The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-20

letter from Brompton. Ala, which de-
clares that the Indian park site has
been obtained at Brompton. and that
no trouble will be spared to make
the park a point of national interest.
The park site has been given by Mr..
and Mrs. John .. Head, and Birming
ham people, Mrs. C. G. Adams, Mrs.
Joseph r. Estes, Miss Hannah Elliott
and others will help forward the UNI
dertaking.
The Bankhead highway beautifica-
ton committee plans to make this
pike one of the most interesting
routes across the country. 1t already
is the longest thoroughfare in the
United states, stretching from Wash
ington. ID. c., to the Pacific coast.
Different sections through which the
road passes will vie with one another
in recalling novel facts connected
with their local history. Those be-
hind the Indian park site declare:
"Brompton cannot afford to neglect
to commemorate the occupation of its
country by the Muscogee or Creek
Indians"
There is nobody, probably who will
not enjoy reading the following arti-
Gle. concerning the Indians who for
merly lived in the state, and which
has been prepared by Mrs John d.
Head
Says she:
The ground which has been Sc
cured for a park and overnight camp
ing place for tourists on the Bank
head highway at Brompton. Ala. will
be free to the public, and an addi-
tionai interest will attach to it from
the fact that the site is of historical
and scenic value.
Indian Burial Ground.
AT point where Kelley's creek
flows through Big Oak mountain at
Cars Gap, there rises an eminence
containing about six acres, on the
top of which the Creek Indians have
buried one of their mighty ones.
The scenery is wild and pictur-
esque in the extreme. Peak after
peak rises In the immediate chain of
mountains and the dead of the alb
origines, the Creeks. rest in their
crude sepulchers on the crest of many
of these peaks The grave on the
campground commands a view which
designates it as being the grave of
a chief. A perpendicular ledge of
rock 500 feet long seems to have
been carved by nature for his mauso-
ieum.
All Decorated.
"A singular fact regarding all these
graves is that every one has been
desecrated by vandals who were seek
ing the treasures which were buried
with the dead. The magnificent coll
iections all over the country might
explain this vandalism.
THE rocks which were used to fill
the graves have been thrown out
and lie In semi-circle around the
shallow depressions, showing that
tbic de ahPratiop
ago, and that nature has been kind
in her effort to cover up a hideous
thing.
The endeavor of those who have
the campground in charge, will be
to restore the graves. beautify the
park and place a permanent marker
or monument to perpetuate the ideals
of a vanished race-the creek In
dams of Alabama.
The Vanished Race.
"The word vanished Is used advis-
eddy. We know they were vanquished
and banished, but both words denote
something unpleasant. Vanished tells
the story at once and leaves off the
shudder which the other two words
invoke. This undertaking is intended
to appeal to the esthetic sense OF the
beholder and to avoid all reference to
the bloody struggles between con-
quered and conquerors.
Historians, have chronicied that.
They have told in fact and fiction
the story of Indian deeds and what
the white pioneers termed misdeeds
Looking back through the tele-
scope of the years We can see that
the red men fought to hold their own,
fought with native weapons and abb
original methods which to them held
ft,h 10
the white mans flintlock and powder
horn.
Peace IL Purpose.
THE purpose OF the park and the
markers is not to sound the tocsin
of war but rather to play on the
pipes of peace: not to bring to mind
any cruelties when the Creeks may
have inflicted or may have suffered.
but to preserve the truth that this
was once the home Of unique race
who called the earth their mother
and refrained from filling the soil
SO as not to wound her. They did
plant maize or corn, but it was dropped
in small open spaces and the cultiva-
ton was meager in the extreme.
Game, wild fruits and wild vegetables
formed the basis Of their living.
Indian Arts.
1t il 4 mistake to suppose that
the Creeks had no arts and crafts.
Prehistoric mounds yield mute rec
erds of crude art in their bone work.
which included avis. fish hooks, pins.
arrow points, cutting tools made of
beaver teeth and scrapng tools of
bone. They also made beads. pend
ants, wristiets. whistles and flutes OF
bone. together with engraved batons
elaborate with carvings, totemic and
symbolic in character.