The Harroun Site: A Fulton Aspect Component of the Caddoan Area, Upshur County, Texas

The Harroun Site, tucked in the flood‑plain of Cypress Creek in northeastern Upshur County, was slated to disappear beneath the new Ferrell’s Bridge Reservoir. In a race against rising waters, archaeologists from the National Park Service and the University of Texas mounted a series of salvage digs in the late 1950s, carefully mapping four modest mounds before the area was flooded.

Early work on the smallest mound uncovered a single burial, complete with two pottery vessels and an arrow point, suggesting a ceremonial purpose for the earthen rise. Subsequent excavations of the larger mounds revealed remnants of burned house structures, offering a glimpse into the daily lives of the Fulton Aspect peoples who once inhabited the region. The report details the field methods, preliminary artifact inventory, and the collaborative effort that preserved these fragile clues before the landscape was transformed.