Plate No. 4.
1. Gamestone 2-1/4 (problematical) gray granite
2. Scraper, pink flint
3. Knife 4 inches long, yellow flint, (between 30 and 4)
4. Bird arrow point, 3/4 inches long, white flint
5. Double notched arrow, curved body, white flint
6. Notch of arrow, flat on one side
7. Scraper--mottled blue and white flint
8. Barbed arrow, to remain in wound
9. Non-barbed arrow, to be withdrawn from wound
10. Common chert arrows
11. Red flint arrow
12. Heavy chert arrow
13. Blue flint arrow
14. Rare ceremonial stone, brown flint
15. Drill, white flint
17. Blunt arrow, white flint
18. Drill, white flint
19. Half completed leaf arrow, white flint
20. Finely finished spear point, pink flint
22. Common arrow
23. Perfect shape leaf arrow, blue flint
24. Fragment of pottery, porphyry tempered
25. First piece of arrow found on camp-site
26. Drill, white flint
27. 2/3 completed leaf shape arrow, white flint
28. Perfect hafted scarper, white flint
29. Wide base arrow, white flint
30. Perfect knife, mottled flint, red, white and blue
31. Perfect double bevel arrow, white flint
Through the courtesy of the Ramey Family, the writer and party were
given much valuable data and information pertaining to the early
history of this historic spot, therefore honorary mention is herewith
given to the sturdy and honest pioneer, the late T. T. Ramey, who was
one of the few successful 49er's. Returning east again, he invested
his hard earned gold in the rich alluvial "American bottom" lands of
Madison County and upon which now stands the great Cahokia mound,
together with twenty others of lesser magnitude. He was a close
student of both God and man. He soon conceived the idea that the large
mound should never be disturbed and if possible become the property
of the state. Thus he kept in tact this great earthwork during his
lifetime and it is with the same spirit that his children do likewise.
May we not hope that the State of Illinois shall in due time make this
great mound group a state preserve and keep intact the great Cahokia
Mound just as the Ramey family have done for many years?
The party making the Cahokia trip was composed of Milo Custer, G.
Blumke, Mark Piper, S. W. Le Neve, Herbert Cox and the writer.
Charles M. Robinson.
_Aboriginal Flint Implement Work Shop or Camp Site._
_Located on Section 33, Dry Grove Township, McLean County, Illinois_
_By Richard Thomas Robinson, Normal, Illinois_
May 8, 1912, at this place, my father found the barbed shank of a
flint arrow head. Around this broken part of an arrow head were
several flint chips. This led to a closer examination, which resulted
in the finding of about three dozen pieces a flint core, and several
arrow heads, some finished and several about half complete. Many trips
have been made to this old camp site in the past two years and all the
pieces, or parts of arrow heads as well as chips have been carefully
preserved. On none of our trips have we come home empty handed. Even
some pottery fragments have been found. These, like all the other
material are apparently quite ancient. This camp is near the old
Indian trail, which use to run between Bloomington and Peoria, where
was then located old Fort Clark.
Mr. George Washington Henry the oldest resident of the grove remembers
when he was a boy of eight, the Indians camping on this trail. He has
told us many interesting stories about the Indians, and wild game
which roamed the prairies in those days. He has gone on walks with us
to the places of interest, and told us what was there eighty years ago.
Among the things that have been found at this camp site are namely: a
double beveled arrow head, of which the government reports show only
one in 3,000 are found, one curved arrow head, one leaf shaped, one
of the same kind incomplete, and many barbed arrow heads of different
sizes, of which many are incomplete. Several scrapers, some ceremonial
stones, a flint drill, and saw, several small bird points, and one
large spear point, incomplete. Two very fine skinning knives, one
problematic stone, shaped round like a hammer stone, but flat on two
sides.
We have excavated at this place to a depth of about two feet but in
our excavations found nothing of any great value. In all we have
secured several hundred fine specimens.
There are probably a great many more interesting things to be found
here and we feel very grateful to Mr. Kaufman for granting us the
privilege of searching for the remains of those who lived many years
before us.
_A Trip to Petersburg, Ill. and Kingfisher's Hill_
_By Mark Piper, Bloomington, Illinois_
One of our most interesting trips was taken on May 18th, 1913 to
Petersburg and Kingfisher Hill in an auto owned by T. R. Good. The
party, S. W. LeNeve, Gus. Blumke, Chas. Robinson and myself met at the
Court House in Bloomington, Ill, where Mr. Good met us at 5 a. m. with
his machine. At about 10 a. m. we arrived at Bonnett brothers on whose
farm we were to look for relics. We then made our way to the tops of
some hills where there were indications of Indian graves. There I for
once was the lucky one and found part of a skeleton, while Mr. Good
afterward found three more. Owing to the peculiar nature of the soil
they were exceedingly well preserved, there did not appear to be any
system of burial as the bones and skulls seemed to be in a heap. Some
of the bones showed tooth marks as though some wild animal had gnawed
them. One peculiar thing about their graves was that they were on the
very top of the highest hills, except some which were on the side near
the top. Nothing was found in the graves with the bones. Besides the
skeleton we also found arrow heads, buffalo teeth and other relics.
Our next trip to the Bonnett farm was taken June 23. The party this
time consisted of Charles H. Robinson, Gus. Blumke, Mr. Robinson's son
and myself. We met at the Union Depot in the wee small hours of the
night and took a train at about one o'clock for Petersburg where we
had previously made arrangements for a team to meet us and take us to
the Bonnett farm.
After breakfast Mr. Bonnett supplied us each with an old coat which
would help to keep out the rain. We then took spades and started out.
We crossed creeks and ponds as though they were dry and after digging
on numerous hills without success we came back to dinner and more
coffee. After dinner we had better success for we found some graves
and also a camp site located on the banks of Cleary's Creek in which
a great number of shells lay exposed, also quite a quantity of broken
pottery of a special stamped and rouletted design. Pottery similar to
this has been found at Naples Ill., and is described in government
literature. We also found fragments of bone and flint articles but as
that was in a field of growing wheat we could not excavate.
[Illustration: Cut furnished by Wm. B. Brigham (Cuts one-half size.)]
The six arrow heads of the upper row show a variety of
shapes with a marked difference in the notches and base.
The long spear-heads was found in the Bloomington cemetery
by J. W. Moran. This is a beautiful pink flint.
The specimen below in the center is no doubt a knife. The
spear-head on either side show a notched and a stem-base.
Below is a notched scraper, and a drill. The two small game
points are from the Cahokia mounds, Madison County. (This
kind is characteristic of that region.)
_My Indian Collection_
_By W. B. Brigham, Assistant County Supt. of Schools._
One day many years ago while working in the field, my father picked
up an Indian arrow-head. He gave it to me as a play-thing and it was
much enjoyed tho soon lost; leaving me with a sad heart but a deep
longing to find others. Twenty years later after I had roamed o'er
the prairies and worked in the fields less than six arrow points were
garnered and some of these were obtained from schoolmates. Yet my
fascination for these relics has increased as we have learned more of
the habits and haunts of the Indians, their different implements and
the manner in which they were made.
The Indian hunters and warriors would often lose arrows while on
the prairies, but we find them in greater numbers with other stone
implements in some of the old village or camp-sites. These were
generally on elevated ground in or near the woods and along the
streams. The close observer will find little difficulty in locating
these places by the presence of granite spalls and flint flakes which
are readily distinguished from the pebbles of the glacial drift. This
camp debris is sometimes covered by the alluvial from the uplands
and is no longer to be found on the surface but is often revealed by
diggings or by a washout.
Some years ago, Mr. Milo Custer located a camp-site in section sixteen
Bloomington Township and made a good find. I took up his trail
and frequently visited the field being always rewarded by finding
something of interest, including arrow and spear heads, knives,
scrapers, drills and human teeth. No large implements were found there
by me. This site was located on the south slope of a hill running down
to what had been a pond in early days, the water probably standing
there several feet deep throughout the year.
These sites disclose some very interesting facts and furnish much
food for speculation. The great variety of "finds" not only recalls
many phases of the primitive life of the Indians but also shows that
the "ancient arrow-maker" possessed patience and skill of the highest
degree.
It is all the more wonderful when we consider that these results were
obtained with such crude tools, and again that no artists of modern
civilization can attain the technic or reproduce the work of these
children of savagery.
In the accompanying illustration are some typical small flint or chert
implements found in McLean County.
NOTE----In 1899, I farmed the twenty acre tract in Sec. 16,
Bloomington Township, mentioned by Mr. Brigham and during
the spring and summer of that year at the camp-site he also
mentions I found about 130 arrowheads, one long granite
celt, two granite discoidal hammer-stones, two broken
perforated sand-stone tablets and several potsherds. This
material I donated to the McLean County Historical Society.
It was all destroyed in the fire of June 19, 1900.