The Susquehanna River Expedition

In 1916, The Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation sponsored the Susquehanna River Expedition, which was compiled and annotated by Warren King Moorehead. The subsequent book "The Susquehanna River Expedition" was published in 1938 by Andover Press.  This book had over 150 pages to it including wonderful field notes and photos taken at sites and showing incredible petroglyphs and artifacts.  The expedition consisted of 10 men on a consistent crew (who were usually joined by locals at each site) from the source of the Susquehanna (Cooperstown) to the Chesapeake Bay. 

Unfortunately, Spanish Hill is mentioned in passing (two pages) which is called "A Brief Discussion of Spanish Hill". The first two paragraphs are basically apologies for the spending two and a half days there in pouring rain to no avail.  He goes on to say that they did not find any evidence of a lengthy occupation and that they needed to move on to the next site down the river, but had dug over 400 test holes in that time. But he also states "Our examination was by no means complete..."[pg 68] 

Here is a map from the Tioga Point Museum that shows what areas the 400 test pits were dug. Obviously, his report using the test pits should NOT be used as a final conclusion for archeological evidence from the hill, as the majority of the table top of the hill was untouched during his visit. Click Here.

In the next paragraph - he does tell us that Mr. L.D. Shoemaker made several trips to Spanish Hill after they had proceeded down the river and that he had written quite a long interesting paper on the subject.

L.D. Shoemaker - "Evidence Relating to Spanish Hill" 1917

I was lucky enough to secure a copy of this text from the Chemung Historical Museum in Elmira, NY.  I would like to give you some direct quotes from this manuscript.

""I am well aware that the recent Moorehead Archeological Expedition reported that they found nothing to indicate an Indian village site on Spanish Hill; that it was their belief that the Andastes had their village somewhere in the valley and repaired to the fortified hill only in times of stress. The writer has known Prof. Moorehead for a long term of years and regards him as one of the ablest archeologists in the world today, but cannot help but feel that if he makes the positive assertation that there is no evidence to indicate that there was ever an Indian village on Spanish Hill, he is making a grave mistake.  The writer believes that such a statement should be qualified by stating (as Rev Mr. Donehoo has admitted) that there are surface evidences of aboriginal occupation there, but in their opinion it indicates a camp site instead of a village site of long occupation."

In this paper he closes with:

CONCLUSION:

Summing up the evidence, the writer believes that Champlain stated nothing but facts when he wrote that Brule found the Andastes at Carantouan living inside a stockade; that the late General John S. Clark, whose studies and field work placed him among the recognized authorities, and whose findings have always been regarded as conclusive, made no error in locating the village of Carantouan on Spanish Hill; that Lewis H. Morgan wrote understandingly when he stated that during war times the Indian villages were surrounded by a double and even triple row of palisades, and that within these enclosures they constructed their bark houses and secured their stores; that no mistake was made by the Bradford County Historical Society in locating the Brule marker on Spanish Hill."

Lastly, "The Susquehanna River Expedition" also quotes from Donehoo's (Rev Mr. Donehoo)Report as follows: [pg 69]

"An investigation of Spanish Hill gave no evidence whatever of its having been a permanent village site.  Owing to heavy rains during the time of the investigation at this place, careful work was not possible...It seems highly probable that the larger Andaste villages were south of the hill (Spanish Hill) and that it was an outpost, stockaded point, used by all the villages in the region as a rallying place when the Iroquois from the northward threatened the settlements.   Every part of the broad valley between the Chemung and the North Branch gives evidence of a large population having occupied it during a long period."

That concludes the references to Spanish Hill in the "The Susquehanna River Expedition" of 1916.

This page was last updated: 04/20/2005 08:01 AM

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