Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-05-02
HUGE Mound AS
A STATE PARK.
Historic Relic Purchased by
West Virginia.
FIRST DISCOVERED IN 1772.

It Gives MoundsviIIe Its Name and Is
One Of the Most Celebrated and Best
Preserved Memorials Of the Remains
Of a Prehistoric Race-Guarded by
Heirs of G. S. McFadden For Years.
Standing seventy feet in height and
measuring 900 feet in circumference.
with trees growing upon it's summit
estimated to be at least 700 years
old. the mammoth mound from which
Moundsville, w. Va, derives it's name.
located on the Grave creek flats, near
the Ohio river-the greatest monument
of antiquity in the Ohio valley and
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
cialism. The deed Of transfer from
G. S. McFadden's heirs to the state Of
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. \ similar sum was raised by
subscription by the school children Of
the state. The last payment on the
purchase price is due next October
Builders Of Mounds and "HilI 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
from the northwestern part of the
American continent in a general south
westerly direction, mounds and "hill
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
tlere the nucleus of the powerful
Aztec nation, conquered by Cortes.
The mound was first discovered by
Joseph TomlinsoD Of Pittsburg in 1872.
The man. one of the pioneer adventur-
ers, journeyed down the Ohio river
from Pittsbufg in an open canoe.
searching for location for home in
the tracklcss wids. Mooring his bark
near Little Grave creek. just north of
where the city of Moundsville 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 Gu
rious conformation of the earth, Tom
I1son. impressed with the region, re-
turned to Pittsburg. loaded his family
and his belongings upon raft and
ventured again upon the broad bosom
of the Ohio. lie was the first settler
purposes the founder of the present
cities of MOundsville and Wheeling
Other settlers followed the path blazed
by TomlinS0n in the wilderness. A
small colony was formed north Of the
location of the mound at a point near
what is now known as the city Of
Wheeling. AS a protection against
the Indians Il stockade that afterward
became celebrated as Fort Henry was
erected. Several years later Simon
Girty, the renegade. in company with
White Cloud and his band Of Black
feet. marched M the Ohio and attack
ed the home of Tomlinson. His two
small sons were slain, but he and his
wife escaped to Fort Henry. The at
tempt of the redskins to take the fort
and their ultimate repulse are now
matters of history. 1t was during this
OittAS tAuI ADttSN Aduc uluuc uCA liz
roic run through the line Of Indian fire
to storage house from which she Sc
cured a keg of powder to be used in
defense Of the fort, the ammunition
having become exhausted.
a quarter Of century ago the late
G. S. McFadden purchased the mound
In order to prevent its being sold to a
German who knew the value Of the
spot for popular resort and intended
opening saloon on it's summit. A
year or more ago the heirs of McFad-
den served notice that they had held
the mound as long rs possible and that
1t would be sold ut once. State OFF,
Gals secured an option on the proper
ty later securing from the legislature
mn appropriation sufficient to warrant
the purchase.