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3 PRE-HISTORIC.
earth in the mound. It is evident that eremation was practiced
by the tribe to which the deceased belonged. It seems that the
stone vault had been built on the surface of the ground. the body
placed in it and burned. a11d then the pile of stone and ea.rth
reared above it. No relies of any kind were unearthed except a
few pieces of wrought flint.
The mound was located on one of the highest points in this
region and commands a splendid view in every direction. No
doubt at least a century has elapsed sinee the mound was built.
Mr. Palmer. who settled there in 1845. more than half a century
ago. says the mound looked as old then as when it was opened
yesterday. A large white oak tree originally grew on top of the
mound. but it was cut down in 1866 and converted into ties for the
K. C. railroad. The tree measured nearlv four feet in diameter.
On the same hill. about 10 or 15 rods south of this mound. is
another similarly eoustrut,-ted. but a little smaller. There is also
one in Mr. Palmers garden. and several on another hill just east
of his house. Looking nortlnvest from the mound opened yester-
dav,.one may see three very prominent mounds on Bud Smiths
farm, about a mile away. There is 2I.V91V largze mound in front of
John Vandre1s kitchen door. Several men dug: into the side of
it some time ago. and exhumed several skulls. There are a. num~
ber of smaller mounds on the terraces of the ereek bottom which
runs through Iatan. Several of these are near the old mill on the
south side of the ereek. and one on the north side. in Rud Ia1mers
eld. Some of these mounds are the remains of Indian lodges.
and the writer found a portion of a pottery vessel near one of
them.
"Some time ago the writer explored a small mound on the old
Major Bean farm near Bean Lake. .lthou;,-h similarly eon~
strueted. it presented somewhat of a eontrast to the mound on
Mr. Palmers farm in some respeets. From the large mass of
charred bones it was evident that several Indians had been de-
posited in one mound. The bones were seattered about promis-
euously, which indieated that they had been buried with little or
no regularity. A layer of burned substanee Iesenblin;: briek
had to be penetrated before reaehing the remains. [he pieees of
skull found in this mound were unusually thiek. Indian mounds,
eamp-sites. and other remains are seattered along the bluffs at
intervals all the Way from Rushville, in Rm-hanan (ountv. to
Iatan and Weston. in Platte (ount,v. and it presents one of the
best elds for the antiquarian in this. region. Hundreds of in-
teresting relies have been picked up in the elds hereabouts. lhe
writer has a. tomahawk whieh Mr. Palmer-s father pieked up
in 1845.
Ancient walls and graves have been uneovered. near Park-
ville. but little of interest has been disclosed.