacts along Lake Winnebago increases Neenah's cost to rebuild Lakeshore Avenue

NEENAH - Significant archaeological deposits have been found within the footprint of the Lakeshore Avenue reconstruction project along Lake Winnebago, forcing Neenah to spend additional money to mitigate the adverse effects of disturbing the land.

The cultural artifacts discovered in shovel test holes date from 200 B.C. to A.D. 1630, according to a report by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Cultural Resource Management (UWM-CRM) program.

The artifacts include a prehistoric projectile point (arrowhead), sherds, shells and animal bones.

"We're talking about some pretty ancient material," City Attorney Jim Godlewski told The Post-Crescent. "That whole (Kimberly Point) area, with the Council Tree reputation, was a real gathering place for people who lived here in the ancient times, and it continues to be a gathering place for people today."

During a special meeting Monday, the Common Council voted 7-1 to hire archaeologists from UWM-CRM to excavate 14% of the project area to find and remove additional artifacts for study.

The work will cost $56,200 under the assumption no human remains are uncovered. Jennifer Haas, acting director of UWM-CRM, said in a letter to the city that there is a "very high potential to encounter human burials."

Public Works Director Gerry Kaiser said the discovery of human remains would trigger a different course of action and additional expenses.

Neenah has been through that once before. In 2005, an American Indian burial ground dating to the 1600s inadvertently was unearthed by contractors excavating for a storm sewer at the Neenah water plant. Remains from 15 graves were exhumed and reburied at a different location on the property.

The UWM-CRM field work is expected to last three weeks. Artifacts removed from the project area will be analyzed and cataloged. Haas said the artifacts would be owned by Neenah and could be curated at the Oshkosh Public Museum, UWM or another institution selected by city.

The investigation of cultural artifacts was required under state law because the area has two documented archaeological sites and the street reconstruction will disturb more than an acre of land. City officials were unaware of the requirement, and therefore didn't budget for the expense, until they applied for a water resources permit from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Alderman Todd Stevenson suggested reducing the scope of the reconstruction to avoid the acreage threshold, but the council chose to proceed with the mitigation.

Alderwoman Marge Bates called upon Neenah to document and celebrate its past.

"We kind of knew that this area was historically important and we have artifacts under there," she said.

Mayor Dean Kaufert said the mitigation is a chance to preserve history.

"You have to be cognizant of the environment and future generations' ability to know what happened with the Native Americans," he said.

The mitigation plan was approved by the State Historic Preservation Office. The Ho-Chunk Nation, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and Forest County Potawatomi were given an opportunity to review the plan.

The money for the mitigation will be drawn from reserves in the city's public infrastructure fund. Kaufert said he was inquiring about grants that could offset the city's cost.

Neenah budgeted $938,000 to rebuild Lakeshore Avenue between Wisconsin Avenue and Kimberly Point Park. Underground utility work was completed earlier this year, but the paving of the street and the construction of an off-street trail for pedestrians and bicyclists have been delayed until a lawsuit against the city can be settled in Winnebago County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit was filed by 21 property owners and challenges the city's right to remove trees and construct the trail in the corridor between the street and Lake Winnebago.

A hearing was held before Judge Karen Seifert last week. She will issue her ruling on Aug. 27.

Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.

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