River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-06-12
PREHISTORIC TENNESSEANS.
The Bones of an Ancient Race Re-
Gently Unearthed in That State
by High Water.

struction wrought by the recent flood
there is interest and fascination in
studying some of it's freaks which APP
peal more to sentiment and the stu
dent. Ancient graves were washed up
at several places. The editor of the
Pulaski Citizen lately visited one of
these. On Dave Wade's farm, between
his residence and Richland Mills, the
food washed up what is called an ''old
Indian graveyard" The burying place
was located on knoll rising gently
from the creek and evidently supposed
to be above high water by the prehis-
toric people who buried their dead
there with such care. But all trace of
a graveyard had long since disappeared
and not even a tradition remained
among the old negroes in the neighbour
hood.
The field was worth $50 an acre be-
including the old graveyard, produced
IA bales of cotton. The land had been
in cultivation long before it came into
possession of Mr.. Wade, and, as stated,
there was neither trace nor tradition
of graveyard.
But when the creek sperau over the
bottoms as never before, this knoll
extending down into the bend of the
creek suffered great destruction by the
swift current flowing across it. The
soil was swept away and when the
flood receded the graves were exposed.
We cannot tell how deep the bodies
were originally buried, nor how many
graves are yet uncovered, nor how
many were swept away, leaving no
trace. About a dozen graves were left
exposed. Some of these were evidently
graves of adults and some are graves of
small children.
The vaults were formed somewhat
similar to vaults in graves of to-day.
Thin slabs of limestone, evidently
brought from some distance, perhaps
across the creek, are placed edgeways
along the sides and ends. The graves
are about two feet to six feet wide,
indicating that the bodies were buried
on the side, as they are too narrow to
permit a body to lie fiat on the back,
as we bury; and persons who first
looked into the graves say the skele-
tons were lying on the side. The body
had been placed in the vault, which was
covered by other fiat rocks, and thus
it was expected by the mourners and
loved ones who placed it there that the
body would rest undisturbed to the end
of time. But when the food exposed
these carefully prepared vaults, they
were soon opened, and, in the absence
of other souvenirs, the bones of these
ancient people were carried away. A
seashell was found in one grave, but
the others contained nothing but de-
cayed bones.
The Indians who occupied. this coun-
try up to about 100 years ago did not
usually bury their dead with such care.
They simply opened a grave, wrapped
a blanket about the dead body, laid it
in the shallow grave and filed in the
earth. Students of ethnology claim
this county was inhabited by race
of Misunderstanding people, commonly
called the Mound Builders" who
were driven out by the Indians. These
mound builders are believed to have
been superior to the Indian in many re-
spects, but they worshiped idols, while
the Indian worshiped the "Great
Spirit"
The graves recently washed up on the
Wade farm may have some connection
with discovery made about 30 years
ago in the bluff on the opposite side of
the creek. Dave Imam, who then
lived at the Mrs. Hays place, went to
some dogs that had chased a rabbit
into the rocks. on the bluff. Among the
rubbish he found two small clay fig
ures, one the form of man, the other
a woman. They were in sitting pos
ture, perhaps four or five inches high.