Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-07-19


capital instead of Madison. In 1848 j
had four large hotels, wagon factory
with halfa hundred workmen, and it,
streets were full oil freight-wagons, boua,
either with farm products from Milwau
iIee, or with merchandise to many All in
land point. But railroads, one and ALL
from first to last, have come just near
enough to kill it.
Prehistoric Aztalan is the largest and
most elaborate monument of Wisconsin
aborigines. Its ruins were first discover
ed by Timothy johnson in the fall OF
1886. In January following it was ex-
plored and described with drawing in
the Milwaukee Advertiser by Nathaniel
+. Hyer. Another account of it, with
cuts, appeared in 1913 in Silliman's Jour
nal, New Haven. This was written by
Stephen Taylor, then living at Richland
Forest, and afterwards at Stevens Point,
and who has recently bequeathed a thous-
ami dollars to the State Historical Socie-
ETY..
But the antique remains, unique in Wis
consln and perhaps outside of it, were first
accurately surveyed and plotted by DR.
Lapham in 1850 His description and
drawing were published in 1855, III the
Smithsonian contributions to knowledge
The strange monument styled Aztalan
by Mr.. Hyer, -inasmuch as it seemed to
him structure worthy of the Mexican
Aztecs, and possibly erected by some kin
dred race,-is situated on the right bank
OF the Crawfish, the first western Uribu-
tary of Rock river above Koshkonong.
1t may be viewed as an intrencheG camp
on the west bank of the stream, which
here flows south, and is about one hun
dred feet in width.
The line of earth works is about twice
as long from north to sonth as from east
to west:-in exact fgures,-the north
embankment starting from the river, at
distance Of 631 feet, reaches the end Of
the western embankment, which has
length of !, 4l9, and which, at its south
ern extremity, meets another enbank-
ment which runs 700 feet to the river
Che inclosure had no wall on the water
side, the river being sufficient protec-
ton. The bank is steep and rises at
once fifteen or twenty feet. At the north
east junction with the river, thanking
semicircuIar tower projects from what |
may call the curtain of the camp,-and
similar projections occur throughout its
entire circuit, at an average distance
of five rods from each other.
The area. of this enclosure, namely
1723 acres, is well nigh one third larger
than the capitol square, in Madison,
which within the iron fence measures no
more than thirteen acres. The thick
ness of the wall, according to Lapham,
Was twenty two feet and its height vary
ing from one to five,-though even in
its time it had been plowed down IN many
places. II its original height averaged
tour feet its solid contents could not
have been less than quarter of mil
lion cubic feet. Various outlying mounds
or lookouts, and others within the jRcc
int, must have added not a little to the
labor of construction.
A work of such dimensions seems to
contrast surprisingly with all we know
of Indian industry and concentration.
The late Louis Morgan would say that
the whole erection was thrown up as
foundation for long series of connected
huts serving as a corral enclosing cen
trail court. Though military terms are
at once suggested by apparent walls and
towers, it is unlikely that they were built
for military purposes, inasmuch as the
fort, if it were one, would be com
manded on three sides,-north, east and
west, by higher ground within arrow shot.
The reason for such an outlay of en-
ergy here, as was without parallel in
the northwest, will perhaps always re-
main conjectural. Lapham is inclined
to think Aztalan may have been a cen
ter of pilgrimage like Jerusalem and
Mecca. 1t is delightfully."- situated,-it
slopes gently down to the river bank
and its lookout mounds are still high
enough to show wide prospect among
oak openings.
Aztalan brick, if | can use the
term without misleading, are the great
est my stery of the spot. They are shape
less clods Of lay,-burnt red and pretty
hard. | could easily have gathered q
bushel Of them scattered on the surface
of the plowed field which cverruns the
ramparts. Every bit shows holes whee
the sedge from the river bank had been
matted and massed in the clay, perhaps
to help i'll burning it to brick.
One fragment which | brought away
has a stick more than an inch thick burn
ed to charcoal in the middle CT it. Re
Numbering that plows have been tearing
this brickwork in pieces for fully forty
years-One was thus at work during the
hours of my visit-we can scarcely exag-
gerate the quantity of it in the prime of
its perfection. 1t is quite possible that
it veneered the earthworks in every part
from top to bottom, on inner and outer
faces, as stone walls have scarped SO many
q rampant OF earth
Nothing is so lamentable in our arch
geological sneglects as that the work Of
exploring our unique marvel, so we'll be-
gun by pioneers, has been given up alto
gether for a generation, and that no thor
ougn and enlightened excavations have
been made at all. Much has hence per-
ished, but Aztalan is still quarry worth
working A German who now owns the
sight gave me polished fesher he had
just plowed up, and in his tillage had
noticed many varities Of prehistoric inn
plements without caring to touch them.
A gentleman Of the neighborhood, Henry
Haskell, who was so kind as to be nv