16 BULLETIN 183, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Juntin Branch, and still others border Line Creek thence northward. 

 The terraces certainly, though probably not the bottoms in the vicinity 

 of the Renner site, are well above reach of waters backed up by any 

 conceivable flood in the nearby Missouri.^ Line Creek itself, draining 

 not more than 25 square miles, could never have menaced this or 

 other similarly situated communities along its course. 



The ridges east and west of the site still bear a parklike stand of 

 fine old hardwoods — oak, elm, locust, hickory, etc. — and we were 

 informed by old residents that 50 years ago heavy timber covered 

 the village terrace as well. Of this no trace now remains. It may 

 be inferred that the valley generally, now cleared and occupied by 

 prosperous farms, was forested when prehistoric man dwelt at the 

 Renner site. 



The village terrace has been considerably cut up by roads, pipe- 

 lines, and residential activities, all of which have helped to obscure 

 certain details besides contributing to the ultimate complete efface- 

 ment of the remains. Particularly destructive was the new high- 

 way cut-off on U. S. 169, which removed a strip about 25 yards wide 

 through the west portion of the area, incidentally providing in the 

 walls of the cut an excellent cross section of the site. East of this 

 road the middle of the terrace is occupied by the residence, garden, 

 poultry yard, and outbuildings of the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Leslie 

 Renner. About 50 yards still farther east an inconspicuous de- 

 pression drains southward, giving a slightly saucerlike conformation 

 to the terrace. This low spot appears to be almost devoid of arti- 

 facts and debris, but otherwise the entire flat and the rim of the bench 

 have long made good surface hunting. Alfalfa, corn, and potatoes 

 were growing over nearly the entire available portion of the flat 

 during our stay. 



By comparison with the large historic sites in this general region, 

 the area covered by the present remains is small. It measures ap- 

 proximately 200 yards north to south by 150, a total area not much 

 exceeding 5i^ or 6 acres. To the north it ends on the brink of 

 Juntin Branch and a gravel road. The edge of the terrace, conform- 

 ing approximately to the 760-foot contour (fig. 2), forms the east 

 and south boundary. West of the highway cut, the remains are vir- 

 tually encompassed by the 765-foot contour. It is improbable that 

 the village ever extended much farther west, since an almost imper- 

 ceptible swale intervenes before the foot of the hills is reached. In 

 times of heavy rain this would become swampy as a result of run- 



"As pointed out above, the flood of 1903 reached a height of 752.4 feet at Quindaro 

 pumping station on the south side of the Missouri opposite the mouth of Line Creek Valley. 

 During the srieat flood of June 1844, the Missouri, just below the mouth of Kansas River, 

 had a crest 7 feet above that of 1903. The crest at the mouth of Line Creek is not known, 

 but to inundate the Renner site water would have had to rise at least 13 feet above the 1903 

 stage (Climatic Summary of the United States, section 41). 



