Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-10-06
WILLMAR PARTY FINDS
A VALUABLE COLLECTION
Spading of Old Burial Grounds
Disclose Entire Indian Skele-
tons and Trinkets

A picnic party from Willmar
promptly transformed itself into
group, of explorers and relic hunters
last Sunday near Montevideo when it
became known to them that they were
dams had made their burial grounds,
Mr.. and Mrs. Paul Hedin, Mr.. and
Mrs. Emil Lindskog and Mrs. Victor
Nelson of this city, and Mr.. and Mrs
bert Anderson of MOntevideo COM
posed the party engaged in the fas-
cinating search. They were enjoying
sofa River, some thirteen miles west
of Montevideo, and by good fortune
became acquainted with the old set
tier now occupying nearby farm.
Paul Hedin, in glancing over the sur
face of one section of the field, not
titled, discerned depressions and. evil
dences Of trenches and graves and his
curiosity being aroused, acquainted
the rest Of the party with his beliefs.
With these traces as clues, they in
PRODUCED themselves to the old timer
who at once directed them to a part
of the field and supplied them with
spades.
The party began digging in two
places where the surface of the field
was somewhat low and two trenches
alongside each other were dug. sWhen
one trench had been dug down to a
depth Of twelve inches the first relics
were thrown up and contained Of
greatest interest, complete skele-
ton. The other trench was much
deeper necessitating an excavation of
three feet but the grave rewarded the
workers by unbaring two skeletons
and several trinkets. From both
graves the following cCriOs were laid
bare: three skeletons intact, a CON-
pass of a bright metal. several swords,
some beads, a large shell, collection
OF metal pieces evidently for Orna-
mental use, piece of round pipe
stone perhaps part of peace pipe or
tomahawk, several small brass bells,
some pieces of glass, several bits of
cloth, entirely rottened but yet dis
luRlIodm! ss9I GupW pue oIq!uL9o
finds.
One Of the best formed and best
preserved skulls was taken along
with the other curios An examina-
ton OF the skeletons showed that the
Indians were of abnormal height as
the section of the legs between the
hip and the knee was of unusual
length.
Enthused by the success of their
venture the COLLECTORS returned the
implements to the old settler and
were told some facts about the his
tory of that part of the state. They
were told that in 1885 the first mis-
sion was established in that vicinity
and was called the Lac Qui Parle Mis-
sion Evidently the Indians exchan-
ged their goods for trinkets at the
post and battered with the white men.
The old settler stated that he had
| occupied the homestead for the past
forty years and that during that time
he has at frequent times unearthed
with the pillow any number of relics
| and bones and most of the time plow.
ed them under again, keeping but the
most interesting finds.
Some interesting facts are connect
ed with the relics secured. The com
pass in the possession of Paul Hedin
| is either made of brass or solid gold
as it has not rusted in the least. The
face with the points is white and
smooth without any marks of deteri.
Grafton. The needle which was made
Of steel is rusted and one end of it