80 Hopewell Mound Group 



I had in our camp Squier and Davis' volume "Ancient Monuments 

 of the Mississippi Valley." This work had been studied and consulted 

 by me frequently. Notwithstanding some inaccuracies, or lack of 

 definite knowledge on the part of the authors, I still consider it the 

 ranking pioneer- work on the antiquities of the Ohio Valley. I wrote to 

 Professor Putnam that, according to Squier and Davis' volume, there 

 were several unexplored mound groups in the Scioto Valley, and as field 

 assistant I strongly urged that the survey move over to the Scioto 

 Valley, where we could secure an exhibit of both educational and 

 archaeological value for the Columbian Exposition. Professor Putnam 

 was very busy directing many expeditions, but he referred me to Dr. C. 

 L. Metz of Madisonville, Ohio, whom he had asked to take charge of all 

 Ohio Valley explorations. Hearing nothing further from Dr. Metz, we 

 secured two large wagons, loaded our camp outfit, and moved across 

 country to Mr. M. C. Hopewell's farm on the North Fork of Paint 

 Creek, Ross County, reaching there about the end of August, 1891. 

 Squier and Davis had spoken at considerable length of the importance 

 of this group of mounds, which they called "Clark's Work, distant some 

 seven miles from the city of Chillicothe." From reading their volume, 

 it was my firm conviction that here we would find one of the principal 

 if not actually the largest, settlement of the Scioto Valley mound- 

 building tribe. Thus Squier and Davis' work more than anything else 

 brought about the exploration of the Hopewell group. It was not 

 chance, as some have intimated. 



The exhibits of copper, obsidian, shell, bone, and clay artifacts 

 attracted the attention of thousands of visitors at the Exposition. 

 Many letters were received in subsequent years from both institutions 

 and individuals asking for a report. 



Few collections have had more "experiences" than these objects 

 from the ancient Ohio mounds, and it might be well to mention a few 

 points of interest. When the collection was boxed, ready for shipment, 

 it was attached by a fanner living near the group, who claimed he had 

 a contract to fill the large pits. This suit was fought by me, the collec- 

 tion saved and shipped to Cambridge, Mass., where it was studied and 

 then re-shipped to Chicago. After the Exposition, it was again for- 

 warded to Cambridge, studied, and returned to Chicago. Professor 

 Putnam expected to write the report, but failed to do so; and Dr. 

 George A. Dorsey made some preparation toward publication. Finally, 

 after some twenty-nine years, thanks to the courtesy of the Trustees 

 of Field Museum of Natural History, I am able to present this report. 



I desire to state that, while the original photographs, some of the 



