The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-31

mis- seventy-eighth year, informs me that in
the course of his lifetime he has made num-
erous war parties and peace visits to different
tribes who livo on the banks of the upper
Mississippi river. He states that a tribe
who are known to the Ojibways by the name
OF Gi-aucht-in-in-e-wug, sigrifying men Of
the olden time" and named by the French,
Grcs Ventres, claim to have been formerly
pOssessors of the country from which the
Mississippi takes its rise. Their old men re-
late they were forced or driven from this
country by the powerful Dakotas, who have
in@@Grn given away to the Ojibways, now its
present possessors.
The Gros Ventres further stated to the Pill
lager chief, that their fathers lived in earthen
= Wigwams, and the small remnant who have
escaped the scourge of the scalping knife
and smallpox, still live on the banks of the
Missouri In these primitively constructed
dwellings. This is an important fact in the
early Indian history Of Minnesota, and the
writer has taken every pains to procure every
account and circumstance which might con-
duce to prove its truth.
1t will be found at once for the numerous
earthen mounds which are to be found AT
dinerent points on the upper Mississippi as
they may then be safely considered as the re-
mains of the earthen lodges of those former
occupants of this fair region.
So wrote Mr.. Warren, as the result
of his researches among his people. that
the mounds in Northern Minnesota
Were Of eros Ventre origin, and Flat
Mouth was his best authority.
Both were in error
The history goes on to describe the To-
cation Of numerous groups Of mounds
on all the principal lakes Of the Upper
Mississippi region, and that at the
mouth Of Pine river now in Grow Wing
county, Minnesota, there is a group of
nineteen Of these mounds in which the
Ojibways found bones.
These historic suggestions indicate
how iornOra M ho
were Of the fact that a mound-buiIding
race of men preceded them in the re-
gions of the north.
Following the inquiry by Mr.. Warren
concerning these mounds a few years
later Mr.. Alfred J. Hill commenced a
scientific study of the mound question
in Minnesota, gathering information.
prosecuting surveys and drafting
charts preparatory to a more thorough
understanding of the numerous works
constructed by prehistoric man in Min
nesota, Wisconsin and elsewhere. I'm
fortunately death, in 1895, put a stop to
Mr.. Hills researches, and the work
came to a sudden end, and the charts
and papers are now in the hands of
the authorities as an estate for admin
istration.
" AASt4iOI VI IlOI MI. Hill continued
MS examinations and SURVEYS to the
group at the mouth of Pine river men
toned by Mr.. Warren fOrty-fye wears
age, 1 do not know.
In October, 1885, while at the citv
or Brainerd, on the Upper Mississippi
engaged conveyance and drove
hCfthWardIy over an unduIating re
gIon dotted with lakes, pine groves
ana small farms, to the mouth of Pine
river, there to make examination of
the mounds mentioned by Mr. Warren
AT the Mission lakes. half a mile from
the westerly bank of the MississiDpi
the road passed directly over a prehis-
tCr1c mound, one Of a group of thirty
SIX continuing my drive to the mouth
OF Pine river and noticing that the
WhoIe vicinity was probably a rich
archaeologic field, dismissed the team
ana engaged accommodations at the
farm house Of William Marcho. on the
shore Of the Mission lakes.
AFTER making sketch of the mounds
and prehistoric village site at the Mis-
SION lakes, Which l have named after
the lakes, an examination of the Pine
river locality was proceeded with
mounds were noticed a mile above
the mouth of Pine river on section "a.
and prehistoric Enclosure is situated
on section II, three miles north of the
confluence Of Pine river with the Mis-
5ISsApp1 and half mile west from the
mouth Of the Little Pine. The ap-
proach Of cold weather, followed soon
after by heavy snowfall, brought an
end to those examinations. The inten-
ton was to return after the election in
November and make a detailed survey
OF all these works, but on account c,r
the deep snow and severe weather the
project was abandoned
A brief description OF the earthworks
examined follows herewith.
On the outward ride the first mound