LINCOLN COUNTY, DAKOTA. 413 



tlie building was erected, or by whom iuhabited, I cannot determine ; 

 wbetlier it bad been the home of the Jesuits during tbe i^eriod of tbeir 

 residence in tbis country, is' not clear, as tbe place indicates tbe build- 

 ing to be of a date prior to tbat epocb ; and, besides, most of tbeir 

 buildings are yet standing. 



Tbe place is so remote and inaccessible tbat I can bardly suppose tbe 

 Jesuits would bave reacbed it. And as tbe Apaches bare beld tbe 

 region for long, long years, so long tbat it is looked upon by tbem as 

 tbeir original home, and is certainly tbeir stronghold, I incline to tbe 

 opinion that it is an ancient Aztec or Toltec ruin. 



TME HAYSTACK MOUND, lOCOLX COUNTY, DAKOTA. 



By a. Barrandt, of Sioux City. 



Tbis mound, one of tbe finest specimens of archaeological remains in 

 the Northwest, is situated in Lincoln County, near tbe west forli of the 

 Little Sioux of Dakota or Turkey Creek, nearly eighty-five miles north- 

 west of Sioux City. It is situated on a fine bottom, and is 327 feet in length 

 at the base on the northwest side, and 290 feet on the southeast side, 

 and 120 feet wide. Its sides slope at an angle of about 50^ ; it is from 

 34 to 41 feet in height, the northeast end being the higher. To the sum- 

 mit, which is from 28 to 33 feet wide, there is a well-beaten path. It is 

 composed of calcined clay, which by burning has become hard and of a 

 dark brick color. Toward its base on the northeast side there is a 

 large portion of the side built of soft sandstone and limestone, which 

 were probably extracted from the large hill lying about three miles and 

 a half in a northwesterly direction, as I have found a large hole in the 

 side hill partially filled by the caving in of the bank. At first I thought 

 that it was a spur of the main ridge of hill that had been isolated by 

 the action of water which in former ages rushed down that valley, as 

 the cut banks on both sides of the creek clearly indicate ; but, on closer 

 examination, I found that it was built of the above-mentioned materials. 

 What led to making a part of the mound with stone, I am at a loss to 

 conjecture. While examining the mound, I discovered on its^ southeast 

 side a hole which had all the appearance of a badger-hole ; it was about 

 18 feet from the base of the mound. I determined to ascertain whether 

 it was a badger-hole or some inlet which in the course of time might 

 have been filled up by the falling debris. I accordingly had a hole dug, 

 and, after reaching a distance of 23 feet horizontally, discovered a cavity 

 which was found to contain a part of the vertebra of an elk, several 

 bones, belonging probably to the same animal, and thirty-six broken 

 fragments of pottery, together with a pile of ashes and about half a 

 bushel of charcoal, and charred wood. This cavity was nearly circular, 

 about 7 feet in diameter, and about 3^ or 4 feet high. 



