The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-07-01
HUGE MOUND AS
A STATE PARK.
Historic Relic Purchased by
West Virginia.
FIRST DISCOVERED IN 1772.

II Gives Moundsville Its Name and Is
One of the Most Celebrated and Best
Preserved Memorials of the Remains
of Prehistoric Race-Guarded by
Heirs of G. S. MeFadden For Years.
Standing seventy feet in height and
measuring 900 feet in circumference,
with trees growing upon its summit
estimated TO be at least 700 years
old. the mammoth mound from which
Moundsville. w. Va. derives its name,
located on the Grave creek flats, near
the Ohio river-the greatest monument
or antiquity in the Ohio valley and a
tremendous memorial of the aboriginal
life of the prehistoric people-has been
purchased by the state of West Vir-
ginia and converted into a public park.
The legislature of the Mountain
State. following unceasing activity in
the interest of the purchase of the
mound for twenty years, appropriated
$4,000 with which to save the relic
from the ravages Of modern CONNER
q. 5. McFadden's heirs to the state IF
West Virginia was formally executed
before the work of identifying the
grounds was allowed to commence.
twenty-five thousand dollars Is the
price to be paid for the mound. OF
this sum $1,000 has been donated by
the heirs as memorial to their ia
Their, who preserved the mound for
years. A similar sum was raised nv
subscription by the school children of
the state. The last payment on the
purchase price is due next October.
Builders of Mounds and "HiII Forts"
The mound in question is one of the
most celebrated and best preserved of
the remains Of the prehistoric Ameri-
can race which, for lack Of . better
name and because Of its characteristic
habit of erecting these mounds, has be-
come known as the mound builders"
Antedating the Indian, they appear
to have been driven by an invasion of
strangers-possibly the first Indians
from the northwestern part of the
westerly direction, mounds and chill
forts" marking their retreat. The best
remains are found in the Miami and
Ohio river valleys. There is theory
that this strange people may have
migrated into Mexico and formed
there the nucleus of the powerful
Aztec nation, conquered by Cortes.
Il;
Joseph Tomlinson of Pittsburg in 1872.
The man. one Of the pioneer adventur-
ers, journeyed down the Ohio river
from Pittsburg in an open canoe.
searching for location for home in
the trackless wilds. Mooring his bark
near Little Grave creek, just north of
where the city Of Moundsvile now
stands, he toured the country there
about for a suitable site for his pro-
spective cabin, coming upon the mound.
Experiences of Its First Settler.
Realizing nothing Of the historic
value of his discovery or that the
mound was anything more than a GU
rious conformation of the earth, Tom
linson. impressed with the region, re-
turned TO Pittsburg, loaded his family |
and his belongings upon a raft and |
again upon the broad bosom
Of the Ohio. He was the first settler
In this territory and to all intents and |
purposes the founder of the present
cities Of Moundsville and Wheeling.
Other settlers followed the path bazed
by Tomlinson in the wilderness. A
small colony was formed north Of the
ocation of the mound at point near
what is now known as the city of
Wheeling. AS protection against
he Indians stockade that afterward
became celebrated as Fort Henry was
erected. Several years later Simon
iirty, the renegade. in company with
White Cloud and his band Of Black
eet, marched up the Ohio and attack
ID the home Of Tomlnson. His two
small sons were slain, but he and his
wife escaped to Fort Henry. The at
empt Of the redskins TO take the fort
nd their ultimate repulse are now
matters of history. 1t was during this
'attle that Betsy Zane made her he
ole run through the line Of Indian fire
o a storage house from which she Sc
ured a keg Of powder TO be used in
efense Of the fort. the ammunition
aving become exhausted.
A quarter of century ago the late
!. S. McFadden purchased the mound
4 order to prevent its being sold to
ierman who knew the value Of the
pot for popular resort and intended
pening saloon on its summit. A
ear or more ago the heirs Of McFad-
en- served notice that they had held
ne mound as long as possible and that
would be sold at once. State off,
ials secured an option on the proper
z lntcr securing from the legislature |