The History of Dickson Mounds Museum: 1927-1972
People have been drawn to Dickson Mounds Museum since chiropractor Don Dickson began excavating Native American burial mound on his father's farm near Lewistown. The Dickson family, although they were amateur archaeologists, ushered in a new era of archaeology and the study of the prehistoric people of the Illinois River Valley. The burial was closed to public view in 1992. Visit IllinoisStateMuseum.org to learn more about Dickson Mounds.
Visit Historic Dickson Mounds Museum in Central Illinois
Dickson Mounds Museum in Lewistown is one of the country's premiere on-site archaeological museums in the country and located along the Illinois River Road.
Dickson Mounds Museum describes the culture of Native Americans that lived in the area centuries ago. Located in the picturesque city of Lewistown, it’s a popular tourist and school destination and during the winter people come from miles around for sledding in the hills surrounding the museum.
Inside, you’ll find interactive exhibits and historically accurate tableaus depicting the early life of Native Americans and how they lived in the area. The original inhabitants of the area were nomadic hunter-gatherers that eventually settled in the area for the fishing and game available.
The Dickson Mounds area offers unique insights into the lifestyles of these early cultures and how they evolved through the centuries.
Locals Bring History to Life at Dickson Mounds Museum
That's the sound of history brought to life..
Curious history buffs brought their collector's items and questions to a panel of archaeologists at the Dickson Mound museum.
Experts on hand Sunday say the majority of these treasures were found just walking through a cornfield.
As archaeologists, we have the opportunity to look at Illinois's landscape periodically. People who collect artifacts have an opportunity to look at it much more than we do. So, in many ways, they teach us by what they discover, says Dr. Michael Wiant, Museum Director.
Hundreds of articles have been brought in over the years. From broken pottery to arrowheads, each one has potential to be a hidden treasure and a glimpse into Illinois' past.
Some of the items even date back to prehistoric times.
People often come to the door with an object and they'll say, is this 200 years old and when we tell them it's 9,300 years old, it really surprises them.
Archeologists say each object has a story and played some role in our ancestor's lives.. and by learning about the pieces, we're able to better understand our own history.
Everybody needs to know their ancestry. I think it's something we really need to kind of go back to. I mean this is stuff that we need to save, says Francis Granacher of Carlock.
Many artifacts have been donated to the museum from people hoping to preserve pieces of the past. But experts say museums also help provide a clearer vision of our future.
It is really an opportunity for us to consider where we are today and how we came to be here. And then perhaps most importantly, in a sense, where are we headed, says Dr. Wiant.
...A concept these history buffs embrace.
In Lewistown, I'm Dana Fulton.
Dickson Mounds and Sugar Wood-Fired Bistro
Today we visit the Dickson Mounds, (an ancient Native American settlement and burial ground), located in Lewistown, IL. After that, as we head back home, we stop in Peoria, IL and eat at Sugar: Wood-Fired Bistro and have some of the BEST Pizzas, Mac-n-Cheese and desserts we've ever had! Located at 826 SW Adams St, Peoria, IL 61602
Dickson Mounds
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Dickson Mounds is a Native American settlement site and burial mound complex near Lewistown, Illinois.It is located in Fulton County on a low bluff overlooking the Illinois River.It is a large burial complex containing at least two cemeteries, ten superimposed burial mounds, and a platform mound.The Dickson Mounds site was founded by 800 CE and was in use until after 1250 CE.
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Find Fun, Adventure in Fulton County's Historic Lewistown, Illinois
The historic city of Lewistown is a picturesque community along the Illinois River Road with a rich history and several famous landmarks.
Lewistown:
Illinois River Road:
Located in Fulton County, Lewistown became famous by the legendary Edgar Lee Masters in his Spoon River Anthology. He mentioned the Oak Hill Cemetery located in the town, which still exists to this day. It’s also home to the Dickson Mounds Museum, which is one of the premiere museums dedicated to the early life of Native American inhabitants of the area.
You’ll also find the Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge, which sports 7,000 acres of wetlands being preserved and cultivated. You’ll find countless examples of rare native wildlife and plantlife in the area. It has a bustling downtown filled with several unique shops including the Rasmussan Blacksmith Shop and Museum.
It’s one of only a few Blacksmith shops still operating in the United States and has been a part of the Lewistown community since 1890.
Evidence of the Ice Age
This video looks for visual evidence of the Ice Age on the modern landscape of central Illinois. Dr. Michael Wiant, director of Dickson Mounds Museum in Lewistown, provides the narration. Locations visited include Starved Rock State Park, Elkhart Hill and Revis Hill Prairie.
The Dickson Mounds Controversy, Part 1 of 2
The Dickson Mounds Controversy, WNYC, March 20, 1992
Tape #490
WNYC Collection, 1936 - 1981
NYC Department of Records, Municipal Archives, New York City
Native American Artifacts
My collection Of artifacts found in Fulton county IL.And artifacts that was not found by me but was found in my area that can be seen at the Dickson Mounds Museum located in Lewistown,Illinois,Not to far from the Emiquon Nature Preserve.
The Shanties & Fonzo the Fiddler - Girl from Kerry Hill
The New Irish Music band, The Shanties, from Bloomington, IL, are joined on stage by The David Quesal Puppet Troupe's Fonzo the Fiddler!
This was part of the Hickory Ridge Concert Series at the Dickson Mounds State Museum in Lewistown, IL.
You can learn more about the band and buy their CD at
The Shanties are
Chris Bock - fiddle
Kris Lewis Parkhurst - guitar
John Parkhurst - mandolin
Seasun Griffith - bodhran
At Issue #2001 Emiquon Preserve
The Nature Conservancy has allowed 10 percent of the 7,000 acres at Emiquon Preserve in Fulton County returned to a natural flooded habitat, and At Issue will launch its 20th season with a look at the flora and fauna that have returned to that property.
Guests:
Mike Wiant -- Dickson Mounds Museum Director
Doug Blodgett -- IL River Program Director
Matt Sprenger -- US Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Manager
Original Air Date: 09/06/2007
Nature Returns To Emiquon
Mother Nature has converted what was once thousands of acres of row crops into a mosaic of natural habitats that is home to birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles. Seeds that were dormant for 80 years have sprung to life by just adding water. Life as it was for millennia has returned to Emiquon Preserve in Fulton County.
WTVP presents a cinematic 1/2 hour production of the beautiful journey of, Nature Returns to Emiquon on March 15th at 7:00 PM. Join us as we show how beauty has returned to this parcel of land along the Illinois River in Fulton County. What were once thousands of acres of row crops and cattle are now restored to natural habitats.
Before 1900, the land was a backwater environment of lakes, prairies, wetlands and forests. But the rich soils adjacent to the river attracted farmers in the 20th century. They erected levees to keep the river water out and pumps to remove water from the fields. The natural flow of the Illinois River was altered, causing issues with more frequent flooding, overflow that the backwaters once absorbed.
With help from The Nature Conservancy, Emiquon is experiencing a rebirth on the nearly seven-thousand acre plot of land. Mother Nature, through its resurgence at Emiquon Preserve, has become a model of what may be replicated along other parts of the river and elsewhere.
Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge | Wikipedia audio article
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Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge
00:00:57 1 History
00:03:30 2 Restoration project
00:05:33 3 Current resources
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- Socrates
SUMMARY
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The Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge is a 11,122-acre (45.01 km2) wetland wildlife refuge located in Waterford Township in Fulton County, Illinois across the Illinois River from the town of Havana. Only 3,000 acres (12 km2) are currently owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is in the Central forest-grasslands transition ecoregion.
Most of the wildlife refuge is made up of reclaimed agricultural land. A 7,100-acre (29 km2) reclamation project within the Refuge, the Emiquon Project, is operated by the Nature Conservancy, which is a partner with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the creation of the Refuge.In February 2012, the Emiquon Complex, centering on the Emiquon NWR, was designated under the Ramsar Convention as a Wetland of International Importance.