Fort Walton Mound facts for kids
|
Fort Walton Mound
|
|
Fort Walton Mound, in the Indian Temple Mound and Museum
|
|
 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Fort Walton Beach, Florida, USA |
|---|---|
| NRHP reference No. | 66000268 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | July 19, 1964 |
The Fort Walton Mound is an ancient archaeological site in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, United States. It's a huge platform mound built around 850 CE. The Pensacola culture, a group related to the Mississippian culture, built it. This important mound became a National Historic Landmark in 1964.
Even after many years, the mound is still about 12 feet (3.7 meters) high. It is also 223 feet (68 meters) wide at its base. Building it showed how organized the culture was. Leaders planned and managed many workers for this big project. The mound was used for ceremonies, politics, and religious events. It was the center of the village and its farms. The chief's temple and home were on top of the mound. Over time, new layers were added, and leaders were buried inside.
This mound is one of three remaining mound sites in the Florida panhandle. The others are Letchworth Mounds and Lake Jackson Mounds.
Contents
Exploring the Fort Walton Mound's Past
The Fort Walton Mound was likely built around 800 CE. Early archaeologists thought it was built later, between 1500 and 1650. This was based on pieces of pottery found there. The mound was the main spot for the chiefdom's ceremonies and politics. It was also probably where the chief lived. Important people in their society were buried here.
Archaeologists believe several buildings once stood on top of the mound. These buildings were likely made from wattle and daub. This was a common building style for Native American groups in the Southeast. By the late 1600s, the original builders left the mound. It remained unused until white settlers arrived in the mid-1800s.
Early Discoveries and Excavations
During the American Civil War in 1861, Confederate soldiers set up "Camp Walton" at the mound's base. They guarded the nearby Santa Rosa Sound and Choctawhatchee Bay. Like many mounds in Florida, the Fort Walton Mound was first dug into by people who were curious. The Walton Guard soldiers were the first recorded group to dig here. A soldier named John Love McKinnon wrote about their findings. He noted that they found human remains from large people. He thought they were warriors because of damage to their bones. He believed the area they dug into was once a charnel house, a place for bones.
In 1883, S.T. Walker wrote a report for the Smithsonian Institution. He noted that many people had dug into the mound over the years. Another person, Dr. S.S. Forbes, had found bones and clay figures. He later gave these to the Smithsonian.
Modern Archaeology at the Mound
Clarence Bloomfield Moore also dug at the mound in 1901. He uncovered many ceramic pots and burial items. In 1940, archaeologists Gordon Willey and Richard Woodbury studied the mound again. Their work was part of Willey's famous book, "Archaeology of the Florida Gulf Coast."
In 1960, Dr. Charles Fairbanks from Florida State University helped the city. He dug into the mound to find its original size and how it was built. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, museum staff continued to dig. They worked under William and Yulee Lazarus. In the early 1970s, more digging helped find post holes and pottery pieces.
The last big dig happened in 1976 by Nina Thanz. She made sure that a planned temple building on top of the mound would not disturb anything. She found more post holes from different structures. These findings helped decide the size of the building that stands on the mound today. Yulee Lazarus, the first curator of the Indian Temple Mound Museum, said the new building was not a "replica." It was meant to help people imagine how the Native Americans used the mound.
The Pensacola Culture and the Mound
The people of the Pensacola culture built these mounds. This was a local style of the larger Mississippian culture. The Fort Walton site was named after a culture by archaeologist Gordon Willey. However, later studies suggest the Pensacola culture actually built and used this site.
The Pensacola people were very good at farming. They grew crops like corn, beans, and squash. The mound itself looks like other buildings from that time. It has a pyramid-like base with a flat top. This flat top was used for ceremonies, temples, and homes for important leaders. The exact reason why the site was left empty by 1500 A.D. is still a mystery. Some think it was because Europeans arrived. But Spanish explorers found the sites already empty years before.
Fort Walton Beach Heritage Park & Cultural Center
Today, the Fort Walton Mound is part of the Fort Walton Beach Heritage Park & Cultural Center. Your admission lets you visit several museums: the Indian Temple Mound Museum, Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum, Garnier Post Office Museum, and Civil War Exhibits Building.
Indian Temple Mound Museum
This museum is owned by the city. It shows off ancient artifacts found at the mound and other places. It also has exhibits on later Native American and Florida history. You can see items from European explorers, local pirates, and early settlers. The museum is at 139 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE. It's near State Road 85 and U.S. Route 98 in the Florida Panhandle. The museum first opened in 1962, and its current building opened in 1972.
Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum
The Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum is the original one-room schoolhouse. It was built in 1911 and taught children from 1912 to 1936. The museum opened in 1976. It shows desks and school items from the early 1900s.
Garnier Post Office Museum
The Garnier Post Office Museum is a small, old post office. It shows the postal history of Camp Walton and Fort Walton. It focuses on the years from 1900 to the 1950s. This spot also used to be a place for voting. The museum opened in 1988.
Civil War Exhibits Building
This building opened in 2010. It has displays about Florida's history during the American Civil War.
Gallery
-
An information sign about the mound
-
The Indian Mound park today
-
Entrance to the Indian Temple Mound park
See also
