Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-11-01
THAT OF THE MOUND BUILDERS
IN OHIO.
PROPERTY OF A MUSEUM
The Great Serpent Mound Decided to
State Archaeological Society by
Harvard College-lts Preservation
From Destruction by the Peabody
Museum-Putnam's Investigations.

Harvard College has been authorized
to deed to the Ohio State Archaeo-
logical and Historical society the
Serpent Mound park which for the
last fourteen years has been in the
custody of the Peabody museum in
Cambridge, thus restoring to Ohio the
ownership of the most remarkable and
famous of the thousands of monu-
ments of the ancient mound builders
which exist within her borders.
The great serpent mound lies in
the township of Bratton, overlooking
Brush Creek, about seven miles from
PEBBLES, the nearest railway station.
1t had been noted with wonder by the
first settlers, but it was not until
1916 that it was measured and de-
scribed by Squier and Davis, who pub
lished a report with drawings from
surveys in the first volume of the
Smithsonian Contributions to Knowl-
edfe. The two explorers had found
the site of the mound covered by a
forest. Thirteen or fourteen years
after their visit tornado swept di-
rectly alog Serpent hill, practically
sweeping the forest clear This led
to reclaiming the land for cultivation,
but by 1883 it had relapsed again to
a state of nature and was overgrown
with sumach and briars.
In that year Professor Frederick w.
Putnam, curator of the Peabody mu-
scum and Peabody professor of arch
aeology and ethnology at Harvard,
visited that spot in the course of
trip which he was making through
southern Ohio for the purpose of ex-
aiming some of the best known of
tae ancient monuments for whic'l this
part of the state is famous through
out the world. He was able to make
arrangements with Mr.. Lovett, the
owr or of the land, to have the site
cl Jared of underbrush, so that for
the first time Is years the extraordi-
MARI character and grandeur of the
great Serpent was apparent to visi-
tors.
1t has been reckoned that no less
thin $4,000 mounds and oarth-works,
built either by the Indians or by the
so-called prehistoric" inhabitants of
the Mississippi valley, are included in
the state of Ohio alone. But the ad-
vance of cultivation, the cupidity of
seekers after the buried treasures
which are popularity supposed to be
hidden under many of these works,
and in some cases pure vandalism,
have put many, including, of course,
some of the most important, in jeo-
pardy. An example of this last kind
of destruction is to be found at Mari
eta, where two great entertainments,
famous among students of American
archaeology, have been partly de-
stroyed-one having been built upon
and in part leveled, and the other
made into bricks. The destruction of
the Marietta works seems all the
more to be regretted on account of
the contrast which it offers to the en-
lightened wisdom of the pioneers,
who, acting under the direction of the
famous Rufus Putnam, had utilized
the two entertainments to form an
avenue which they named, in the
classical fashion of the day, the Via
Sacra
On his return east, accordingly,
Professor Putnam Immediately took
every opportunity to urge the import
ance of preserving the great Serpent
Visiting Adams County again in 1885
he found that it's destruction was in
evitable unless immediate measures
81,
was able to secure contract with
the owner that it should remain in
tact for year, and a price for the
absolute purchase of the land was
agreed upon. Going back to Boston
he enlisted the aid of Miss Alice G.
Fletcher, well known for her notable
contributions to the knowledge of
Indian life Miss Fletcher, meeting
in Newport p few Boston ladies', ap-
pealed to them for support with so
much effect that in the winter of 1886
a private circular was issued, with
the Endorsement of the late Francis
Parkman, the historian of the west,
calling for subscriptions. AS re-
suit, a sufficient sum, amounting to
about $4,000, was secured to buy such
land as seemed to be required for the
purpose in view, and to take steps for
the preservation Of the serpent, with
provision for making t.orough excava-
lions in the immediate neighborhood.
In the end some rs acres Of land
along the pike leading from PEBBLES
to Hillsborough were purchased, and
the whole, under the name of the Ser
pent Mound park. was transferred to
the keeping of the Peabody museum
IL trdst.
This movement not only saved the
great Serpent itself. but was the cause
of stimulating increased interest in
the preservation Of the archaeological
remains of Ohio in general. The gen.
eraI assembly. at the suggestion of
Prof. NJ. c. Reed, Of Hudson, passed a
law in 1888 exempting from taxation
lands in the state, ION which are sit
uated any prehistoric earth-wofks, and
which may have been or may hereafter
be purchased by any person. associa-