The Search for Ke-Chunk - Nature At The Confluence

The Search for Ke-Chunk
2012 Investigations in South Beloit,
Winnebago County, Illinois
William Green
Logan Museum of Anthropology
Beloit College
Beloit, WI 53511
With contributions by
M. Catherine Bird
Michael F. Kolb
Submitted to:
City of South Beloit, South Beloit, IL
Ho-Chunk Cultural Resources Division, Black River Falls, WI
Beloit 2020, Beloit, WI
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Springfield, IL
April, 2013
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Abstract
Acknowledgments
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Introduction
Goals and Objectives
Project Location
Project Significance
Context and Background
Archaeology in the Beloit Vicinity
Ho-Chunk History in the Region
Methods
Background Research
Geomorphological Survey
Test Excavations
Curation
Results
Background Research
Geomorphological Survey (by Michael F. Kolb)
Test Excavations
Discussion
Conclusion and Recommendations
References Cited
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Appendixes
A. Land Ownership History, by Catherine Bird
B. Census of Ke-Chunk by John Kinzie
C. Tabulations of Recovered Artifacts by Unit and Level
D. Illinois Archaeological Site Recording Form
E. Project Publicity
E.1. Beloit Daily News, June 8, 2012
E.2. Beloit Daily News, August 10, 2012
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List of Figures
1. General Land Office 1834 map.
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2. Project area location.
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3. Map of test excavation locations.
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4. Kelson map of Beloit, ca. 1838. From Brown 1900:43.
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5. Schematic cross-section of alluvial deposits in surveyed area.
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6. Photographs of test unit profile walls.
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List of Tables
1. Push Probe Core Descriptions.
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2. Tabulation of Collection.
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ABSTRACT
Around 1830, a large Ho-Chunk village known as Ke-Chunk (Turtle Village) existed
near the mouth of Turtle Creek close to the Illinois-Wisconsin state line in what is now
Beloit, Wisconsin or South Beloit, Illinois. We attempted to detect physical traces of that
village in the summer of 2012. Soil-geomorphic coring and archaeological testing were
conducted in a small tract on the north bank of Turtle Creek in South Beloit. The cores
and a series of 1-x-2-meter units revealed a sequence of recent deposits and cultural
material, recorded as 11WO506. However, no early 19th-century features or material
were found. Although no remnants of Turtle Village were discovered, the site may exist
nearby and additional survey and testing are recommended elsewhere in the vicinity.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author thanks the City of South Beloit, the Ho-Chunk Nation Cultural Resources
Division, and Beloit 2020 for encouraging and supporting the work reported here. In
particular, I thank City of South Beloit Commissioner Alice Schoonover and Mayor
Michael Duffy; Bill Quackenbush, Ho-Chunk Nation Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
and Cultural Resources Division Manager; and Jeff Adams of 2020. Soil coring and
interpretations were conducted by Dr. Michael Kolb of Strata Morph Geoexploration,
Inc. Dr. Rochelle Lurie of Midwest Archaeological Research Services, Inc. (MARS),
supplied logistical direction and support and served as field supervisor along with Steve
Katz of MARS. Catherine Bird of MARS prepared a historical overview and land-use
history.
The field crew consisted of volunteers and students whose interest, skill, and enthusiasm
were essential elements of the project. Crew members were:
Lucy Adrignola
Michelle Birnbaum
Austin Brown
Elizabeth Brown
Paula Bryant
Ken Geier
Kenny Hipskind
Ed Jakaitis
Steve Jankiewicz
Addison Kimmel
Deb Lynch
Dean McMakin
Philip Millhouse
Felicia-Marie Nicosia
Kayla Nicosia
Sara Pfannkuche
Katie Porubcan
Paula Porubcan
Caitlin Rankin
Christine Schultz
Pegg Stoddard
George Wilson
Leanne Wright
The fieldwork reported in this document was conducted under a permit from the Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency. The author is solely responsible for the views and opinions
expressed herein.
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INTRODUCTION
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
This report describes archaeological testing conducted in 2012 on a tract of land owned
by the City of South Beloit in Winnebago County, Illinois. The purpose of the work was
to locate remnants of a ca. 1830 Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) Indian village known as KeChunk or Turtle Village. This village was the largest recorded post-Contact Native
American settlement in the Beloit area.
Finding traces of Ke-Chunk is important from historical and archaeological perspectives,
as explained below. The work is also part of a larger effort to enhance the historical and
educational values of the “Confluence,” as the parts of Beloit (Wisconsin) and South
Beloit around the mouth of Turtle Creek are becoming known. Local officials and
planners envision a series of marked trails and open-space recreational uses that would
increase public awareness of the historical significance of this locale.
The goal of this project was to generate needed baseline information about the Ke-chunk
village site. Specific objectives were to:
1. Locate the Ke-chunk village site.
2. Evaluate its condition and significance.
3. Develop a plan for further research, preservation, and interpretation.
4. Engage the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Beloit and South Beloit communities.
The work conducted in 2012 focused on the first objective, that of precisely locating the
Ke-Chunk site.
PROJECT LOCATION
A 1834 U.S. Government Land Office survey map of what is now the Beloit area shows
Ke-Chunk as situated on the north side of Turtle Creek, just east of the Rock River
(Figure 1). Unfortunately, the survey notes associated with that map contain no
information about the village. Our strategy for finding Ke-Chunk called for examination
of the north side of Turtle Creek close to its confluence with the Rock. Accordingly, we
selected a study area that is bounded on the west by the Rock River, on the south by
Turtle Creek, on the east by Blackhawk Boulevard, and on the north by Shirland Avenue,
which is approximately the Illinois-Wisconsin state line (Figure 2). The legal location of
this tract is the NW¼, NW¼, section 5, and the NE ¼, NE ¼, section 6, T46N., R2E., in
the city of South Beloit, Winnebago County, Illinois.
Unfortunately, the western part of the area initially considered for study was not
accessible for archaeological investigation because of the presence of potentially
hazardous substances related to previous industrial use of the tract (see Appendix A).
Remediation efforts may make the area amenable to archaeological study in the future.
The northern and eastern portions of the initial study area also were inaccessible because
of current industrial and commercial uses. For 2012, therefore, fieldwork focused on a
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small, triangular-shaped wooded tract bounded by Turtle Creek on the south and the
Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific railroad tracks on the east and west (Figure 2). This
location is approximately 200 meters (650 feet) up Turtle Creek from its confluence with
the Rock River. The tested area, located at a place known as Stateline Junction,
comprises less than an acre and is owned by the City of South Beloit.
Figure 1. General Land Office map of Beloit (west side of Rock River and mouth of
Turtle Creek) showing Ke-Chunk (Turtle Village) location). G.L.O. interior field notes,
T. 1. N., R. 12 E., March 1834, G.W. Harrison. From
http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/SurveyNotes/Search.html.
.
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Fig. 2. Project area location. Top: U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle map; bottom: air
photo. Blue: general area of interest. Red: location of 2012 testing.
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PROJECT SIGNIFICANCE
In the late 1820s and early 1830s, Ke-chunk was one of the major villages of the HoChunk (Winnebago) people. The word Ke-chunk (properly Kečąk), means “turtle” and
was used to denote the Ho-Chunk village on Turtle Creek (Brown and Brown 1929:8687). In 1829, according to U.S. Indian agent John Kinzie, this village had 35 lodges with
nearly 700 inhabitants (Kinzie 1832; typescript in Jipson 1922:265-266, 275-277, 282;
see Appendix B). Notable Ho-Chunk leaders associated with the village include White
Crow (Kau-ree-kau-say-kaw), Whirling Thunder (Wau-kaun-wee-kaw), Walking Turtle
(Karramaunee), and Little Priest or Little Chief (Mor-ay-tshay-kaw). The early FrenchCanadian trader Joseph Thibault built a cabin near the village site in 1835 or perhaps
earlier. (Thibault’s cabin, mapped more precisely than Ke-chunk in contemporary
records, was located on the Wisconsin side of the state line, in in the vicinity of what is
now the Beloit City Hall; see Appendix B:Figure 1.) In 1836, the early settler Caleb
Blodgett bought Thibault’s claims on the east side of the Rock River (Brown 1908:130132; Western Historical Co. 1879:607-610).
Ke-chunk was the largest of the 36 villages recorded in John Kinzie’s 1829 census of HoChunk communities in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois (Kinzie 1832). Although
Kinzie’s summary of the census states that 600 residents were present at the village,
tabulation of the residents in the family-by-family census reveals that at least 697 people
lived there (Appendix B). Many Ke-chunk residents, including its influential leader
White Crow, apparently moved to Ke-Chunk from Lake Koshkonong. Ke-chunk may
have attracted White Crow and his villagers because it is only three miles from the mouth
of the Pecatonica River, which was by 1831 a gathering place for Ho-Chunk people
preparing to move to their wintering grounds in northern Illinois (Jipson 1923:131, 137;
Lurie 1978:693).
Primary-source written records of Indian life from the 1820s and 1830s in the middle
Rock River valley are sparse, so archaeology is one of the principal ways to learn about
that era. Yet few 1820s-30s Native American village sites have been found in southern
Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Crabapple Point and Carcajou Point on Late
Koshkonong constitute rare examples of Ho-Chunk archaeological sites in the region
(Hall 1962; Spector 1975). Crabapple Point dates to ca. 1760-1800, while Carcajou Point
may have been occupied by White Crow immediately prior to his move to Ke-Chunk. If
some of Ke-chunk’s lodge foundations, storage pits, and other features have survived
over the past 180 years, as they have at Crabapple Point, archaeological studies can
provide information about village layout, trade connections, and daily life. The results of
these studies can set the stage for site preservation, interpretive signage, and programs
that will help people appreciate the rich cultural heritage of the Confluence area and of
the broader region.
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CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE BELOIT VICINITY
Archaeological studies have been carried out in the Beloit vicinity since 1852, when
Beloit College professor Stephen P. Lathrop drafted maps of several mound groups.
Those maps, published in Increase Lapham’s encyclopedic treatment of Wisconsin
archaeology (Lapham 1855), brought attention to the area’s ancient earthworks. Later in
the 19th century, Beloit College alumnus Stephen Denison Peet also published several
maps and descriptions of Beloit-area mounds (Peet 1881, 1885, 1892, 1898). T.H. Lewis,
surveyor for the Northwestern Archaeological Survey, mapped mound groups in the
Beloit area in 1888 though he did not publish his observations (Lewis 1888).
In the early 20th century, Beloit College student Robert Becker and Logan Museum
curator Ira Buell conducted archaeological surveys at local camp sites, villages, and
workshop sites in addition to mounds on both sides of the state line (Becker 1913; Buell
1919). While Becker and Buell documented a wide range of archaeological site types in
the locality, their focus remained on the prehistoric or pre-Contact era. Notable early 20thcentury work culminated in the extensive Rock River archaeological survey conducted by
State Historical Society of Wisconsin museum director Charles E. Brown and his son
Theodore T. Brown in 1928 and 1929 (Brown and Brown 1929). The survey documented
over 80 archaeological sites along the Rock River between Edgerton and Beloit. Brown
and Brown gave equal consideration to mounds and habitation sites. Their additional
interest in post-Contact sites marked a departure from the lack of attention to these
relatively recent archaeological resources.
Later in the 20th century, mound mapping and excavations continued (Bastian 1958;
Lange 1968), but the emphasis shifted to surveys and evaluations designed to aid in landuse planning and development (e.g., Johns et al. 1993). Archaeological work by
numerous investigators on both sides of the state line led to the identification of many
pre- and post-Contact sites. This work continues in the present century. The recent
overview of Beloit-vicinity archaeology by Pfannkuche and Green (2005) discusses these
studies and also presents new data on many sites as well as recommendations for
preservation and interpretation of significant resources.
HO-CHUNK HISTORY IN THE REGION
As noted under Project Significance, primary sources—particularly Kinzie’s census—
document Ho-Chunk occupation of the Beloit area in general and Ke-Chunk specifically
in the time just prior to the Black Hawk War. In addition to Ke-Chunk, several other HoChunk habitations from that period have been documented in the Beloit area. Standing
Post was a small community recorded by Kinzie on the east side of the Rock River, and
other small camps apparently were located on the west side of the river (Brown and
Brown 1929:79-81; Jipson 1923:128). A Ho-Chunk council house was reportedly
situated on Turtle Creek near the present Shopiere Road bridge on the northeast side of
Beloit (Pfannkuche and Green 2005:87-91).
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Ke-chunk was a large but apparently short-lived community. It was established in the
1820s, perhaps as early as 1822, as families moved south from Lake Koshkonong (Jipson
1923), and it lasted until 1832 or 1833. As the largest Ho-Chunk village on the Rock
River according to Kinzie’s census, it was undoubtedly an economic and political hub as
well as a center of ceremonial and ritual activities. The paramount Ho-Chunk civic leader
White Crow resided there, at least on occasion. However, Ho-Chunk village leadership
generally was in the hands of both a civil or peace chief from the Thunder clan and a
police or “soldier” chief from the Bear clan (Lurie 1988:166). At Ke-Chunk, Whirling
Thunder probably held the former position (he was designated “head chief” of the village
by Indian Agent Henry Gratiot in December, 1832) and Little Priest (aka Soldier, Maunah-pay-kaw) may have held the latter post (see Appendix B).
Ke-Chunk residents were active participants and leaders in Ho-Chunk politics and
interactions with American agents and neighboring tribes.1 For example, in April, 1832,
Indian agent Henry Gratiot and 24 men from Ke-Chunk traveled down the Rock River to
meet Black Hawk’s group of Sauks near what is now Prophetstown, Illinois (Jipson
1922:112; Washburne 1888:252-253). Gratiot expressed the government’s displeasure at
the group’s incursion east of the Mississippi, to little avail (Trask 2006:160; Wakefield
1908:37). For his part, Black Hawk reported that the Ho-Chunk visitors, presumably
unbeknownst to Gratiot, actually encouraged his group to continue moving up the Rock
River, where they would find allies among the Ho-Chunk (Black Hawk 1916:135-136).
Yet the Americans worked hard throughout the spring of 1832 to convince the Ho-Chunk
not to ally with the Sauk. For most of June, Col. Henry Dodge even held three Ke-Chunk
village leaders as hostages to ensure their loyalty. Some Ho-Chunks joined the U.S.
forces (eventually helping to capture Black Hawk) but many “attempted to remain neutral
and were eager for the war to end because they feared being considered enemies by the
Sauk and mistaken for Sauk by the Americans” (Lurie 1988:168). In general, the HoChunks were careful during the war to try to maximize their chances of surviving as an
independent people caught between inexorable American military and economic forces
and potentially dangerous Sauk raids. All of this was occurring in a turbulent era between
the signing of two significant treaties (1829 and September, 1832) in which the HoChunk, including Ke-Chunk village leaders, ceded much of southern Wisconsin and
northwestern Illinois in exchange for payments administered by agents such as Kinzie.
Not much is known about life at Ke-Chunk, other than the village was a large one, likely
occupied through much or all of a typical year. Some residents would leave for fall or
winter hunting. Ceremonial activities and rituals were conducted at the site, as Wakefield
noted when reporting on Gratiot’s visit in April, 1832 (Wakefield 1908:37). The HoChunk left the area later that spring. Illinois militiaman John Wakefield, passing through
the site on June 30, 1832 with troops in pursuit of Black Hawk, reported Turtle Village as
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For further reference on Ho-Chunk history, useful sources among the many available works include those
by Jipson (1922, 1923), Lawson (1907), Lurie (1960, 1978), and Paquette (1892). The Ho-Chunk Nation’s
own historical timeline also is a valuable resource (Ho-Chunk Nation 2013). In addition to the vast
literature on the Black Hawk War, Lurie (1988) focuses on the role of the Ho-Chunk in particular. Shrake
(2012) summarizes Ho-Chunk history of the era from the perspective of John Kinzie.
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“a considerable Winnebago town” though it was deserted at the time (Wakefield
1908:76-77; Western Historical Co. 1879:331). The Ho-Chunk apparently abandoned
Ke-Chunk that spring in order to demonstrate their allegiance to the United States in the
Black Hawk War, a relationship the Ho-Chunk carefully negotiated in the midst of treaty
signings and land cessions (Kinzie 1873:314; cf. Decorah 1895:450-451). On same date
of the militia’s march through Ke-chunk, the village’s leader White Crow joined
American forces at Lake Kegonsa (Decorah 1895:452).
U.S. Agent Henry Gratiot designated Whirling Thunder (Wau-kaun-wee-kaw) as “head
chief of Turtle Village” on December 22, 1832 (Jipson 1923:130), but whether this
means the village had been briefly reoccupied at that time is not known. Just a few weeks
later, in January, 1833, surveyor Lucius Lyon was traversing the base line that was the
boundary between Illinois and Michigan Territory (later Wisconsin). His notes (Lyon
1833) make no specific mention of Turtle Village. However, the 1834 map prepared by
George W. Harrison based on Lyon’s survey does depict Turtle Village on the north side
of Turtle Creek, though whether it was occupied or vacant at the time is not known (see
Appendix A:Figure 3). And the 1839 General Land Office map also based on Lyons and
other surveyors’ notes has a symbol that might represent an Indian village on the north
side of Turtle Creek near its mouth (Appendix A:Figure 2). By 1836, White Crow’s
village was located at Portage, Wisconsin (Pacquette 1892:402). Still, some Native
Americans continued to live in the Beloit area at least as late as 1837 (Brown 1908:33;
Fisher 1918:273).
Despite the solid documentation of a sizable Ho-Chunk presence at Ke-Chunk and in the
Beloit vicinity, archaeological evidence of this occupation is so far lacking. No physical
evidence in the form of features or artifacts from undisturbed contexts has yet been found
that can be attributed to the 1820s-1830s Ho-Chunk, or, for that matter, to the earliest
documented non-Indian residents, Thibault and Blodgett. Archaeological research thus is
needed in order to identify any surviving remnants of these occupations.
METHODS
Our attempt to locate remnants of Ke-Chunk involved several steps as outlined in the
original proposal and research design and as modified on the basis of field conditions and
findings.
BACKGROUND RESEARCH
We examined historic maps, documents, photographs, property records, and other sources
to research the history of the study area and to learn what kinds of development may have
affected the tract. This work involved research at the Winnebago County Recorder of the
Deeds office in Rockford and the Newberry Library in Chicago, as well as work with
General Land Office records and a wide array of online resources from the Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency and the Wisconsin Historical Society. Interviews with
knowledgeable residents also were conducted.
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GEOMORPHOLOGICAL SURVEY
Using the land-use history research, we attempted to locate early-19th-century surfaces on
the small tract accessible for survey. The work was designed to identify the depths of
excavation needed to “target” those surfaces and any older (deeper) surfaces with
archaeological potential. This work, directed by Michael Kolb of StrataMorph
Geoexploration, used 2-inch-diameter push-probe cores and cutbank examination. On
May 29, 2012, three cores were extracted to depths of 180-200 cm. Probe 1 was located
about 3 m from the north bank of Turtle Creek; Probe 2 was located about 45 m north of
the creek; and Probe 3 was located approximately mid-way between Probes 1 and 2.
Deposits and soils were recorded in the field. Core descriptions for the adjoining tract to
the west, on file with the City of South Beloit, were also examined.
TEST EXCAVATIONS
The original research design called for excavation of a series of 50 x 50-cm (20 x 20inch) test squares in transects where the historical and geomorphological studies indicate
that a potentially well-preserved early-19th-century surface may exist within the upper
meter of the current ground surface. Because geomorphological survey found that the
potential early-19th century surface was present at a depth too great to access effectively
via 50 x 50-cm shovel tests, we opted to excavate fewer but larger test units instead.
From August 6 through August 10, 2012, five 1 x 2-meter units were excavated by hand
to depths ranging from 85 to 160 cm (Figure 3). On the basis of the geomorphological
survey, which revealed a thick unit of recent sediments, the uppermost 70 cm of each unit
was shoveled away without screening. Also, because that portion of the deposit was
packed with glass from recent use of the tract by transient or homeless people (see
Results section), no artifacts were retained from the 0-70 cm level. Deeper levels were
hand-excavated in 10-cm levels (20-cm in one case) using shovels and trowels, and the
material was screened using ¼-inch screens except in a few cases in basal units where the
soil was too wet to screen.
Level forms were filled out for each excavated level, recording information on the color,
texture, and other properties of the deposit. Photographs were taken to document the floor
of each completed level at each test unit, and photographs also documented a completed
profile at each unit. Artifacts found in levels below 70 cm were noted on the level forms
and retained. All test units were mapped by compass and tape in relation to permanent
local features such as the bordering railroad tracks. All units were backfilled at the end of
the fieldwork.
Testing was conducted by a large team of volunteers and students (see Acknowledgments
section). Participants included Beloit College students, employees of Midwest
Archaeological Research Services, Inc. (MARS) and the Illinois State Archaeological
Survey, members of the Three Rivers Archaeological Society, and other interested
individuals. MARS staff members Rochelle Lurie and Steve Katz supervised and
documented the testing operations.
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Figure 3. Map of test excavation locations.
CURATION
A Beloit College student assistant cleaned and tabulated the artifacts found during the
testing. All material except natural rock (stream pebbles and gravel) was counted and
weighed. All glass except for one complete bottle was discarded after counting and
weighing. We catalogued all of the remaining artifacts. In accordance with the wishes of
the City of South Beloit, the collection is housed at the Logan Museum of Anthropology
and is available for research and educational uses. The Logan Museum also houses all
associated photographs and other documentation.
RESULTS
BACKGROUND RESEARCH
The background research as summarized above and in Appendix B indicates that KeChunk was probably located in the general vicinity of the study area, although the
specific location is still uncertain. Most of the study area has been impacted by industrial
and commercial development, including railroad construction, since the mid-19th century
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(Appendix A:Figures 13-14, Plate 1; V3 Companies 2012). Turtle Creek immediately
upstream from the project area has been subjected to channel changes and other
modifications associated with mill construction as early as the late 1830s. However, the
channel forming the southern boundary of the study area does not appear to have shifted
substantially over the past ca. 180 years (Figure 4). Likewise, the Rock River channel
forming the western boundary also has not changed appreciably.
Figure 4. Kelson map of Beloit, ca. 1838. From Brown 1900:43.
Interviews with local residents and surface reconnaissance of the wooded tract indicate
that the study area has long been and continues to be a camp for transient and homeless
people. Its proximity to the railroad junction and to the cities of Beloit and South Beloit,
the fishing opportunities off the Turtle Creek railroad bridges and in the Rock River, and
the firewood and relative seclusion offered in this wooded area all make it an attractive
place for transient and homeless individuals. The wooded area south and west of the
creek also serves this function. Features associated with current use of the study tract
include fireplaces in logs and tree hollows as well as clusters of discarded bottles and
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cans. Massive quantities of broken glass cover the surface. While the archaeology of the
homeless is an important topic gaining increasing attention (e.g., Albertson 2009; ), it
was not the focus of the current investigation.
GEOMORPHOLOGICAL SURVEY (BY MICHAEL F. KOLB)
Three types of alluvial deposits are present in the three push-probe cores extracted in the
wooded tract accessible for survey (Table 1, Figure 5). The basal sequence is channel
deposits. These are sands, sandy loams, and loams with gravel. In Probe 3 the channel
deposits are interbedded gravelly sand and silty clay loam. The upper boundary is
gradational where it was observed.
Above the channel deposits are near-channel deposits. These are poorly sorted slightly
gravelly loam and clay loam, and silt loam. In some cases roots and snail shells and shell
fragments are present. Near-channel deposits are present only in Probes 2 and 3, away
from the current channel. These deposits accumulate in shallow swales on point bars or
attached bars and back bar environments.
The upper or surface alluvial deposits are vertical accretion alluvium. They consist of silt
loam and sandy loam. The sand fraction is almost always very fine textured. For vertical
accretion alluvium this is relatively coarse textured indicating it is near the source and/or
it is subject to higher velocity flows because it is down stream of bridge constriction.
Sand beds representing individual floods are present.
Soils are all weakly developed in these deposits. Colors are dark but with few or no redox
features. The AC and Ab horizons mark current or former landscape surfaces and are
cumulic in nature. No subsoil development is present except in Probe 2 where structure is
relatively well developed. All of the soils above the channel deposits are unleached (free
carbonates are present). Soils in the other two probes were not tested but they too are
probably unleached.
Pedologic and geologic evidence indicates the deposits are recent. The lack of
horizonation, presence of free carbonates, lack of redox features in a wet floodplain
environment, and presence of bedding are all evidence of geologic youth. Historic
artifacts (glass fragments) in the core samples to depths of 68–100 cm indicate that at
least the upper portion of the sequence is indeed historic in age. Deposits below the
artifact bearing strata may also be historic or could span the late prehistoric through early
historic periods.
The soil boring logs done for the environmental work in the brownfields area just west of
the surveyed tract indicate the presence of 5–9 feet (1.5–2.7 m) of fill over more or less
the sequence noted in the three probes (V3 Companies 2012). Despite the lower level of
detail in the logs, the vertical accretion deposits there seem to contain more clay and are
often thicker away from Turtle Creek. This may be due to the fact that that area is closer
to the Rock River.
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Table 1. Push Probe Core Descriptions.
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Figure 5. Schematic cross-section of alluvial deposits in surveyed area.
TEST EXCAVATIONS
The deposits and soils encountered by the five test units were consistent with the results
and interpretation of the geologic coring. In all units, a vertical accretion deposit rich in
broken glass from recent use of the site extended from the surface to a depth of ca. 70 cm.
Below this deposit, a weakly developed buried soil was evident. Figures 6a-e illustrate
profiles of the walls of each test unit.
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Figure 6a. Test Unit 1, south wall
profile. Photo by Steve Katz.
Figure 6c. Test Unit 3, north wall
profile. Photo by Steve Katz.
Figure 6d. Test Unit 4, south wall
profile. Photo by Steve Katz.
Figure 6b. Test Unit 2, south wall
profile. Photo by Steve Katz.
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Figure 6e. Test Unit 5, south wall profile.
Photo by Steve Katz.
Depths reached by each test unit were:
TU 1: 120 cm, plus a 50-cm-wide trench (unscreened) excavated to 160 cm.
TU 2: 120 cm.
TU 3: 76 cm, plus a 30-cm-wide trench (unscreened) excavated to 86 cm.
TU 4: 90 cm, plus a 30-cm-wide trench (unscreened) excavated to 120 cm.
TU 5: 100 cm.
Basal levels in all units were gravelly or saturated channel or near-channel deposits that
were not habitable surfaces.
A total of 948 objects weighing 914.4 g were collected from the five test units. Table 2
presents a unit-by-unit tabulation of all recovered items. Appendix C contains a level-bylevel breakdown of objects for each unit. As noted above, no items were retained from
the unscreened deposits to a depth of 70 cm, so large quantities of glass and other recent
material from that upper unit were not collected or tabulated.
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Table 2. Tabulation of Collection.
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Slag was the most common material type recovered from levels below 70 cm, accounting
for 39 percent of all collected objects by count and 29.6 percent by weight. Coal was
second in abundance by count (32.6 percent) and third by weight (19.8 percent), while
ferrous metal objects were third most abundant by count (12.7 percent) and, because of
their relative density, second by weight (26.2 percent). The ferrous metal objects generally
could not be identified because of their fragmentary nature. None seemed to be tools of a
domestic nature.
Glass was the fourth most abundant material type found. All shards except one piece, a
small bottle, were fragments of recent bottle glass and were discarded after counting and
weighing. The retained bottle, found in the upper 70 cm of Test Unit 2, is a clear, machinemade, rectangular, screw-thread, perfume-type bottle. It was made no earlier than about
1930 (SHA 2013).
The other artifacts recovered were:
•
•
•
•
•
1 exfoliated white-­‐pasted earthenware ceramic sherd (19th-­‐20th century) 1 white ceramic electrical insulator fragment (20th century) 1 shell two-­‐hole button (19th-­‐20th century) 1 round-­‐headed wire nail (late 19th through 20th century) 1 white clay pipe stem with an oval or biconvex cross-­‐section. Pipes with similar stems were manufactured in Northampton, England, between 1885 and 1920 (Moore 1980:12; Pfeiffer 2006:98). In addition to these artifacts, three freshwater mussel shells and 46 terrestrial and aquatic
snails were recovered. An unidentified eggshell and a bone of an unidentified medium to
large mammal also were found.
Test Unit 2 produced the greatest quantity of material: more than half of the recovered
artifacts (55.4 percent) derive from this unit. Test Units 5 and 1 produced moderate
amounts of material (22.2 and 18.1 percent of the assemblage, respectively), while Test
Units 4 and 3 produced only 3.6 and .7 percent, respectively. Nearly all objects were
recovered from depths of 70-90 cm, though some material was found in deeper levels.
DISCUSSION
On the basis of the recovered information, the tract subjected to testing has been designated
as archaeological site 11WO506 (11 indicates Illinois’ alphabetical position before Alaska
and Hawaii joined the Union, WO stands for Winnebago County, and the site is the 506th
site recorded in the county). The site is characterized by alluvial deposits that contain large
quantities of recent material, primarily bottle glass, on the surface and in the upper 70 cm,
underlain by a weakly developed alluvial soil from which a variety of artifacts were
recovered. No subsurface features were noted. All temporally diagnostic artifacts date to
the late 19th or 20th centuries. No material that can be attributed to earlier periods was
recovered.
18
The distribution of artifacts, combined with the results of the geomorphological study,
helps us understand the likely origin of the artifacts and the local site formation processes.
Test Unit 2, which produced greatest quantity of artifacts (primarily slag and coal, along
with ferrous metal fragments), is situated closest to the current channel of Turtle Creek.
Moderate amounts of material were found in Test Units 1 and 5, which are slightly farther
from the creek. Test Units 3 and 4, which are farthest from the creek, produced the fewest
artifacts. Because the quantity of artifacts diminishes with distance from the creek and
because the deposits in the study tract are vertical accretion (flood), channel, and nearchannel deposits, it is likely that most objects originated upstream and washed into the site.
Likely sources of the slag, coal, and metal fragments would have been industries along
Turtle Creek. The relatively small quantities of domestic material (glass, ceramics, clay
pipe, button) could have washed in as well or could have been left by transient occupants.
The mollusk shells, both aquatic and terrestrial, are probably natural inclusions in the
sediment, indicating that the deposits accumulated during occasional flooding but also that
the tract supported relatively stable forested conditions between depositional episodes.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Ke-Chunk (Turtle Village), a major Ho-Chunk village from ca. 1830, was located along
Turtle Creek near its confluence with the Rock River at what is now the IllionoisWisconsin state line. Although a detailed census and other records document the village, its
exact location is not known. This project attempted to identify archaeological traces of the
village at one site, a wooded tract of land between two sets of railroad tracks on the north
side of Turtle Creek.
Unfortunately, archaeological testing recovered no evidence of Ke-Chunk or any early- to
mid-19th century occupation in the study tract. More recent artifacts are present, but most of
them probably washed into the site from upstream. All of the surface features and nearsurface artifacts reflect occupation of the site by transient and homeless people. The
relatively young alluvial deposits that characterize the tract hold little to no archaeological
potential except insofar as the archaeology of the homeless may be concerned.
Although it can be difficult to find physical traces of early 19th-century Native American
villages, evidence of Ke-Chunk may well exist elsewhere in the vicinity. An intensive
survey program, guided by records and maps of land-use history, should be initiated to
identify any surviving remnants of the village. The brownfields tract to the west of the
tested area should be surveyed once conditions permit. Coring and testing should be
conducted in adjoining commercial and industrial tracts where feasible. Survey should also
be conducted on the higher terrace on the south side of Turtle Creek, not only to find any
possible Ke-Chunk related materials but also to identify any other archaeological resources
that might exist there.
19
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1916 Life of Black Hawk, Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, edited by Milo Milton Quaife.
(Orig. pub. 1834). Lakeside Press, Chicago.
Brown, Charles E., and Theodore T. Brown
1929 Indian Village and Camp Sites of the Lower Rock River in Wisconsin (Logan
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Hall, Robert L.
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Society.
1923 Winnebago Villages and Chieftains of the Lower Rock River Region. The
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Johns, Larry A., Steven Hackenberger, and He Ping
1993 Final Report of the Rock County Indian Mounds Survey. Report submitted by the
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file, Logan Museum of Anthropology, Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin.
20
Kinzie, Joseph
1832 Kinzie’s Receipt Roll of the Annuity Paid Winnebago Natives. Manuscript on file,
Detroit Public Library. Typescript copy on file, Chicago History Museum.
Kinzie, Juliette Augusta Magill
1873 Wau-Bun, the Early Day in the Northwest (orig. pub., 1856). J. B. Lippincott & Co.,
Philadelphia.
Lapham, Increase A.
1855 The Antiquities of Wisconsin, as Surveyed and Described. Smithsonian Institution,
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Lewis, Theodore H.
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Lurie, Nancy O.
1960 Winnebago Protohistory. In Culture and History: Essays in Honor of Paul Radin,
edited by Stanley Diamond, pp. 790-808. Columbia University Press, New York.
1966 A Check List of Treaty Signers by Clan Affiliation. Journal of the Wsconsin
Indians Research Institute 2(1):50-73.
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Bruce Trigger, pp. 690-707. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
1988 In Search of Chaetar: New Findings on Black Hawk’s Surrender. Wisconsin
Magazine of History 71:162-183.
Lyon, Lucius
1833 General Land Office Survey Field Notes, Base Line, T. 1., N., R. 12 E. and R. 13
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1980 Northamptonshire Clay Tobacco-pipes and Pipemakers. Northampton Museums
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Paquette, Moses
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Wisconsin 12:399-433
Peet, Stephen D.
1881 The Military Architecture of the Emblematic Mound Builders. The American
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the American Antiquarian, Chicago.
21
1898
Emblematic Mounds and Animal Effigies. Prehistoric America, Vol. II. American
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Museum of Anthropology, Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin. Online:
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2013 Bottle Dating: Machine-made Bottles Portion of the Dating Key.
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Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Archeologist 56:270-345.
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Companies, Chicago. On file, City Hall, South Beloit, Illinois.
Wakefield, John A.
1908 History of the War Between the United States and the Sac and Fox Nations of
Indians, and Parts of Other Disaffected Tribes of Indians. Reprint ed., Caxton Club,
Chicago. Orig. pub., 1834. Online:
http://archive.org/details/wakefieldshistor00wakerich.
Washburne, E. B.
1888 Col. Henry Gratiot—A Pioneer of Wisconsin. Collections of the State Historical
Society of Wisconsin 10: 235-260.
Western Historical Company
1879 The History of Rock County, Wisconsin. Western Historical Company, Chicago.
22
Appendix A
Land Ownership History (by Catherine Bird)
23
Land History for the Illinois Parcel that May Contain Remnants of Turtle Village
Prepared by:
M. Catherine Bird
Midwest Archaeological Research Services, Inc.
505 N. State Street
Marengo, Illinois 60152
Submitted to:
William Green
Beloit College
Logan Museum of Anthropology
700 College Street
Beloit, Wisconsin 53511
Cultural Resource Management Report No. 1663
1 February 2012
24
Introduction
Midwest Archaeological Research Services, Inc. (MARS, Inc.) conducted research at
the Winnebago County's Recorder of the Deeds office in Rockford, Illinois and utilized
General Land Office plats and notes along with other primary and secondary resources to
draft a preliminary chain-of-title for the study parcel, the possible site of Turtle Village
(Figure 1, Table 1).
Figure 1. Portion of the 1976 South Beloit 7.5' quadrangle showing the study parcel.
Methodology, Discussion, and Results
MARS, Inc. searched the General Land Office (GLO) records to identify the patentees
for the Public Domain purchases within Section 35 of Township 1 North, Range 12 East of
the Fourth Principal Meridian in Wisconsin Territory and within Sections 5 and 6 of
Township 46 North, Range 2 East of the Third Principal Meridian in the State of Illinois.
Figure 2 shows the name of the land patent holder, the date of purchase or date of patent
issuance, the number of acres, and the land office in which the purchase took place. Where
the Rock River impinged upon the orderly subdivision of parcels, the GLO sold parts of
Section 35 in lots rather than in quarter-sections. MARS, Inc. utilized the 1835 GLO plat
as a base (Appendix A.1: Figure 1). Where the Illinois state line truncated Sections 5 and
6, MARS, Inc. utilized the 1839 GLO plat as a base (Appendix A.1: Figure 2).
25
Figure 2. Illustration showing Public Domain land patent information. Note that the Wisconsin dates are for date of patent issuance
while the Illinois dates are for date of purchase at the land office.
26
Speculators William B. Ogden, Samuel W. Beall, and Joshua P. Hathaway, Jr.
purchased the parcels on the west side of the Rock River in Section 35. Wm. Ogden
(1805-1877) of Delaware County, New York began his life in the Old Northwest as a
land agent for his brother-in-law, capitalist and investor Charles Butler (Bird 2007).
Ogden received his Section 35 land patents (Lots 3 and 4, and the SW ¼) shortly after his
election on 2 May 1837 as the first mayor of the City of Chicago. Samuel W. Beall
(1807-1868) of Maryland moved to Brown County, Wisconsin in 1835 where he
speculated in land and served as the second Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin (18501852). Joshua P. Hathaway, Jr. (1810-1863) of Rome, New York conducted an 1833
census of Chicago residents, drafted an 1834 plat of Chicago, worked as the Milwaukee
District surveyor for the General Land Office, and served variously as a Probate Judge,
land agent, and tax assessor (Buck 1881:40, 172; Usher 1914:1266-1276; Conzen 1984).
Members of the New England Emigrating Company purchased all the other parcels
within Section 35 (Wisconsin) and Sections 5 and 6 (Illinois). The purchasers of record
provided Quit Claim Deeds to the company members for the land that they had each
already settled/pre-empted.
An "old account book" of the business transactions for the New England Emigrating
Company details the financial dealings of the organization (White 1897). According to
the documents presented by Horace White and Ellery Crane, both sons of New England
Emigrating Company members, the fourteen members formed the company in October of
1836 at Colebrook, New Hampshire with the intention of creating an agricultural
community modeled on their New England village. The White (1897) article, published
by Lucius G. Fisher (1918), and various histories (Western Historical Company
1879:610-612, Brown 1908) describe the transfer of land from Joseph Thibault to Caleb
Blodgett to the New England Emigrating Company. Lucius Fisher (1918:273) first
visited the area in July 1837 and described Thibault's Claim as "three looks" and
Blodgett's claim as equivalent to about 10 sections or 6,400 acres. Although the
Winnebago maintained a village at the mouth of Turtle Creek from as early as 1810,
treaties negotiated between First Nations and the United States that relate to the study
parcel excluded the Winnebago Nation (Tanner 1987, Royce 1899).
The study parcel comprises land within the NE ¼ of the NE ¼ of the NE ¼ of Section
6 and the NW ¼ of the NW ¼ of the NW ¼ of Section 5 within T 46N, R 2E. Horace
Hobart purchased the Section 6 fractional E ½ of the NE ¼, 25.60-acre parcel while John
Dolittle purchased the Section 5 fractional NW ¼, 79.85-acre parcel. Clare Tolmie spent
a day researching deed records beginning with these Public Domain land purchasers.
Land records in Winnebago County are organized by a Grantor-Grantee system until
1915 after which the records are organized by section. Records (index books and deeds)
can only be searched on microfilm. The index books do not provide the summary details
needed to link one transaction to another without reading each deed. Therefore, to
provide an actual chain-of-title would be exceptionally time-consuming and unnecessary
when other documents are available with which to provide equivalent information.
Review of the historical plats (1859, 1871, 1873, 1886, 1905), a bird's eye view
image (1890), Sanborn Fire Insurance maps (1926, 1939), and aerial photographs (1939,
27
2995, 2007, 2009) provided the best detail for land use history after the issuance of land
patents (see Table 1; Appendix A.1: Figures 7 through 14, Plates 1 through 4).
Beginning about 1856 Horace Hobart began selling lots within Goodhue's Subdivision in
Illinois according to a brief review of the land records index. The plats, 1890 image,
Sanborn maps, and aerial photographs show that although residential and industrial
buildings occupied the area north of the study parcel, the area west of the Rock River
along the north bank of Turtle Creek remained vacant land. The converging service
roads on the 1939 aerial and Sanborn map as well as the land history suggest that
dumping of coal, slag, and other industrial waste may be present within the study parcel.
In summary, "Turtle Village" is depicted only on the 1834 GLO sketch prepared by
George W. Harrison for that part of the township west of the Rock River (Appendix A.1:
Figure 3). His sketch for the east side of the Rock River and the plat that he submitted in
1836 do not show the village (Appendix A.1: Figure 4 and 6). Additional possible errors
on the 1834 GLO sketch include the depiction of the mouth of Turtle Creek in Section
35, Wisconsin Territory. The mouth of the creek in this position appears on both
Harrison's 1834 sketch and on his 1835 plat (Appendix A.1: Figure 5). Subsequent plats
show the mouth of the creek in Illinois in about the current position with a relict mouth
further south, just north of Boney Island (see Figure 1 and Appendix A.1: Figure 2).
28
Table 1. Turtle Village preliminary chain-of-title.
________________________________________________________________________
Date Document Title holder or resident(s)
Comments
1804
Treaty
United States
1810
1829
Tanner
History
Winnebago/Ho-Chunk
Winnebago/Ho-Chunk
1830
1833
Tanner
Treaty
Winnebago/Ho-Chunk
United States
1834
GLO sketch United States
GLO plat
United States
GLO notes United States
1836
GLO plat
Joseph Thibault
1836
1837
History
History
Caleb Blodgett
NEE Co.
Treaty of St. Louis with Sauk/Sac and Fox
(Mesquakie); Royce Treaty No. 50
"Kichunk" village noted on Map 20
Turtle Village under Walking Turtle (Kau
Rau Maw Nee), White Crow (Kau-kish-kaka), and Whirling Thunder (Waw-kaunween-kaw) through at least 1832
"Kechank" village noted on Map 26
Treaty of Chicago with Council of Three
Fires (Chippewa/Ojibwe, Ottawa/Odawa,
and Potawatomi); Royce Treaty No. 187
General Land Office sketch from March
1834 in G. W. Harrison's Interior Field
Notes for T1N, R12E of Wisconsin
Territory. This is the only plat showing the
location of Turtle Village; however, there
are problems with the sketch. It appears
that the state line and Turtle Creek are
incorrectly mapped and/or the sections not
properly labeled. The 1836 GLO plat has
the state line correctly placed, the mouth of
Turtle Creek is not in Wisconsin, and only
a "Cabin" is depicted within Section 35.
Survey commenced 3/1/1834 by George W.
Harrison and approved 7/21/1835 shows
correct state line, mouth of Turtle Creek in
WI, but no notation for village
Notes for interior lines dated March 1834
for north between Sections 26 & 27
mentions Turtle Village along the Prairie
du Chien-Chicago trail
Cabin, SE ¼, SE ¼, SW ¼, SE ¼ of
Section 35 Beloit Twp., WI; immediately
north of Shirland Ave. about midway
between Mill and State streets
Paid Thibault $200 for claim at confluence
Bought 1/3 of Blodgett's 7,000± acre claim
for $2,500 on 14 March 1837; Blodgett
retained 1/3, and sold the remaining third to
Geo. Goodhue (owned trading post at
Rockford; opened first mill on Turtle Creek
15 April 1837), Jones, and Johnson.
29
Table 1. Turtle Village preliminary chain-of-title, concluded.
________________________________________________________________________
Date Document Title holder or resident(s)
Comments
1838-9 PD
NEE Co.
Selected members of the New England
Emigrating Co. entered land patents as the
Public Domain land became available (16
November 1838 in WI, 29 October 1839 in
IL). Patentees later filed Quit Claim Deeds
for the NEE Co. settlers.
1839 GLO plat United States
No village drawn at confluence (IL plat
submitted 1 July 1839); state line survey
completed in 1832-33; two creeks enter
Rock River in Section 6
1856 Deed
Horace Hobart
Sells lots with Section 6, part of
"Goodhue's Subdivision"
1859 Plat
Unknown
Subdivided; D. Brooks landowner to south
1871 Plat
Unknown
Subdivided; G. Harding landowner to south
1886 Plat
Unknown
Subdivided; Geo. T. Harding to south
1890 Perspective Chicago & NW RR
Grain elevator, stockyard, and freight
warehouse at north end of parcel only
1905 Plat-detail Unknown
Subdivided only well north of creek
1926 Sanborn
Lipman Refrig. Co.,
Numerous buildings present at north end
General Refrig. Co.,
with dwellings only along road at southeast
Foundry, Star Coal Co., corner of Depot and Shirland Ave. all west
& dwellings
of railroad tracks
1939 Sanborn
General Refrig. Corp.,
Same as previous; subdivision with
Foundry, & dwelling
dwellings "Goodhues's Subdivision;"
service roads lead to confluence
1939 Aerial
Unknown
Non-residential buildings present
2005 Aerial
Unknown
Non-residential buildings present
2007 Aerial
Unknown
Non-residential buildings present
2009 Aerial
Unknown
Vacant land except adjacent to Shirland Rd.
________________________________________________________________________
NEE Co.=New England Emigrating Company; Refrig.=Refrigeration
30
References Cited
American Publishing Co., Publisher
1890 Perspective Map of Beloit, Wisconsin, 1890. Milwaukee: American Publishing
Co.
Bird, M. Catherine
2007 New York Investors, Tight Money, and Agricultural Patrimony: This is the
House that Thurber Built. Paper presented at the Society for Historical
Archaeology annual meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Brown, Charles E. and Theodore T. Brown
1929 Indian Sites and Mound Groups of the Lower Rock River: Turtle Village.
Wisconsin Archeologist. 9(1):86-88.
Brown, William Fiske
1908 Rock County, Wisconsin: A History of its Cities, Villages, Towns, Citizens, and
Varied Interests, from the Earliest Times, Up to Date. Chicago: C. F. Cooper
& Co.
Buck, James S.
1881 Pioneer History of Milwaukee from 1840 to 1846. Milwaukee: Swain & Tate.
Conzen, Michael P., Editor
1984 Chicago Mapmakers, Essays on the Rise of the City's Map Trade. Chicago:
Chicago Map Society.
Everts, Baskin & Stewert, Publisher
1873 Combination Atlas Map of Rock County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Everts, Baskin &
Stewert.
Fisher, Lucius G.
1918 Pioneer Recollections of Beloit and Southern Wisconsin. The Wisconsin
Magazine of History, 1(3): 266-348.
Kinzie, John
1829 Winnebago Village and Annuity List. Indian Office Files, Michigan.
Ogle, Geo. A., Publisher
1905 Standard Atlas of Winnebago County, Illinois. Chicago: Geo. A. Ogle & Co.
Publishers & Engravers.
Page, H. R., Publisher
1886 Illustrated Atlas of Winnebago and Boone Counties, Illinois. Chicago: H. R.
Page & Co.
Remington, T. J. L.
1859 Topographical Map of the County of Winnebago, Illinois. New York: H. F.
Walling.
Royce, Charles C.
1899 Indian Land Cessions in the United States, 1784-1894. Eighteenth Annual
Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution. Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, United States
Serial Set, Number 4015.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
1926 Beloit, Wisconsin, Sheet 7, February 1926. Available through subscription at
<sanborn.umi.com> Accessed 1/30/2012.
31
1939
Beloit, Wisconsin, Sheet 9, November 1939. Available through subscription at
<sanborn.umi.com> Accessed 1/30/2012.
Snyder, Van Vechten & Co., Publisher
1878 City of Beloit, Rock Co. and Shullsburg, LaFayette Co. Milwaukee: Snyder,
Van Vechten & Co.
Tanner, Helen Hornbeck
1987 Atlas of Great Lakes Indian History. Norman, Oklahoma: University of
Oklahoma Press.
Usher, Ellis Baker
1914 Wisconsin: Its Story and Biography, 1848-1913. Chicago: The Lewis
Publishing Company.
Warner, Higgins & Beers, Publisher
1871 Atlas of Winnebago County, Illinois. Chicago: Warner, Higgins & Beers.
Western Historical Company
1879 The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: Its early Settlement, Growth,
Development, Resources, Etc.. Chicago:
White, Horace
1897 The Beginnings of Beloit. Semi-Centennial Anniversary, Beloit College.
Beloit, Wisconsin: Beloit College.
32
Appendix A.1
Sketches, Plats, Maps, and Aerial Photographs
33
Figure 1. General Land Office plat showing the Section 35 lots (T 16N, R 12E) in
Wisconsin Territory dated 1835.
Figure 2. General Land Office plat showing the half-section lines for Sections 5 and 6 (T
26N, R 2E) in the State of Illinois dated 1839, and the offset with Section 35 to the
north.
34
Figure 3. General Land Office sketch dated 1834 (West of the Rock River) showing the
study parcel with the state line incorrectly placed. The state line should follow along
the south line of Sections 31-36 rather than the north line. Note that the mouth of
Turtle Creek and Turtle Village in Wisconsin Territory.
35
Figure 4. General Land Office sketch dated 1836 (East of the Rock River) showing
the study parcel with the state line incorrectly placed along the south line of Sections
35 and 36. Note that the mouth of Turtle Creek is not in Wisconsin Territory.
36
Figure 5. General Land Office plat dated 1835 (West of the Rock River) showing the study
parcel. Note that the state line is correctly drawn along the south line of Sections 34
and 35 and that the mouth of an unnamed creek, probably an incorrect mapping of
Turtle Creek, as on the 1834 sketch map (Figure 3), is just north of the Illinois state
line. The BLM states that Deputy Surveyor George W. Harrison commenced survey on
1 March 1834 with survey approved 21 July 1835 by Surveyor General Robert T. Lytle.
37
Figure 6. General Land Office plat dated 1836 (East of the Rock River) showing the study
parcel. Note that the mouth of Turtle Creek is within Illinois. The BLM states that
Deputy Surveyor Orson Lyon commenced survey on 1 March 1836 with survey
approved 19 January 1837 by Surveyor General Robert T. Lytle.
38
Figure 7. Portion of the T 46N, R 2E plat dated 1859 showing the study parcel.
39
Figure 8. Portion of the T 46N, R 2E plat dated 1871 showing the study parcel.
40
Figure 9. Portion of the T 1N, R 12E plat detail for the City of Beloit, dated 1878 showing
Chicago & Northwester RR freight depot in Illinois near the confluence, and the South
Race that powered the sawmill straddling the Wisconsin-Illinois state line.
41
Figure 10. Portion of the T 46N, R 2E plat dated 1886 showing the study parcel.
42
Figure 11. Portion of the T 46N, R 2E plat dated 1905 showing the study parcel.
43
Figure 12. Portion of a bird's eye view image of Beloit dated 1890 showing the study
parcel with the Chicago & Northwestern freight depot (5) and grain elevator (6) south
of South Bridge Road (later known as Shirland Ave.).
44
Figure 13. Sanborn Fire Insurance map dated 1926 showing study parcel.
45
Figure 14. Sanborn Fire Insurance map dated 1939 showing study parcel.
46
Plate 1. Aerial photograph dated 1939 showing the study parcel.
Plate 2. Aerial photograph dated 2005 showing the study parcel. (Available at
<historicmapworks.com>.)
Plate 3. Aerial photograph dated 2007 showing the study parcel. (Available at
<historicmapworks.com>.)
47
Plate 4. Aerial photograph dated 2009 showing the study parcel.
48
Appendix B
Census of Ke-Chunk by John Kinzie (1832), from Jipson (1922).
49
KINZIE’S RECEIPT ROLL OF THE ANNUITY PAID WINNEBAGO NATIVES
Nov. 8, 1832 - $15,000.00
With Translations of Winnebago Names by John Blackhawk
Roll (Without Translations) Presented to the Chicago Historical Society by William W. Gordon,
July 24, 1919
We the chiefs, warriors, head of families, and individuals without families of the Winnebago
Indians of the State of Illinois and Territory of Michigan, do hereby acknowledge to have
received in specie of John H. Kinzie, United States Sub Agent of Indian Affairs at Fort
Winnebago, the sums affixed to our respective names, the same being in full of our respective
proportions of the annuities due to the said nation for the year eighteen hundred and thirty two,
for which we have signed duplicate receipts.
Heads of Families and Individuals: Turtle Creek Village
[NOTE: CLAN NAMES ADDED 8/1/2011 FOR INDIVIDUALS LISTED IN LURIE 1966]
*Pencil insert.
#Line drawn through entire entry on original document.
Note – The suffix kaw, ka or ga indicates a personal name. The penult wee or ween indicates
a womans name.
Winnebago Name
(Clan Name)
[Wau-kaun-wee-kaw]
(Thunder Clan)
Kau-ree-kau-say-kaw
(Bear Clan)
Ho-tshin-tshin-nee-kaw
Hoantsh-khat-tay-kaw
Woank-paw-kaw
Ah-hoo-sootsh-kaw
(Clan Unknown)
Soatsh-ay-kaw
Shoank-skaw-kaw
(Wolf Clan)
Kee-num-hee-kaw
Ee-naik-ee-nuzh-ee-kaw
Noo-waun-koo-noo-kaw
Kau-ree-kaw
*Woang-ee-sootsh-kawween-kaw
Ho-cheeng-kaw
*Wau-nik-tshoo-weekaw
#Me-nah-nau-kaw
Keesh-ko
Wau-soo-ee-ee-mau-nikka
Wau-kaun-kaw
(Snake Clan)
Ho-sheep-shee-kaw
Tshah-hat-tay-kaw
Wee-rah-koash-kee-kattah(ka)
Translation of Winnebago
Name
Whirling Thunder
Sig.
X
No. in Family
Men/ Women/ Child./ Total
4
4
5
13
Amount
($.......¢)
47.94
White Crow
X
6
7
11
24
88.50
Boy
Big Bear
Man Head
Red Wing
X
X
X
X
5
4
2
4
5
5
4
5
3
1
3
7
13
10
9
16
47.94
36.87
33.19
59.00
Red
White Dog
X
X
2
5
2
4
7
4
16
14.75
59.00
X
X
X
X
X
2
5
3
-
3
8
5
3
-
3
2
7
5
-
6
12
17
11
-
22.13
44.25
62.69
40.56
-
X
5
2
9
6
4
7
18
10
66.37
X
X
4
3
3
4
3
3
10
10
36.87
36.87
X
3
5
4
12
44.25
The Snake
X
1
2
1
4
14.75
Big Deer
Big Star
X
X
X
3
1
2
2
4
2
1
-
6
5
4
22.13
18.44
14.75
One who stands alone
Crow
5
Strikes one
Blue Bird (woman)
Winnebago name of a
people
Walk with
50
Phay-tshun-ho-no-nikkaw
Wee-tshee-nuzh-een-kaw
Phay-tshun-ah-roo-heenkaw
No-tshump-kaw
Haump-mau-nee-kaw
Woank-shik-khat-tay
Ho-tshunk-kit-tay-weenkaw
*Hee-hoatsh-kaw
Hoo-wais-kaw-(ka)
(Elk/Deer and/or Thunder
Clan)
Hoonk-ho-no-kaw
Hah-gau-shu-rah-gaw
Wau-kaun-tshun-noo-kaw
Phay-tshunk-kaw
Haump-tshay-kaw
Mau-nah-pay-kaw
(Bear Clan)
Wau-kaun-tshah-skawskaw
*Wau-nig-no-o-kun-ik
Woyk-tshah-ray-kaw
Hay-noamp-kaw
(Buffalo Clan?)
Wau-kah-nah-say-kaw
Baptiste Le sellier
(Clan Unmarked)
Wau-mau-nee-kaw
Wau-nik-oo-mau-tshaytshee-kaw
Hoontsh-paw-kaw
#Mauntsh-tshay-kaw
Hou-tshah-noo-kaw
Tshah-hah-wan-skawween-kaw
Hee-noo-hoap-kaw
#Ho-ko-tshay-kaw
Ish-tshah-kay-ray-tshunkkaw
Shee-kah-wauk-see-kaw
Tshee-wy-sheep-kaw
Wau-shoank-tshah-tshaykaw
Wee-haun-zee-kaw
*Tshee-nee-mau-nee-kaw
Oo-zhee-kee-taun-taykaw
Hoontsh-shee-shik-kaw
Ish-tshah-noamp-kaw
Little Crane
X
2
1
1
4
14.75
One who stands and tries
Crane Body
X
X
4
1
5
5
1
3
10
9
40.56
33.19
Lightning strike tree
Walking Day
Large Man
She who speaks
Winnebago
X
X
X
X
1
2
5
3
1
2
4
4
1
2
5
2
5
11
12
7.37
18.44
40.56
44.25
White Elk
X
2
1
2
2
1
2
5
5
18.44
Young Chief
The third boy of money or
silver
X
X
2
4
2
4
1
4
5
12
18.44
44.25
Crane
Bright Day
Soldier
X
X
X
X
1
4
3
2
1
4
2
4
2
1
3
4
8
6
9
14.75
29.50
22.13
33.10
White Thunder
X
1
2
3
6
22.13
Little Bird
One who is ridiculed
Two Horns
X
X
2
1
2
2
2
4
4
3
5
8
6
11
22.13
40.56
X
X
1
6
2
3
3
2
6
10
22.13
40.56
Walk on Snow
X
X
4
2
3
3
2
5
9
10
33.19
36.87
Bear Head
Cut off piece
Youth
White black woman
X
X
X
X
1
2
1
1
2
6
1
3
4
2
2
3
12
4
6
11.06
44.25
14.75
22.13
Lady of fish fins
X
X
X
1
1
1
1
4
2
5
3
1
7
8
4
25.81
29.50
14.75
X
X
X
1
3
1
2
3
2
2
-
5
6
3
18.44
22.13
11.06
X
1
5
5
11
40.56
X
2
1
1
4
11.06
X
X
2
4
1
4
2
1
5
9
18.44
33.19
Tatooed Face
One who seizes a lodge
Yellow Second-born
Woman
One who walks in lead
Bad Bear
Two Face
51
Tshay-paw-noamp-kaw
Hah-paw-kwee-see-kaw
Wau-pau-zee-ray-heekaw
Shoank-tshunk-skaw-kaw
Wau-kee-yun-skaw
*Er-tshuh-wau-shay-meekaw
Hoang-ee-nee-kaw
Mau-nee-khat-tah-(ka)
(Clan Unknown)
Woank-shik-ee-skaytshah-kaw
Hee-nah-nah-kay-kaw
Nee-ay-tshah-hoo-kaw
Hahk-tshah-hoo-tsheenkwaik-kaw
Maunk-skaw-nik-kaw
*Hay-shay-ray-kay-kaw
*Roo-nee-kun
Wau-kaun-tshah-kawpay-ree-kaw
Kau-ree-tsho-kaw
Nee-tshu-kaw
Shik-o-kee-muk
Tshah-wau-shay-weenkaw
To-shun-nuk-(ka)
(Water Spirit Clan)
Two Buffalo Heads
X
X
X
5
4
3
1
4
2
4
1
6
12
6
22.13
44.25
22.13
White Wolf
One who-did it to them
X
X
1
2
1
3
5
2
4
12
4
8
19
7
29.50
70.06
Little Chieftain
Big Walker
X
X
1
2
1
2
2
3
4
7
14.75
25.81
Aged Man
X
2
3
3
8
29.50
Fourth born woman
He who is from water
One who returns with roar
X
X
X
5
2
1
4
3
2
10
3
2
19
8
5
70.06
29.50
18.44
Young White Breast
The Fox
X
X
3
4
4
2
4
0
1
11
9
7
7
15
33.19
Thunder who is awaited
2
3
2
2
Blue Raven
Rain
One who nestles again
Eagle Woman
X
X
X
X
5
3
1
-
3
3
3
3
3
2
7
4
11
8
11
7
40.56
29.50
40.56
25.81
Otter
X
3
4
9
16
59.00
55.31
We hereby certify that we were present at the payment of the above mentioned annuities and saw
the amounts paid to the several Indians in specie; and that their signatures were affixed in our
presence at Fort Winnebago, this Eighth day of November, 1832.
Henry Gratiot
Sub. Indian Agent
A.J. Hooe
Jos Boyer
Lt. 5th Inft.
John Dixon
L. C. Kerchevale
We the undersigned Chiefs of the Winnebago Tribe of Indians do acknowledge correctness of the
foregoing receipts.
his
Witness
Whirling X Thunder
A.J. Hooe
mark
Lt. Tth Infty
.
Kay-ray-mau-nee X
Also the following name in pencil on margins and back of document:
E-har-rati-pay-kaw (at Turtle Creek)
52
Appendix C
Tabulations of Recovered Artifacts by Unit and Level
53
Test Unit 1
Category
Level 1
Number (ct)
Level 2
Weight (g) Number (ct)
Level 3
Weight (g) Number (ct)
Level 4
Weight (g) Number (ct)
Level 5
Weight (g) Number (ct)
Level 6
Weight (g) Number (ct)
Wall Scrapings
Unit Total
Weight (g) Number (ct)
Weight (g)
21
20.6
93
90.8
11
11.2
14
36.8
Bone
0
0.0
Button
0
0.0
20
41.8
0
0.0
3
9.5
0
0.0
Glass*¹
10
10.7
3
2.9
2
2.8
5
2.6
Slag*
39
61.0
3
0.6
48
24.6
3
4.6
Coal*
2
6.2
8
4.6
10
25.7
Pebble*
1
Ferrous metal
18
29.3
1
1.0
1
Weight (g) Number (ct)
1.6
1
3
0.4
10.1
0.4
1
12.1
Ceramic
Clay Pipe²
3
9.5
Nail
Wood charcoal*
3
0.1
Mussel shell
2
30.4
Snail shell
2
0.2
3
0.7
Egg shell
Total
* Material that was discarded
after counting and weighing
¹ Only glass bottle from TU 2
Level 1 was kept
² One clay pipe in three pieces
0
0.0
69
107.2
7
3.9
54
28.5
33
77.6
7
12.4
2
12.5
3
0.1
2
30.4
5
0.9
0
0.0
172
242.1
54
Test Unit 2
Category
Level 1
Number (ct)
Glass*¹
1
Level 2
Weight (g) Number (ct)
55.5
Slag*
Coal*
8
11.3
Level 3
Weight (g) Number (ct)
Level 4
Weight (g) Number (ct)
Level 5
Weight (g) Number (ct)
Level 6
Weight (g) Number (ct)
1
0.2
2
2.9
2
2.1
1
0.3
61
53.6
68
62.0
10
7.2
6
4.2
20
6
1.4
3
0.8
1
70
48.0
128
77.6
Pebble*
1
1.0
3
2.9
Bone
1
0.3
3
6.9
1
7
7.8
74
166.7
10
1
0.4
Unit Total
Weight (g) Number (ct)
61
3.2
165
130.2
0.1
216
139.2
4
3.9
3.3
5
10.5
0
0.0
11.9
95
192.0
1
0.4
0
0.0
Button
Ferrous metal
4
5.6
Ceramic
Clay Pipe²
Nail
Wood charcoal*
1
0.4
1
8.7
1
8.7
1
0.0
2
0.4
0
0.0
28
9.2
1
0.0
525
555.5
Mussel shell
Snail shell
4
1.4
Egg shell
Total
* Material that was discarded
after counting and weighing
¹ Only glass bottle from TU 2
Level 1 was kept
² One clay pipe in three pieces
13
72.4
146
112.7
Weight (g)
7
15
5.8
1
0.0
297
333.9
3
32
0.4
26.3
6
10
5.3
27
1.6
4.9
55
Test Unit 3
Category
Level 1
Number (ct)
Level 2
Unit Total
Number (ct)
Weight (g)
Number (ct)
Weight (g)
Glass*¹
3
0.6
3
0.6
Slag*
1
0.0
1
0.0
Coal*
2
0.4
2
0.4
Pebble*
0
0.0
Bone
0
0.0
Button
1
0.2
Ferrous metal
0
0.0
Ceramic
0
0.0
Clay Pipe²
0
0.0
Nail
0
0.0
Wood charcoal*
0
0.0
Mussel shell
0
0.0
Snail shell
0
0.0
Egg shell
0
0.0
7
1.2
Total
* Material that was discarded
after counting and weighing
¹ Only glass bottle from TU 2
Level 1 was kept
² One clay pipe in three pieces
1
Weight (g)
1
0.2
0.2
6
1.0
56
Test Unit 4
Category
Level 1
Number (ct)
Level 2
Weight (g)
Level 3
Unit Total
Number (ct)
Weight (g)
Number (ct)
Weight (g)
Number (ct)
Weight (g)
12
5.2
4
4.4
16
9.6
Slag*
1
0.6
1
0.6
Coal*
7
2.2
7
2.2
Pebble*
1
0.5
1
0.5
0
0.0
Glass*¹
Bone
Button
0
0.0
Ferrous metal
1
3.6
1
3.6
Ceramic
1
4.2
1
4.2
Clay Pipe²
0
0.0
Nail
0
0.0
Wood charcoal*
0
0.0
Mussel shell
1
0.0
1
0.0
Snail shell
6
1.1
6
1.1
0
0.0
34
21.8
Egg shell
Total
* Material that was discarded
after counting and weighing
¹ Only glass bottle from TU 2
Level 1 was kept
² One clay pipe in three pieces
0
0.0
23
16.3
11
5.5
57
Test Unit 5
Category
Level 1
Number (ct)
Level 2
Weight (g)
Level 3
Unit Total
Number (ct)
Weight (g)
Number (ct)
Weight (g)
Number (ct)
Weight (g)
5
3.2
10
8.4
15
11.6
Slag*
68
24.9
42
24.0
110
48.9
Coal*
61
24.1
12
3.7
73
27.8
1
0.4
1
0.4
0
0.0
0
0.0
4
2.3
Ceramic
0
0.0
Clay Pipe²
0
0.0
Nail
0
0.0
Wood charcoal*
0
0.0
Mussel shell
0
0.0
7
2.8
0
0.0
210
93.8
Glass*¹
Pebble*
Bone
Button
Ferrous metal
4
Snail shell
2
2.3
0.4
5
2.4
Egg shell
Total
* Material that was discarded
after counting and weighing
¹ Only glass bottle from TU 2
Level 1 was kept
² One clay pipe in three pieces
0
0.0
140
54.9
70
38.9
58
Appendix D
Illinois Archaeological Site Recording Form
ILLINOIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE RECORDING FORM
County: Winnebago
Field Number: 1663-1
Quadrangle (7.5'): South Beloit
Site Name: 1663-1
Revisit: N
State Site No.: 506
Date Recorded: 2012.09.17
LEGAL DESCRIPTION (to quarter quarter quarter
Align: SW
Align:
Align:
Align:
1/4s: NWSWNW
1/4s:
1/4s:
1/4s:
UTM Coordinates (by ISM): UTM Zone: 16
Section:
Section:
Section:
Section:
UTM North: 4706494
5
0
0
0
Township:
Township:
Township:
Township:
UTM East: 332428
46 N Range: 2
0
Range: 0
0
Range: 0
0
Range: 0
E
NAD27
Ownership: Public
ENVIRONMENT
Topography: Floodplain
Elevation (in meters): 219
Nearest Water Supply: Turtle Creek
Drainage: Upper Rock 1
Soil Association: Lawson-Sawmill-Darwin
Description: 5 Test Units were excavated on the flood plain adjacent to Turtle Creek northeast where it enters the Rock River to
determine it this might have been the location of the historic Ho-Chunk "Ki-Chunk Village".
SURVEY
Project Name: 1663-1
Ground Cover (List up to 3): Forest
Survey Methods (List up to
Test Unit
Site Type (List up to 2): Other
Brush
Site Area (square
4025
Visibility (%): 0
Standing Structures: N
SITE CONDITION
Extent of Damage: None
Main Cause of Damage:
MATERIAL OBSERVED
Number of Prehistoric Artifacts (count or
0
Number of Historic Artifacts (count or estimate): 172
Prehistoric Diagnostic Artrifacts: N
Historic Diagnostic Artifacts: N
Prehistoric Surface
N
Historic Surface Features: N
Description: Material recovered includes bottle glass, flat glass, slag, coal, bone, a button, ferrous metal, ceramics, 3 pieces of a
single
clay pipe, a nail, wood charcoal, mussel shell, snail shell and egg shell.
TEMPORAL AFFILIATION (check all that apply)
Colonial (1673-1780):
Prehistoric Unknown:
Late Archaic:
Mississippian:
Pioneer (1781-1840):
Paleoindian:
Woodland:
Upper Mississippian:
Frontier (1841-1870): Y
Archaic:
Early Woodland:
Protohistoric:
Early Industrial (1871-1900): Y
Early Archaic:
Middle Woodland:
Historic Native American:
Urban Industrial (1901-1945): Y
Middle Archaic:
Late Woodland:
Historic (generic):
Post-War (1946-present): Y
Description: Artifacts recovered can be associated with historic occupation of the site. None of the recovered materials appear to be
associated with use of the area by the historic Ho-Chunk.
Surveyor: W.Green R.Lurie
Site Report by: M. Birnbaum
IHPA Log No.:
Compliance Status:
Institution: MRS
Institution: MRS
Survey Date: 8/9/2012
Date: 9/14/2012
IHPA First Sur. Doc. No.:
Curation Facility: BCM
NRHP Listing: N
59
Appendix E
Project Publicity
60
Appendix E.1: Beloit Daily News, June 6, 2012
61
Appendix E.2: Beloit Daily News, August 10, 2012
62