Monk's mound derived this name from the fact that from 1804 to 1809 a colony of Monks of the order of La Trappe occupied the locality as missionaries among the Cahokia Indians. These monks devoted themselves to silence and seclusion and ate a strictly vegetable diet. They soon succumbed to the malarial influences existing at that time, many died and those remaining returned whence they came, the last of them leaving in March, 1813. The name Cahokia given the group of mounds is derived from a tribe of Indians met by LaSalle in that vicinity, during his visit there in December, 1681. Growing upon Monk's mound may be seen a pear orchard, set out by the Monks, many of these trees are yet vigorous and bear fruit in season. Besides these fruit trees, there are many fine forest trees, some of which have reached a very large size; all of which tends to make this large mound one of the most picturesque sights in spring, summer and autumn. Only a short distance to the north of Monk's mound flows Cahokia Creek, its heavily wooded tract of timber giving here a rare chance to the Archaeologist and land-scape artist to help some one of the greatest movements of pre-historic man to be found in the United States today. Ohio has long since made safe her serpent mound, together with many lesser ones by proper legislative acts, other states and counties have protected pre-historic works of much less importance. Why then should the great State of Illinois not preserve our Cahokia group? During the last legislative session at Springfield, Cahokia mound park bills were introduced in both houses and are now known as House Bill No. 176 Flagg, and Senate Bill No. 276 Beall, on June 7, 1913. The matter was refered to the Illinois State Park Commission to investigate the desirability of the state acquiring the Cahokia mound and report to the forty-ninth General Assembly not later than Feb. 1, 1915. The names and addresses of the members of the Illinois State Board of Park Commissioners are as follows: Alexander Richards, Ottawa, Ill. T. A. James, Evanston, Ill. and Thomas Cahill, Loda, Ill. [Illustration: Plate No. 1 At research on Ramey Farm in field near Monk's Mound, October, 1913] [Illustration: Plate No. 2 Characteristic surface finds from location shown on plate 1.] Cuts furnished by C. H. Robinson Cahokia Surface Finds, No. 3 Plate No. 2