Held in Association with the 2003 John Whitmer Historical Association Annual Meeting
at Camp Doniphan, Excelsior Springs, Missouri, 24 September 2003

Mel Tungate, Ron Romig and Marshall Hamilton
2003 Haun's Mill Summit Participants.

    Recently, scholarly interest in Haun's Mill has dramatically increased. A number of individuals have invested time and resources into developing better understandings of the story and interpretation of the site. Richard and Pamela Price, along with Larry and Nancy Harlacher and others, began serious exploration and marking of the site in the late 1960s. The Community of Christ (RLDS Church) acquired the property in the 1970s. In 1986, Newell Kitchen and John Fowles identified a large cast metal face wheel found at the site by Bill Howell. In 1996, LaMar Berrett brought a team to thoroughly survey the site and compare the data with Andrew Jenson's 1880s reports. Mormon Historic Sites Foundation in conjunction with the RLDS Church conduced a deep ground radar survey in 1999. Following a successful 2000 non-denominational/community clean-up day, removing brush, Bob and David Hawley initiated a magnetometer survey. Archaeologist Paul DeBarthe began serious archaeological studies of the site in 2001. These are now being conducted under the auspices of Far West Cultural Center and the Community of Christ Historic Sites.

Mark Scherer, Community of Christ Historian

    With so many diverse efforts underway, Community of Christ Historic Site Director, Lachlan Mackay, issued a call for a Haun's Mill Summit. Stakeholders in the ongoing historical investigation met to discuss and share information about recent site developments, with a goal of developing better coordination and mutual cooperation in forthcoming site investagation and marking efforts.

Mike Riggs, Far West Cultural Center, Director