Patrick Riordan Jr.

While taking Laboratory Methods in Archeology at CSU Chico, Archeology major, Patrick Riordan Jr. was approached by his professor Dr. A. Martinez, Ph. D. to work on an archeological survey for the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER). Unable to turn down the opportunity, Patrick began investigating the anthropological significance of a foundation located near the Henning House. His original goal was to discover who occupied the old homestead and what information they may have left behind. While searching for information Patrick came across an 1887 plat map that indicated the Lucas family owned the property. The Lucas Family used the area for ranching and their establishment is estimated to have originated between 1853-1865. Today the only visible remnants are the house foundation adjacent to the existing barn and a cemetery. There were 7 members of the Lucas family buried in the cemetery but there is only one headstone remaining for Paul Lucas. Paul Lucas was one of five children. The Lucas’ lived on the ranch until the late 1910’s when Ellen Lucas, the matriarch of the family, died.

Patrick is attempting to establish the temporal framework of the landscape the Lucas Family inhabited with artifacts from the area. Tools such as broken shovels, fragments of saw blades, and nails have been discovered at the home site. Old belts, ammunition cartridges, and a cattle tag have also been collected as artifacts as well as ceramic and glass fragments. All of the artifacts gathered have been considered by Patrick to be left by the Lucas Family or their predecessors. These artifacts indicate the appropriate time period that the Lucas Family inhabited the old home site. Patrick began data collection in mid-April 2003 and has continued to work diligently throughout the summer. Artifacts were collected in an intense pedestrian survey of the BCCER. The investigation was strictly a surface survey, which meant no digging. The artifacts were collected directly off of the ground surface for research purposes.

Patrick is still searching for the documentation of the original homestead of the area once inhabited by the Lucas Family and now a part of the BCCER. Although this lack of information has been a disadvantage, Patrick believes his project has many benefits. Being able to do research outside, as well as access to the BCCER are two of these benefits, yet Patrick feels the main advantages of this project have been the preservation of history and understanding past legacies within the local community. When the project is concluded it will be submitted to the BCCER and the Northeastern California Information Center for preservation purposes.

Patrick has been advised by Dr. A. Martinez Ph. D. and assisted in the laboratory and field by Christina Crawford. The Northeastern California Collections library staff and the anthropology department at CSU Chico have also contributed to this project.