Fillmore County, Minnesota - The Original Iniiabitants, 1912

The Mound Builders - Evidence of Their Existence in Fillmore County - An Ancient Battlefield - Other Indian Remains - Modern Indians - Interesting Items Concerning Those Whom the Early Settlers Succeeded.

At some period of the earth's history mankind in some form took up its abode in what is now Fillmore county. A discussion as to the existence of man in Minnesota during Glacial and Pre- Glacial ages is beyond the scope of this work. The Mound Builders have left undisputed evidence of their ocewpancy. Speculation as to the origin, life and habits of these Mound Builders is also beyond the scope of this work. Scholars are of the opinion that of the mounds in this vicinity, some at least were constructed by the immediate ancestors of the Indians found along the upper Mississippi by the earliest explorers. The thoughtful student is referred to the library of the Minnesota Historical Society at St. Paul, for volumes treating of this interesting question.

A volume entitled ''The Aborigines of Minnesota,'' published by the Minnesota State Historical Society in 1911 contains the following notes on the archaeology of Fillmore county:

Rushford Mounds.. (a) N. E. 4, 8. E. 4, See. 15, Township 104, 8; about twenty feet above the bottomland, in plowed ground. The group embraces nine tumuli, or ordinary size. Surveyed June 11, 1884. (b) W. %,N. E. 4, 8. W. \, Sec. 23, Township 104, 8. The flat is about twelve feet above the slope. These mounds have been cultivated for years, and some have been entirely obliterated. They are of ordinary size, about thirty feet in diameter and from one foot to two fect in height. The group contains twenty-two, only one being elongated. (e) N. EF. 4, 8. W. \, See. 14, Township 104, 8, about 425 feet above the river. Group contains six mounds, of which two are elongated, but all rather small. Numbers 1, 2, 3 and 5 have been opened and show rock burials. No. 1 is nearly all rock. No. 5 is 32 feet by 20 feet by 3% fect. Surveyed June 11, 1884. These mounds are on the brow of the outer bluffs of the river, which are essentially rock-formed; and very precipitous, or even perpendicular in many. places.

When Alfred J. Hill was examining this region of Minnesota for pre-historical remains B. D. Sprague said to him of the Rushford Mounds that a piece of pottery was found four or five feet below the surface in making excavations for his mill dam, in sand and gravel, associated with stones that had been burnt. The eurved earth work from which he took this, and which he mapped, was from eight to ten rods long, and about a foot high.

Lanesboro Group. [Besides the Rushford Mounds, others were noted in the geologic examination of Fillmore county made by Prof. N. H. Winchell. These are mentioned in Vol. 1 of the final report of the Geological and Natural History of Minnesota, page 673, as follows: At the junction of the north branch of Root river with the main river a Tew miles below Lanesboro, sections 1 and 12, Carrolton, are a great many mounds, probably forty in number. Several years since (1879) on the discovery of human bones in plowing the field in which they lie, about twenty of these mounds were examined by some citizens of Lanesboro. The human relics discovered on excavation consist of large human bones, several stonc hammers, a copper spearhead, several clay pipes and beads, as well as a small elay image of the human face and head, the latter with a cirelet of radiating feathers passing over the top. For a representation of this image of the human face, consult the Popular Seience Monthly, Vol. XTX, page 609. Other earthworks are near Houston, in the Yucatan valley.

Ancient Battle Ground. The Lanesboro group is on a terrace which had been plowed over for many years. The Ameriean Antiquarian, Vol. III, page 153, has an editorial abstract of statements found in the Lanesboro Journal (Nov., 1879), and Preston (Minn.) Republican, giving an account of remarkable discoveries three miles northeast of Lanesboro, as follows:

"Mr. Newell was plowing on his farm and turned up a skull, which he took to town and exhibited to Dr. D. F. Powell. The doctor went out the followimg day, accompanied by others who assisted in the excavations, and as a result of their labors several wagon-loads of bones were found, indicating that the mound had been the burial place of fully 600 human beings. The bones were all of full-grown men, there being no remains of women and children, indicating clearly that these were the remains of men killed in battle. A copper spearhead, harder than steel of modern times, a handsome pipe, and other articles were secured by the editor of the Lanesboro Journal; also many stone knives and a stone maul, of harder material than exists in this vicinity, were found. Big Fire, great Medicine Man of the Winnebagoes, says that a great battle occurred in that place many centuries ago between the Chippewas and the Sioux, the former coming out victorious and nearly annihilating their enemies. After the bat-

This is apparently the same discovery as referred to in the Popular Science Monthly, Vol. XIX, mentioned above. The statement that the Chippewa penetrated so fay south and inflicted such a hlow on their hereditary foe, can apply only to some prehistoric warfare - perhaps to the traditional migration of the Lenni Lenape from the Northwest when they made their grand incursion on the early mound builders.

In the ''Transactions of the Department of American Ilistory of the Minnesota Historical Society,'' Minneapolis, 1879, page 128, is further account of the remarkable mound group and bone deposit found near Lanesboro in form of a letter from Dr. D. F. Powell (White Beaver), dated November 28, 1879, from which the following is condensed:

Five of the larger mounds were each about thirty-five feet in diameter, the larger from ten to twenty-five feet, without any order of arrangement, on the small bluff which there runs almost due north and south. Number 1 was exactly on the verge of the bluff. No. 5 was isolated. Numbers 2, 3, 6 and 7 contained in aggregate fully three hnndred or four hundred skeletons, but No. 5 which was very large, contained but few hones and no implements. About five feet below the surface was a gravel bed, and in this nothing was found, although dug into more than two feet. In No. 3 were found a copper point and a stone pipe, also reimnants of a shell necklace and several pieces of pottery. In No. 6 was found part of a stone batchet. In No. 9 was a pipe of burnt clay, shaped something like a common clay pipe of today. Its color was a dull red. The teeth were almost perfect in the upper and lower mavillae of all specimens, but the skulls and all the bones easily erumbled, the skulls also distorted by pressure of the earth above. There was no order of deposit, some having been apparently thrown in, fect uppermost, others sitting, some with heads east, others in every direction.

'"As soon as possible,'' said Dr. Powell, ''I sent for one of my Indian friends and my interpreter, a halt-breed, well educated and intelligent. They claim that the bones are the remains of a large band of Sioux warriors killed in battle by the Chippewas many generations ago.

"The traditional history of the battle is now being written by my interpreter, who went to Trempeleau and Black River Falls three days ago for that purpose. He claims that many old men from his tribe clearly remember the legend handed down from generation to generation. I will give you the story when written, I accept the stories 'eum grano salis.'"' traditional battle, but there ave some general statements that can be hased on the facts that are known. 1 - lI{ the Chippewas were victorious, they did not remain in possession of the country, for they had no such custom of bone burial. 2. - The bones must have been deposited by a mound-building tribe, hence either by Dakota, Iowa or Omaha, or by the Winnebago. 3. - The victors must have remained in possession of the field, hence: 4. - - Either the battle was by the Iowa in defense against the Sioux, and resulted in the retirement of the aggressors, or; 5. - it was a victorious onset of the Sioux against the Iowa and resulted in the Sionx gaining the land. 6. - But the battle may have heen one of the first of the great traditional wars of the Northwestern Algonquins against the Mound Builders.

Similar conclusions are warrantable if one of the parties were Algonquins of the Sac or the Dlinois tribes. The Sac (or Outagamies) are shown on some old French maps as then occupying lands on the west side of the Mississippi. These were non-mound builders.

In April, 1907, N. H. Winchell made an effort to Jearn the facts as to the preparation of a writen account of the traditional battle, and was aided by O. M. Levang, editor of the Lanesboro Leader; 0. G. Wall, former publisher of the Lanesboro Journal; Dr. George E. Powell, La Crosse, Wis.; B. A. Man, of Winona, and Dr. J. C. Hvoslef, of Lanesboro. It appears that such a manuscript was prepared by White Beaver (Dr. D. Frank Powell) and that it embraces other legendary matter concerning the Winnebagoes, but that, if preserved, its whereabouts are unknown.

The statement of Dr. George E. Powell, as below, gives the essential facts as far as they can be ascertained. O. G. Wall has repeated in the Lanesboro Leader, May 18, 1907, the events of the discovery and examination of the mounds by Dr. Powell and himself, on November 14, 1879. In a letter to N. H. Winchell he has Outlined the form of a clay pipe, which he still had in his possession. Another of the same size and material was presented to the University of Minnesota museum by B. A. Man in 1879. The pipe found by Mr. Wall is a most interesting relic. The bow] is large and deep. The hole in the top of it is nearly an inch and a quarter in diameter, and tapers to a point at the bottom of the pipe, where it connects with a hole in the stem. The stem js short, about an inch and a quarter in length, and it tapers to a point in the end, and was thus smoked, to all appearances. The workmanship is excellent; in fact, could not be improved.

this kind, but I know not if it was completed or where it is. The great Winneshiek told me that in the legendary lore of his people the 'Mighty Chippewas' surprised his tribe at their home in middle Wisconsin. Though outnumbered, the Winncbagoes made a mighty battle, in which the loss on both sides was enormous. The Winnebagoes took to their canoes down a tributary of the Mississippi, were overhauled, and another fierce battle was fought upon its banks in Wisconsin. Again taking to their canoes, the remnant reached the Mississippi, and went up the Root river, camping upon a bottom east of Lanesboro, in the fork of a stream, or in between the junction of this stream from the north, and the Root river, just about where they joined. Here again the Chippewas overtook and nearly exterminated them. This is about all I know of the story, which many years ago seemed to be the common legend of the older Winnebagoes. Winneshiek also insisted while he lived that the Mississippi, when he was in the prime of manhood, was a trout stream, and that squaws caught trout abundantly anywhere. When I ventured that trout were caught only at or near the mouth of tributaries, he rejected the proposition with vigor, insisting that 'squaws eaught them wherever camp was made.' The Mississippi was never muddy, even when very high. The waters were always clear, clearer than its tributaries.

""'T regret ny imability to give you anything more definite in regard to this matter. Will A. Powell has no knowledge of the papers mentioned. I had no thought the matter would ever be wanted, so neglected to peruse the story with anything but curiosity. I have also forgotten some. My recollection is, though vague, that in his boyhood (Winneshick's) the then ancient men of his tribe were very familiar with the story, or had participated in the event. He told me of this in 1880. He was apparently then over one hundred years of age. His face was the oldest piece of human parchment in the tribe. Iam sure he told me the Chippewas were the people who had driven them. Without knowing positively I retain an impression from Winneshieck that the Lanesboro battle was not much less than two hundred years hor very much more than that length of time. But please remember that this is but a vague impression.'

According to the Chatfield Democrat, mounds situated seven miles southwest from Chatfield, on Jordan creek, one mile west of the middle branch of Root river, were examined by Dr. M. A. Trow, accompanied by William Carson and J. M. Underleak. They uncovered six skeletons, but the bones were much decayed, but were thought to have indicated men of enormous size. In some of the mounds, and in the immediate vicinity were found

Pilot Mound Group. On section twenty-two in Pilot Mound there are about @ dozen mounds from two to three feet high, and from fifteen to eighteen feet in diameter and circular in their outline. On one of these mounds was found growing by the first settlers a very large maple tree, that must have been very old. James Keatch dug into this mound and found human bones in such quantities as to indicate that a large number had been buried there, and all of these bones appear to have been broken. A copper instrument was also unearthed, one and one-half inches wide, a half-inch thick, and six inches long; also a stone pipe-bowl.

Modern Indian Cemetery. When the valley was first settled a burial place was found near Sprague's old mill. It had been used up to the time that the Indians left, on the advent of the white settlers. There were as inany as one hundred graves there. and they were made by laying the cadaver on the ground and heaping earth upon it.

Indian Cornfield. The Indians were acquainted with the value of the lands in the valleys for raising corn, and there was a cornfield near the house of G. W. White in South Rushford; the hills were about the same distance apart as now usually planted, not in rows, but in a hap-hazard sort of a way. The squaws did the planting and harvesting, and to them we are indebted for preserving the seed of this cereal, which the world does not even yet appreciate at its trne value.