ANTIQUITIES OF KNOX COUNTY, INDIANA, ETC. 411 



ANTIQUITIES OF KNOX COUNTY, INDIANA, AND LAWRENCE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



By Dr. A. Patton. 



The early history of Vincennes is involved in much doubt and uncer- 

 tainty. No records or monumental remains have yet been found indi- 

 cating the precise time when this rather ancient place was first settled. 



The Piankeshaw Indians had a village here, some remains of which 

 are still found in making excavations for wells and street-improvements. 

 But there are unmistakable evidences of a more ancient and no doubt 

 a more civilized people than the Indians having inhabited this town. 

 Upon the high elevation of land that almost surrounds the beautiful 

 diluvial prairie on which the city of Vincennes is built, there stand in 

 full view of the town three of the most beautiiul mounds in the West. 

 Until very lately, the largest of these was considered a natural forma- 

 tion, but few persons suspecting that it was an artificial mound. It is 

 named Sugar Loaf Mound. Its height is nearly 70 feet, the circum- 

 ference at the base 1,000 feet. It stands on a promontory, which no 

 doubt was once washed by the Wabash Eiver. The observer from the 

 top of this mound can see not only the entire city lyioi? in the smooth 

 level valley, more than 100 feet beneath, but other mounds, which are 

 about one mile distant from each other. The only exploration that 

 has been attempted of this large mound was done under my direction 

 in the month of June last. A shaft 4 feet square was sunk in the cen- 

 ter of it, and carried to a depth of 46 feet. The first observation was 

 the character of the material composing the structure. It was found 

 to be a siliceous sand, very slightly mixed with alluvial deposits. Pro- 

 fessor Collett considers it a fair specimen of the "loess." There is 

 a marked difference, however, between the appearance of this earth and 

 any found in the vicinity of the mound. A brick-manufacturer insisted 

 that he could show us earth precisely like it, but upon comparing the 

 twt) specimens it was evident that there was no similarity, as he admit- 

 ted himself. All the other mounds in this neighborhood on the east 

 side of the river are found to contain precisely the same material, but 

 so far we have not been able to ascertain the locality from which the 

 material was obtained. Evidently, it was brought from a considerable 

 distance. The character of the earth composing this mound presenting 

 such a striking difference from any near it, was sufficient of itself to 

 demonstrate that the mound was constructed by human hands, and its 

 great size and symmetrical form indicated skill and intelligence. The 

 explorations, though not attended with any striking developments 

 in archeology, revealed other evidences of art in the construction of the 

 mound, which left no room for further doubt as to its origin. At 10 

 feet below the surface, bones were found, but which were so tender that 

 but very small fragments were secured. Immediately below this layer 



