Section 106 Archaeological Properties Identification ReportObama Presidential Center (OPC) Mobility Improvements to Support the South Lakefront Framework Plan (SLFP), Cook County, Illinois

This survey of archaeological resources was undertaken within the Area of Potential Effects (APE) in accordance with the Section 106 process for the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) Mobility Im-provements to Support the South Lakefront Framework Plan (SLFP) project. The potential for Federal actions by the National Park Service (NPS), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and/or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) requires this project to comply with requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, and Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966. Archaeological investigations were undertaken within Jackson Park and the Midway Plaisance in advance of pro-posed construction of the OPC and mobility improvements to Jackson Park developed by the City of Chicago as part of the SLFP. The APE lies within the boundaries of the Jackson Park Historic Landscape District and Midway Plaisance listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP Reference #720001565). Jackson Park is the site of the 1893 Columbian Exposition or World’s Fair. Three previously reported sites, 11CK1105, 11CK1106, and 11CK1107 lie within or adjacent to the APE. This report focuses only on archaeological resources. Architectural and designed landscape resources were studied separately.The purpose of the investigations was to identify and evaluate archaeological resources for the National Register of Historic Places pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Field investigation techniques included visual inspection, geomorphological coring, and hand excavation. ISAS revisited the three previously recorded sites and identified four new sites: 11CK1289, 11CK1290, 11CK1291, and 11CK1292. Three subsurface features were identified, two within 11CK1289 and one within 11CK1106. None of the features contained in situ material. Only very small portions of 11CK1105 and 11CK1107 lie within the present APE; neither site has been evaluated for NRHP eligibility, however the portions of the sites within the APE lack the potential to contribute significant new knowledge under Criteria D of the NRHP, and no further work is rec-ommended. Sites 11CK1106, 11CK1289, 11CK1290, and 11CK1291 contain debris from the 1893 World’s Fair, but in secondary fill context and in our opinion do not warrant consideration for listing on the NRHP under Criteria D. While site 11CK1292 contains buried deposits associated with the 6 month period the 1893 World’s Fair was open to the public, these deposits consist of incinerated material connected to clean out events associated with the operation of the Engle Crematory. An extensive archive of documents detailing the operation of the incinerator indicate that this material is composed of a mix of incinerated sewage and general garbage collected from the grounds and vari-ous facilities of the Worlds Fair. Although the material appears to be directly related to the operation of the Engle Crematory, the deposits lack the potential to provide additional information related to either the Worlds Fair or the operation of the Crematory beyond that provided in the extensive writ-ten record available. Therefore, it is our recommendation that 11CK1292 does not warrant NRHP consideration under Criteria D.