A BOOKLET PROMOTING THE
PRESERVATION OF CAHOKIA MOUNDS BY THE "CAHOKIA MOUND
ASSOCIATION" IN 1917
PETE BOSTROM LIBRARY
This booklet was written
by the "Cahokia Mounds Association" and contains letters that
were written between 1863 and 1917 that argue for preserving the
archaeological site at Cahokia. The "Cahokia Mounds
Association" was started by a group of people in 1913 for the
purpose of preserving the Cahokia Mounds site. This large Mississippian
site (the biggest in North America) is located in southern Illinois just
east of St. Louis, Missouri. The members of the "Cahokia Mounds
Association" were concerned because so many of the large mounds had
already been completely destroyed in the area. They were very worried
that if something wasn't done soon to protect the mounds at Cahokia that
there may not be any left for the future.
One of the letters in this booklet was written by William
Barry. He writes in 1863 that "the ancient earthworks of this state
(Illinois), especially in southern Illinois are of unsurpassed interest
and scientific value. It would be a lasting reproach upon our
intelligence and respect for the past----without one attempt to rescue
them from premature obliteration and utter ruin".
The first attempt to begin a campaign to "save the
mounds" is described in a July 18, 1909 St. Louis Daily
Globe-Democrat. That article says "The purpose of the recent visit
of Mr. Mease of the Illinois Historical Society was to secure local
cooperation in East St. Louis for making the great mound and the ground
around it part of an Illinois state park or reservation".
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CLICK ON PICTURE
FOR VERY LARGE "READABLE" COPY (5 1/2 min.)
A FULL PAGE ARTICLE WRITTEN IN
1917 BY THE
ST. LOUIS GLOBE-DEMOCRAT ABOUT
THE "GREAT CAHOKIA MOUNDS"
PETE BOSTROM LIBRARY
This early newspaper
article informs the public that "A bill was introduced recently in
the Illinois Legislature proposing that the state make a park of the
great Cahokia Mounds, declared by many scientists and the Encyclopedia Britannica
to be the largest in the world".
The article has several interesting stories. It gives the
history of the various owners. One interesting story tells about one of
the owners that would not let a team of diggers who had come there well equipped
"in a special train from the east" to excavated the great
mound.
Another story suggests why visiting the site is so much fun
"One reward for the trip to the mounds are the arrowheads, the
pieces of pottery, some of it still red after 2,000 years in the
weather, of spear heads and stone axes to be found in the fields near
the mounds".
Click on the picture for a large "readable" copy.
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