Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-01-07
Ume0rth Eight Skeletons
IN Cemtury-OLd Mounds

History fails in giving us the
data relative to the early inhab-
itants of this section of Northern
Wisconsin, and in it's failure moth
ing definite can be obtained as to
who the people were who inhab-
tied that portion of the west shore
of Cranberry lake, one of the main
lakes comprising the famous Eagle
chain of navigable waters, and To-
Gated some four miles east of
Eagle River.
Early last September while DR.
Scott Parsons of st. Louis, Mo-,
was leveling off a mound on his
grounds on the west shore of
Cranberry, he unearthed the skele-
tons of eight people belonging to
some tribe inhabiting this region
over three hundred years ago.
How this is determined is from the
tree growth on mounds adjoining
the one opened, one having upon
it's top a pine tree three feet in
diameter.
To go back to the time Fred
Morey builded The Everett resort
some thirty years ago on a PENN
sula between Catfish and Gran
berry, these mounds, eight in num-
Der were very plainly to be seen.
They were located nearer the
Cranberry shore than that of Cat
fish, and were some three blocks
distant from the main lodge-or
for that matter are but a couple
blocks from the present recreation
building at The Everett. During
all these years the guests at The
Everett and those others who daily
have walked over, around and near
these mounds, missed the history
of the centuries which have passed.
1t was through DIR. Parsons that
early history has been revived,
Now, starting with the Parsons
summer property ON that shore
and following the water line south
to the G. H. Foster home, there
are eight distinct mounds lying on
the grounds owned by DIR. Scott
Parsons, Frank c. Bremen, B. j.
Selkirk, Jr., all of St. Louis, and
C. H. Foster of Chicago.
A description of the mounds
follows: Largest of the mounds
measures eighteen feet in diane
ter and six feet high; smallest is
twelve feet by six feet. The size
of the one destroyed fourteen feet
in diameter by six feet high. DR.
Parsons description of the one
containing the skeletons shows:
Skeletons stretched out full
length five or six feet from the
top of the mound and buried in
layers of charcoal. No objects
were discovered in the mound
with the skeletons except a few
clam or mussel shells. No indica-
tions of former Indian village
The skeletons covered an area of
8x3 feet; skulls and trunks found
at north end of mound while
lower portion of bodies at south
end. The bodies were laid out ex-
actly in a north and south direc-
ton, line drawn through the
long diameter of the mound touch
ing the north and south points OF
the compass. The mound was ovid
in shape and had growing from its
surface pine trees not less than
several hundred years old.
"The bones of the eight human
bodies were identified, the ages
ranging from infancy to old age
A mass of charcoal in a pulverized
state completely surrounded the
! skeletons which were in every in
stance in a perfect state of pre-
servation, due to the charcoal Gov
ering. Although the ground was
dug up for three feet below the
level of the bones, nothing else
was discovered
The matter of the discovery Of
these skeletons was taken up by
The Villas County News with Char
les S. Brown, chief of the State
Historical Museum at Madison
The explanatory letter from hin
under date of December %, fol
lows:
Mr.. D. G.. Menefee, Editor
Villas County News,
Dear Sir
| have carefullv Examined the
! human bones ia en- from t h
mound on the Parsons property a
| ~ r IL Tlory oro .1Yi11c11