We had expected to have started the contour lines on the map but determining the boundaries of the site required most of the day.
The above mentioned boundaries were permanent markers, being long pieces of steel pipe. The steel markers were put in at the NW corner, and the SW corner; wooden stakes were used in the NE corner and SE corner, these were of wood due to that part of the site being in cultivation, however, all of our measurements used in regard to locating the squares are based on the measurements of the SW steel stake as it is the R 8 line although it is the SW corner of the site. The reason it is the R 8 line is due to the levee running in a NW direction and at the NW corner the site is 80 ft. in a westerly direction. All squares are to the right as the starting point is at the levee.
Saturday October 27, 1956
On the site early this A.M. were Mr. Long our surveyor, the Gaylons, John Jr., J. T. King, E. R. Deen, and myself. We all worked hard this day. We divided up into smaller crews and mapped in the contour lines, while the others staked out the R 8 line. This line, as before mentioned, began on the southwest corner of the site. The 32 line appeared to be about the center of the site due to the angles of the site. It was the likely point to begin the test trench, as we thought, and we began at the levee working in the direction of east on the south side of the 32 line. The soil was exceedingly hard and we had to work with small picks (Army surplus). During late evening I had the wall scraped down and drew the first profile.
Mr. King’s part of the trench did not work as easily as the part I had undertaken, and because the trench was irregular in depth, and the hour so late, we decided to resume work after there had been a good rain, in hopes that the ground would be in better condition to work, as the ground was like concrete. Though the soil was so hard, the profile was good.
There was distinct separation in soil colors and they changed in other parts of the trench. On the top was a brown color and at the bottom was brown with a band of what appeared to be ashes through most of the center.
At the end of the day we all felt proud of the map, and having actually started digging.
On the section line, or corner of the section, (NW corner) is a brass marker with elevation stamped on it, this was used to get the elevation of the highest point on the site.
This same elevation was transferred to a stake by a large gum tree. This stake is of walnut. The elevation was also transferred to a stake in the levee near the 32 line.