Page 1 - hs_oldroadbridge2018

August 27, 2018

Monica Mello, Architectural Historian
AECOM
401 West A Street Suite 1200
San Diego, CA 92101

Re: Cultural Resources Evaluations for the County of Los Angeles
The Old Road Over Santa Clara River & SPT Co Bridge Project

Dear Ms. Mello:

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the above-referenced project.
The project site is located in the Santa Clara River corridor at Castaic Junction,
which is a highly sensitive area in terms of prehistoric and historic cultural
resources. The project is proximate to the site of a Tataviam Indian Village,
Chaguayabit, aka Tsawayung, which was occupied until at least A.D. 1802 and
whose influence extended several miles in each direction along the river.

Cultural materials and human remains have been "discovered" in the area for
100-plus years by both and amateurs and professionals. One notable recent
discovery was (re )made during a Caltrans road widening project at the site
previously recorded as CA-LAN-2233 (and -2234 and -2235), aka Chiquito
Creek site (see map), which yielded 45 inhumations (2000-1630 B.P.) at the
confluence of San Martinez Grande Canyon Road and Highway 126. Waugh
2003 ("Prehistory in the Transverse Ranches of California: An Archaeological
Investigation in the Santa Clara River Valley" by Georgie Waugh, UC
Sacramento, 2003) describes the sites and is a good resource for other known
sites in the area.

The nearby Bowers Cave site, CA-LAN-36, was likely associated with

-Saugus Train Station
P.O. Box 221925 ... Ne\vhall " California " 9 I 322
Founded MCl'vILXXV