CRS Grealish Bulkhead LA1807-01 REV
CULTURAL RESOURCES REPORT COVER SHEET
Author: Pam Trautman and J. Jeffrey Flenniken
Title of Report: Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead
Replacement Project, Federal Way, King County, Washington
Date of Report: July 2018
County: Pierce Sections: 6 Township: 21 Range: 4 East
Quad: Poverty Bay 1993 Acres: .36
CD Submitted? PDF of Report? Yes Historic Property Export Files? No
Archaeological Site(s)/Isolate(s) Found or Amended? Yes
TCP(s) found? No
Replace a draft? No
Satisfy a DAHP Archaeological Excavation Permit requirement? No
DAHP Archaeological Site #:
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Cultural Resources Survey for the
Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project, Federal Way
King County, Washington
Prepared by:
Pam Trautman, B.S. and
J. Jeffrey Flenniken, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Lithic Analysts
PO Box 2466
Silverthorne, CO 80498
&
403 73rd AVE NE
Olympia, WA 98506
Short Report 1807-01
July 2018
Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project,
Federal Way, King County, Washington
Lithic Analysts July 2018
Short Report No. 1807-01 REV. Page 1
Author: J. Jeffrey Flenniken and Pam Trautman
Proponent: Amy Grealish
Date: July 2018
County: King County, Washington
Location: Section 6, Township 21 North, Range 4 East, W.M.,
USGS Poverty Bay Quadrangle, v. 1993
Executive Summary
This report describes the results of a cultural resources survey of property owned by Amy
Grealish located at 212 SW 292nd Street (Parcel #1196000121), in Federal Way, King
County, Washington. This property is located in the Buenna neighborhood just south of
the community of Redondo on the eastern shore of Puget Sound. The assessment was
completed for a proposed project to remove and replace a damaged concrete bulkhead
located on the shoreline of the property (Figures 1 – 8). The proposed project will require
a shoreline permit from the City of Federal Way. FWRC 15.05.040(6) requires a site
inspection and evaluation for ground disturbing activities in areas known to contain
historic, cultural, or archaeological resources. A precontact shell midden (45KI003) is
located nearby (Figure 2). This report is intended to assist in providing documentation of
the site inspection and results.
The proposed project area was surveyed on June 24, 2018, by two archaeologists, J.
Jeffrey Flenniken, Ph.D., and Pam Trautman, Cultural Specialist. Three shoved test
probes (STPs) were excavated in the bulkhead area. In addition, AN area degraded and
eroded by shoreline wave activity was scraped and examined. All subsurface areas were
void of archaeological resources. Lithic Analysts requests a determination of “No
Historic Properties” for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project.
Project Background
The proposed bulkhead project is located along the shoreline of East Passage on Puget
Sound in Section 6, Township 21 North, Range 4 East, W.M., USGS Poverty Bay
Quadrangle (Figure 1). The landform on which the property is located rises steeply in
elevation above Poverty Bay and is flanked by relatively high bluffs. A short distance
east (.2 mile), just below Redondo Beach, a Cold Brook Creek cuts through the landform
to enter Poverty Bay, and thus Puget Sound. The homes along the beach in this area have
bulkheads.
The project area is situated at the north end of a 50-foot wide parcel of land at the base of
a steep incline where the lawn meets the gravel beach of Poverty Bay (Figures 1 – 8). The
residence (Figure 4) is approximately in the middle of the parcel well above the
shoreline. The existing concrete bulkhead is deteriorating and has begun eroding away. It
is approached by a steep gravel trail from above (Figure 3). The area at the bottom of the
stairs behind the bulkhead is planted in grass.
Archaeological site 45KI003 (Bryan 1953) was originally reco rded in 1953 as a shell
midden along both sides of Cold Brook Creek where 1st Avenue South intersects with
Redondo Way South. Cultural material was two – three feet deep, but the site had been
Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project,
Federal Way, King County, Washington
Lithic Analysts July 2018
Short Report No. 1807-01 REV. Page 2
previously disturbed by bulldozing for construction of the road and a mobile home park.
A subsequent archaeological inspection of the site revealed skeletal remains, which had
been “redeposited from the slope to the midden” (Moura 1981).
The Grealish property is located within the traditional use area of today’s Suquamish
Tribe and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. Both spoke Southern Lushootseed. In addition,
the Puyallup Indian Tribe and the Duwamish Tribe also utilized the area (Suttles and
Lane 1990). A Lushootseed place name, Tso’Lkobld, is recorded for Redondo Creek once
used by whales to get from Puget Sound to Steel Lake. The small creek (Cold Brook) at
Buenna was called Qa’qahwEtx for crabapples that grew there. Several versions of an
oral history are recorded regarding the large boulder on the beach southwest of the
project area known as Kokowi’ltsa or Blanket Rock (Waterman 2001). Blanket Rock is
located two parcels from the project and is clearly visible from the Grealish beach.
In all versions of the story, covering events from around Three Tree Point above
Redondo to Blanket Rock, a husband and wife were both turned into rocks. The wife
became a white rock on the beach north of Redondo. Her husband, dressed in whistling
marmot skins, was turned into Blanket Rock, so named because its surface resembles a
wrinkled blanket (Ballard 1929 in Caster 2010). Interior groups visited the beaches at
Redondo during spring to camp. Others from White River camped at Des Moines and
Three Tree Point encompassing the geography of the various stories (Caster 2010).
After the displacement of Indian people, the prairie areas were utilized for agriculture and
other areas nearby for logging. However, the Redondo area was not settled by European-
Americans until 1870, when Ernst Lange constructed a cabin on the beach. A homestead
claim was filed by Sam Stone, who established one of the earliest logging settlements on
Puget Sound – Stone’s Landing. Upland sawmills soon followed. The Weyerhaeuser
Company harvested most of the largest trees in area by 1915. The name of Stone’s
Landing was changed to Redondo in 1906.
Buenna, established in 1890 west of today’s 1st Avenue South, was one of the first
platted towns on the shores of Poverty Bay. The dream of making Buenna a major
railroad stop was vanquished by the depression of 1893 when the railroad abandoned
plans to put the line through Buenna and the development of a town fell short (Murray
1979). The Buenna School was constructed that same year on what is now SW 296th
Street between 9th and 10th. The Buenna School was consolidated with Federal Way
School District in 1919 and torn down in 1935. Even though the area is now part of City
of Federal Way, it is still known locally as Buenna (Caster 2007).
Archival Research
Lithic Analysts conducted an archival file and literature research of documents and files
relevant to the proposed project. This included a search of electronic archaeological and
historic records pertaining to the project vicinity and housed at the Department of
Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) in Olympia including General Land
Office (GLO) plat maps.
Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project,
Federal Way, King County, Washington
Lithic Analysts July 2018
Short Report No. 1807-01 REV. Page 3
DAHP provides a predictive model derived from statewide information on geology, soils,
site types and landforms to predict probabilities for the identification of cultural resources
throughout the state. Criteria for predictions are: Low Risk, Moderately Low Risk, High
Risk and Very High Risk. The model map indicates the project area has a “very high risk
for the discovery of archaeological resources by ground disturbing activities.
Previously Recorded Archaeological Sites
The DAHP WISAARD database, which includes maps and site forms, revealed that
previously recorded archaeological sites are not located within the project area. However,
one precontact archaeological site (45KI0003) is located .2 mile northeast of the
proposed project.
Previous Cultural Resource Surveys
The project area has not been previously surveyed for archaeological materials. One
cultural resource survey was conducted for the Redondo Outfall Pipe Repair on the beach
north of the current project. This was north of, and adjacent to, archaeological site
45KI003. It was determined that the site does not extend into that project (Early 2005).
The parcel (Christensen, 204 SW 292nd) located next to the Grealish parcel and closer to
the archaeological site (45KI0003) was surveyed with shovel testing in 2015 (Trautman
and Flenniken 2015, in process). The shovel test pit results were negative for
archaeological materials.
Expectations
The Grealish property is located along the shore of Poverty Bay in Puget Sound in an
area determined by DAHP to have a very high risk for discovery of archaeological
materials. Previously recorded archaeological sites are not located within the project area,
but one precontact shell midden (45KI003) is located just northeast of the proposed
bulkhead replacement project (Figure 2). However, modern road development, bridge
construction, and residential development including bulkhead construction in or near to
the shell midden reduce the likelihood for discovery of intact archaeological materials.
Survey Methodology and Results
Archaeologists J. Jeffrey Flenniken, Ph.D. and Pam Trautman surveyed the proposed
bulkhead project area on June 24, 2018, for evidence of historic and prehistoric artifacts.
The goals of the survey were to determine if the proposed project would have an impact
on previously recorded archaeological site (45KI003) or any as yet unrecorded sites. A
meandering pedestrian survey of the supratidal and intertidal zone was conducted at low
tide under sunny and dry weather conditions.
The area immediately behind the bulkhead consists of a small, flat, grass-covered yard
area just behind an existing and deteriorating concrete bulkhead (Figures 4 – 6) and the
gravel beach below. The area immediately adjacent to and behind the bulkhead was
covered with a thick grass lawn cover. Three STPs (Figures 3, 6 and 7) were excavated to
determine the potential existence of subsurface cultural resources. All STP sediments
were screened through ¼” hardware cloth. An eroded area behind the bulkhead provided
Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project,
Federal Way, King County, Washington
Lithic Analysts July 2018
Short Report No. 1807-01 REV. Page 4
a view of the subsurface area (Figure 8). Cultural materials were not identified in the
STPs or within the eroded area.
STP1
Starting at the west end of the yard area, STP1 (10YR 3/3 dark brown, moist; 0550087
mE/5243306 mN) was excavated to 70 cmbs (Figures 3 and 6). Excavated dark brown,
dry sandy sediments produced only rounded pebbles.
STP2
STP2 was excavated east of STP1 in the middle of the grassy lawn (Figure 3). STP2
(10YR 4/4 dark yellowish brown, sediments; 0550090 mE/5243313 mN) was excavated
to 70 cmbs. Excavated dark yellowish brown, dry sandy sediments again produced only a
few rounded pebbles.
STP3
STP3 was excavated east of STP2 closest to the eastern property boundary (Figures 3 and
7). STP3 (10YR 3/3 dark brown, moist; 0550125 mE/5243329 mN) was excavated to 70
cmbs. Excavated dark yellowish brown, dry sandy sediments again produced only a few
rounded pebbles.
Scraping of Eroded Area
The eroded area (Figure 8) was excavated to 70 cmbs. The soil was virtually identical to
that found in STPs 1 – 3. The eroded area was void of archaeological resources.
All STPS and the scraping of the eroded area were negative for cultural resources. In
addition, artifacts were not found on the gravel beach below.
Conclusions and Recommendations
One pre-contact archaeological site was previously recorded mapped nearby, but this
study concludes that site, 45KI003, is not located within the project area. All subsurface
excavations conducted for this survey were negative for archaeological resources. The
proposed Grealish Bulkhead Project has minimal potential for significant cultural
resources.
Based on the results of this survey, we recommend that “No Historic Properties” will be
affected by the proposed bulkhead installation, and no further investigation is
recommended. This report should be submitted to the City of Federal Way who will
submit it to the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation in Olympia.
Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project,
Federal Way, King County, Washington
Lithic Analysts July 2018
Short Report No. 1807-01 REV. Page 5
Bibliography
Ballard, Arthur
1929 Mythology of Southern Puget Sound. University of Washington Press, Seattle.
Reprinted in 1999 by Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum. North Bend.
Bryan, B.
1953 University of Washington Archaeological Field Form for 45KI003 on file at the
Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Olympia.
Caster, Jerry
2007 Federal Way Historical Society Timeline. Historical Society of Federal Way.
Federal Way.
2010 Native American Presence in the Federal Way Area. Revised and expanded from
2005. Monograph prepared for the Federal Way Historical Society. Federal Way.
Early, Amber
2005 Cultural Resources Assessment of the Redondo Outfall Pipe Repair Project, King
County, Washington. NWAA Report No. WA 05-91, on file at the Department of
Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Olympia.
Moura, G.
1981 State of Washington Master Site File for 45KI003 on file at the Department of
Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Olympia.
Murray, Joanne E.
1979 King Historic Sites Survey, Inventory Sheet for the Roger’s House, 305 SW 293rd
Street, Federal Way. On file at WISAARD, retrieved July, 2018.
Suttles W., and B. Lane
1990 Southern Coast Salish. In Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 7,
edited by Wayne Suttles. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
Trautman, Pam, and J. Jeffrey Flenniken
2015 Proposed Christensen Bulkhead Project, 204 SW 292nd Street, Parcel No. 119600-
0125, Federal Way, King County, Washington.
Waterman, T. T.
2001 Puget Sound Geography: Original Manuscript from T.T. Waterman. Edited with
additional material by V. Hilbert, J. Miller and S. Zahir. Lushootseed Press,
Federal Way.
Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project,
Federal Way, King County, Washington
Lithic Analysts July 2018
Short Report No. 1807-01 REV. Page 6
Figures
Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project,
Federal Way, King County, Washington
Lithic Analysts July 2018
Short Report No. 1807-01 REV. Page 7
Figure 1. Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project, Section 6, Township 21 North, Range
4 East, W.M., USGS Poverty Bay Quadrangle, Federal Way, Washington.
Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project,
Federal Way, King County, Washington
Lithic Analysts July 2018
Short Report No. 1807-01 REV. Page 8
Figure 2. Aerial of Grealish property showing proximity to archaeological site 45KI003.
Aerial source: DAHP WISAARD Database, 2018.
Figure 3. Grealish Site Plan with Shovel Test Probes, adapted from site plan provided by
Pacific Northwest Bulkheads, Olympia.
Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project,
Federal Way, King County, Washington
Lithic Analysts July 2018
Short Report No. 1807-01 REV. Page 9
Figure 4. View of project area from beach, facing south.
Figure 5. View of project area from top of bank. The eroded area is on the left (west) end
of the bulkhead, view facing northwest.
Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project,
Federal Way, King County, Washington
Lithic Analysts July 2018
Short Report No. 1807-01 REV. Page 10
Figure 6. Shovel Test Pit1 and eroded area, view facing north.
Figure 7. Shovel Test Pit 3.
Cultural Resource Survey for the Grealish Bulkhead Replacement Project,
Federal Way, King County, Washington
Lithic Analysts July 2018
Short Report No. 1807-01 REV. Page 11
Figure 8. Scraping of eroded area of bulkhead, view facing south.