Toolesboro Mound Group facts for kids
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Toolesboro Mound Group
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| Nearest city | Toolesboro, Iowa |
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| NRHP reference No. | 66000337 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | May 23, 1966 |
The Toolesboro Mound Group is a special place in Iowa. It's a collection of ancient earth mounds built by Native Americans. These mounds are found on the north side of the Iowa River. This river flows into the mighty Mississippi River. The Toolesboro Mound Group is a National Historic Landmark. This means it is a very important historical site. The State Historical Society of Iowa owns these mounds. They also let people visit them. You can find the mounds east of Wapello, Iowa, near a small town called Toolesboro.
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Who Built the Toolesboro Mounds?
The area where the Iowa River meets the Mississippi River was a great spot for early people. It was easy to find food there. They could hunt animals and gather wild plants. There were also plenty of fish, shellfish, and waterfowl.
The people who built these mounds were part of the Hopewell culture. This was a group of Native American people. They lived in the American Midwest a long time ago. They were good at finding food. This meant they had extra food and other goods.
Why Were the Mounds Built?
The Hopewell people buried their dead in these large earth mounds. They often placed special items with the bodies. These items are called "grave goods." They showed how important the person was. They might also have shown their religious or social leadership.
Some grave goods found in Hopewell mounds are amazing. They include copper from Lake Superior. There are also sea shells from the Gulf of Mexico. Some items are made of mica from the Appalachian Mountains. Even obsidian from the area of Yellowstone National Park has been found.
Trading Across North America
Historians believe the Hopewell people had a huge trading network. This network is sometimes called the "Hopewell Interaction Sphere." They traded valuable goods over long distances. For example, the Hopewell people near Toolesboro could trade blades made from local flint. They also traded freshwater pearls. These pearls were very valuable. They were sent to many different places.
The mounds we see today were built by the Havana Hopewell culture. This happened between 200 BCE and 100 CE. The important items found in the mounds tell us something. They show that the people who built them lived in an organized community. They had different social levels. Experts think there was likely a Hopewell village nearby. But its exact location has not been found yet. The Iowa River has changed its path many times. It might have covered or buried the village site over thousands of years.
Other Groups at the Site
After the Hopewell people, other groups lived near the mounds. There is another earthwork nearby. It is called "the old fort." People once thought it was part of the Hopewell mounds. But now, experts believe it was built much later. It might have been built about a thousand years later. Another Native American group, the Oneota, might have built it. There are two other Oneota sites nearby. They are called McKinney and Poison Ivy. This supports the idea that the Oneota were in the area.
Protecting the Mounds
When Americans explored the Mississippi Valley, they found many Hopewell mounds. Sadly, most of them were destroyed. Some were dug up carelessly. Others were ruined by farm plows. In the late 1800s, the Toolesboro Mound Group was dug up. This was done by the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences. They found some artifacts. But their methods were not very careful.
Old records say there were once as many as 12 mounds near Toolesboro. Now, only seven remain. This is because of new settlements and past excavations. The family of George M. Mosier, a local landowner, helped save the mounds. They gave the land with the mounds to the state of Iowa.
In 1966, the Toolesboro Mound Group became a National Historic Landmark. In 1969, a small visitor center was built. A parking lot was added too. The state asked the Historical Society of Iowa to take care of the site.
Of the seven mounds, only two are easy to see. They are on the grounds of the Educational Center. The other five are in a nearby wooded area. A wire fence separates them from the center.
The Toolesboro Mound Group is a burial site for Native Americans. The Historical Society welcomes visitors. But they ask everyone to be respectful. Please do not walk on or near the mounds themselves.
The site's address is 6568 Toolesboro Road, Wapello, Iowa.
