Baraboo, Dells, and Devil's Lake RegionCole, Harry Ellsworth
History
Baraboo, Dells, and Devil's Lake Region
Cole, Harry Ellsworth
Baraboo (Wis.); Dells of the Wisconsin (Wis.); Devil's Lake (Wis.); Sauk County (Wis.)
Man Mound, Famous Archeological Wonder--Why Indian Earthworks Were
Built
The famous man mound, a few miles northeast of Baraboo, is the most
interesting archeological feature of the region. This earthwork is
shaped like a giant human figure and is the only known Indian monument
of this nature in the world.
A Deer Mound
On the way to the site of the man mound, a deer mound may be visited at
727 Eighth Street, Baraboo, (on Trunk Line 33, Baraboo to Portage) in
an oak grove, on land owned by Mrs. Catherine Crandall Train. The rear
portion of this mound, a rare effigy, was destroyed a number of years
ago. A linear mound may be seen just back of the effigy.
Continuing on the trunk line two miles, a turn is made to the left, the
highway approaching a rugged elevation on the left side of the road.
This outcrop of sandstone is known locally as Rocky Point or Violet
Hill, from the abundance of violets which carpet its slopes in the
spring. Violent Hill would perhaps be a better appellation as the point
has been responsible for a number of serious accidents. Early in the
history of this region a bold frontiersman made the wrong turn, because
of a maudlin mind acquired in the village by overindulgence in rum, and
his wagon, tipping over, his life was snuffed out on the rocks.
About the year 1870 another devotee of Bacchus became a sacrifice.
Before his team had reached the top of the hill this confused
husbandman, thinking he was at the turn in the road, directed his
horses into the rocks and by the overturning of his wagon-box, was
killed.
Another victim was an employee of a hop yard located near the man
mound. One night this individual walked down the slope north of the
hill but instead of following the highway skirting the rocks, he walked
directly over the crest. Stepping into the darkness, he fell headlong
down the declivity barely escaping death.
Only a few years since, a driver and team came down this same north
slope in a snow storm. The snowdrifts were deep and the driver finally
abandoned his conveyance, walking behind his horses in an endeavor to
follow the road. Blinded by the falling snow and confused by the
drifts, man and team plunged over the cliff and were only saved from
destruction by the abundance of snow. So deep were the drifts that
little could be seen of the horses after the tumble, except their ears.
The Man Mound.
The journey now leads a fraction of a mile farther up the north range
of the Baraboo Bluffs, then a mile to the east to Man Mound Park, the
central object of which is the famous man mound.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account