Identifier: historyoffortdod01prat (find matches)
Title: History of Fort Dodge and Webster County, Iowa
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors: Pratt, Harlow Munson, 1876- Pioneer Publishing Company (Chicago)
Subjects: Webster County (Iowa) -- History Fort Dodge (Iowa) -- History Webster County (Iowa) -- Biography
Publisher: Chicago, The Pioneer Publishing Company
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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y remains of ancient fortifications and mounds, which had evidently, fromtheir location and construction, been at some remote period raised for defense,and positions of observation, giving evidence that this northern country wasinhabited by a race of people living before the present race of Indians inhabitedit. On viewing the location and tracing the lines, we found them arranged withsome judgment. Others evidently were burial places. On directing the attentionof the Indians to them, we were unable to find any, even among the oldest Sioux,who had any knowledge of them, either by traditions or otherwise. They allasserted that they were here when their people first came into the country. Themost distinct of these ancient works will be found in the forks of the Boone,on and in the neighborhood of L. Mericles place, on the west side of the DesMoines near where AFr. Beam lives, also on Indian creek about twelve milesnorth of Fort Dodge, on Lizard river and at Fort Dodge. Some of the mounds
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WAHKONSA HOTEL LOBBY, OPENED SEPTEMBEE 19, 1910 PUBLl I HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY 27 at Fort Dodge have been removed, and in digging into them they were found tocontain the remains of human beings; such as parts of skulls, teeth, thigh-bones,etc., and along with them pieces of burnt or charred wood and coals. From theirlocation on high and dry ground, covered with sand and gravel, together with theappearance of the bones, their color, etc., physicians and all who examined themwere of the opinion that a great length of time had elapsed since they had beendeposited there, perhaps two hundred years or more. The ancient mound builderswere in the habit of burning their dead, which is not the custom of any of theIndians of whom we have knowledge. Some three or four miles north of the town of Lehigh is what is known asBoneyard Hollow. There a little wet weather stream enters the Des Moinesriver from the adjacent bluff, making a terrace. This terrace is flat-topped, eightor ten rods wide and

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