HAVERHILL - Thousands of people pass it every day, but few know that a busy downtown block along Emerson Street is thought to be a former Indian burial ground.
At least two Indian skeletons were found decades ago in that area, one of which was dug up almost precisely where a new bank is being built next to the Boys Club on Emerson Street, according to historical records.
That information has prompted a local historian to persuade bank leaders to closely watch all material removed from the ground during preparation for the building. He also said historians must keep watch over other such areas of Haverhill and consider stepping in when alteration of those sites is proposed.
Thomas Spitalere, chairman of the Haverhill Historical Commission, said he just recently learned about the bank site's burial-ground history. Had he known about it earlier, he said, he would have requested a review by archaeological experts either from the state, a university such as UMass or an organization such as Timelines.
"I wish this information had come to us sooner," Spitalere said. "We would have had a chance to take a closer look to make sure there was nothing there. With a 40-foot hole dug, it's just too late."
If construction workers did find something, Spitalere said, experts would need to be called in, which could temporarily halt the project.
"There have been a lot of skeletons found in this area," said Gregory Laing, curator at the public library. "Every time they dug a foundation they found bones."
A construction worker who is involved in the digging to prepare for the bank said he would have no problem recognizing human bones or artifacts such as arrowheads or pottery shards, but that so far he has not encountered any of these items. Paul Finn, CEO of Southern New Hampshire Bank, which is constructing the building, said he was surprised to learn of the history of the site.
"We will certainly use extreme diligence in sifting through anything we excavate for anything of historical significance," Finn said.
Brian McNiff, spokesman for the state archaeologist at the secretary of state's office, said that if any bones are found at the site, the contractors are obligated by law to contact police.
If a medical examiner determines that the bones could be American Indian, the state archaeologist must be notified. The state Commission of Indian Affairs is also notified to monitor the site.
McNiff said that Indian remains are not rare.
"There have been people living in Massachusetts for several millennia," McNiff said. "So it's not surprising or rare that Native American remains and artifacts in general would materialize."
Haverhill leaders have called the location a prime spot on a busy street in the heart of downtown, just two blocks from Washington Square. The city has been trying for years to get a business to move onto the land at 37 Emerson St., which was left vacant after a fire four years ago.
In May 1851, the Haverhill Gazette reported the remains of an Indian in the "usual sitting posture" were exhumed near the corner of Merrimack and Emerson streets. Four years later, another skeleton was exhumed when James B. Hoyt was plowing in his garden, a Gazette article said.
Laing said Hoyt's garden would have been exactly at the current construction site next to the Boys Club.
"Maps from 1851 to 1892 show property outlines," Laing said. "The garden was where the auto parts building stood before it burned down a few years ago."
According to G.W. Chase's History of Haverhill, bones were also found around the corner from Emerson Street under a house, where The Eagle-Tribune office is on Merrimack Street.
"When the cellar of the above house was excavated, a number of Indian skeletons were dug up in a very good state of preservation," Chase wrote in his book, first published in 1861. "One of the workmen upon the occasion drank a bumper of punch to the memory of the original inhabitants from one of the skulls thus brought to light."
Other bones were found nearby in 1915, during construction of the Haverhill National Bank at the corner of Emerson and Merrimack streets, Laing said.
"You wonder what happened to all these bones," Laing said. "What did they do with them?"
Spitalere says there needs to be a greater concern for the remains of American Indian culture within Haverhill's borders.
"We should start paying greater attention to where developments are going, and if there are any questions, then developers should be compelled to bring in experts before doing any major digging or destruction of the land," he said.
Spitalere says it is important to look closely near bodies of water, because that's usually where natives lived.
"They fished, they drank, they cooked with water, and they didn't want to have to lug it around," he said.
At the least, Spitalere said, Haverhill should consider installing a historical marker somewhere near the corner of Merrimack and Emerson streets.
"I believe we should have a historical marker indicating this area was once a Pentuckett site," Spitalere said of the group of Indians who once lived in the area. "This would show Haverhill's strong Native American cultural background."
Southern New Hampshire Bank has headquarters in Salem, N.H., and branches in Nashua, Bedford, Manchester, Londonderry and Windham, N.H., as well as a branch in Andover.
Finn said his chairman is William DeLuca, whose family also owns several DeLuca car dealerships in Haverhill and Andover.
PG1 BOX
Haverhill sites believed to be Indian settlements
Winnekenni Basin next to Kenoza Lake, city's reservoir
Dutton's Airport, now closed, off Route 108
Mouth of Little River where it empties into the Merrimack River, and parts of Little River that now run under downtown.
Land where Yankee Clipper Boys Scouts office is located, across from Kenoza Lake
