Phase III archaeological excavations were conducted at the 78^th Street Site in advance of the construction of the proposed Edgemont Elementary School in East St. Louis, Illinois.  Based on the results of the Phase I and Phase II investigations, the plowzone and/or overlying fills were machine-stripped from several large blocks, revealing three distinct clusters of prehistoric features and three distinct clusters of historic features.  Environmental Compliance Consultants, Inc., Springfield, Illinois, completed the excavation of the prehistoric features under sub-contract with Fever River Research, Inc.  One hundred and two pits, four wall-trench structures, two post-structures, and two human burials were identified and excavated.  The six structures and roughly half of the pits date to the Lohmann Phase (A.D. 1000-1050) and Stirling Phase (A.D. 1050-1100) of the Mississippian Tradition.  The remaining pits and two burials are Groves Phase (circa A.D. 1300-1400) of the Oneota Tradition.  The major concentration of historic features, fronting on East State Street, indicates the location of the Boneau family’s residence and commercial interests that included a post office, roadhouse/tavern, and ox mill.  Features present in this area include two stone perimeter foundations and associated stone and brick piers, three cellars (two stone-lined with bulkhead entryways), one brick-lined cistern, one stone-lined well, eight privies, and several pits of various functions.  These features, except for a series of large post pits and piers possibly marking the location of the ox mill, date from the 1840s to the late nineteenth-century; the ox mill dates to earlier in the nineteenth century.  At the south edge of the project area, several large stone piers and a large, deep pit indicate the location of another structure and associated activity areas that date to the first half of the nineteenth-century.  Two small cellars and several other pits at the west edge of the project area contained artifacts dating to circa 1800.  Hundreds of postholes demarcating former fence-lines were also recorded.  A final report of these investigations is anticipated in late 2006.  To view a Power Point presentation on this project, please select the underlined link.