Abstract
Homer Norris (1929-2018), a commercial artist by profession and a life-time resident of eastern Parker County, in North-Central Texas, in the South Fork and Clear Fork drainages of the upper Trinity River basin, roamed the landscape from at least 30-50 years ago in search of archeological evidence of Native American use and settlement in the basin. He took and maintained detailed notes, records, and drawings of the sites he found and the artifacts he recovered, as well as pertinent information on the context of finds, including those noted eroding out of stream cut banks and in stream beds of the South Fork and Clear Fork in the Anetta-Aledo areas of Parker County, about 15 miles west of Fort Worth, an area of about 5 miles on a side. This information, made available by his daughter Lanie Garmon of Aledo, Texas, from his archeological investigations is detailed herein, along with a summary of how his investigations contribute to a fuller understanding of the native history of this region of Texas.
Highlights
A lot of people collect, but Homer keeps accurate, detailed records of everything
Norris primarily worked in eastern Parker County in the South Fork of the Trinity River basin in areas of the Blackland Prairie and the Western Cross Timbers biotic regions (Diamond et al 1987)
In July 1985, Homer Norris reported the discovery of two partial human skeletons identified as “South Fork Woman” and “South Fork Man,” to a meeting of the Tarrant County Archeological Society (TCAS)
Summary
O’er fields of now-turned sod, Communing with my God, I tramped alone, And in a furrow bed I found an arrowhead Chiseled from stone. — Homer proclaimed in our local newspaper, “Not many towns can claim host to the earliest man known in the western hemisphere...we can.” My father viewed his self-curated collections as a source of community pride, and loved talking to local school kids every year or having them to our home where they could see prehistoric specimens up close, even hold them in their hands. He frequently referred to knowledge of local history as “lifegiving,” and I have observed it to be true. Archeological Investigations in the Upper Trinity River Basin in Parker County, Texas
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Index of Texas Archaeology Open Access Grey Literature from the Lone Star State
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
