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Cultural Resources Report Open Cisterns, Big Island Property Bill Walker, Cultural Resources Program Coordinator On Tuesday, September 20th, Park District staff was informed of a potential visitor safety hazard regarding two open cisterns located on Big Island, within the Arthur A. Allen Sanctuary. Per the recently adopted Cultural Resources Management Plan, Bill Walker, Cultural Resources Program Coordinator conducted an ��Initial Cultural Resources Review" in advance of the proposed solution- the filling of the open cisterns - to ascertain if such work presented the potential to negatively affect known cultural resources. Upon review, staff confirmed that the two cisterns in question are part of a larger group of building ruins which mark the location of the historic Olaf O. Searle Estate (c. 1887). The site is consistent with other identified archaeological sites of the post-settlement era previously inventoried within the Park District. In addition to the presence of the visible historic ruins, staff believes that a high potential exists for the discovery of unknown resources during sub-surface excavations on the island given its known history as a seasonal Dakota sugaring camp. Since at a minimum, the procedures for filling the cisterns as proposed in a recent bid will involve significant ground disturbance in and around the identified site for the assembly of fill materials, staff believes that the project would result in significant damage to this known archaeological resource (Searle Estate Ruins), and has the potential to impact currently unknown resources related to previous habitation periods (Dakota Sugar Camp & other pre- historic uses). Per the Cultural Resource Management Plan, work at the site should proceed per"Option 3" (page C.13) unless other measures can be identified to fill or cap the cisterns in a non-invasive manner. "Option 3" calls for close communications between the Park District, the Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) before any ground disturbing activities are conducted at the site to ensure compliance with Minnesota Statutes 138.31-138.42 (commonly referred to as the Minnesota Field Archaeology Act). To move forward with "Option 3", plans for work at the site should be submitted to OSA and SHPO for review before any ground disturbing work is conducted. Historic Background: Olaf O. Searle: b. June 23, 1859, Fredrikshald, Norway. Searle immigrated to the United States in 1881. He quickly secured a job in the emigration department of James J. Hill's St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway (soon to be renamed the Great Northern Railway), where he encouraged other Scandinavians to travel to Minnesota via Hill's railroad, and purchase railroad grant lands to establish their farms in the Red River Valley. By 1883, Searle was so successful in this endeavor that he left the railroad's employ to establish himself as an independent emigration agent with partner A.E. Johnson. By the early 1890's A.E. Johnson & Company was ranked among the largest American shipping firms operating in Scandinavia, with over $1,000,000 in passenger ticket sales to Minnesota, and over $5,000,000 in land sold to new immigrants each year. As such, Searle played a significant role in the mass migration of Scandinavians to Minnesota in the late 19th century - a phenomena which greatly altered the overall ethic flavor of the state. In addition, Searle was recognized as a prominent local businessman, serving on the boards of several prominent Twin Cities banks. With his newfound wealth, Searle built his Big Island estate shortly after his marriage in 1887. Plat maps from 1898 and 1913 outline the estate in some detail, and the ruins that remain can be identified per the map outlines. Photographs published in a 1906 Lake