Ohio History Journal

THE ULRICH GROUP OF MOUNDS.*

 

 

BY TRUMAN B. MILLS.

The Ulrich group of mounds have been so named by reason

of the location of two of the mounds upon the farm of Mr.

Joseph Ulrich situated about two and one-half miles west of

Farmersville, in Jackson township, Montgomery county, Ohio.

Six or more mounds comprise the group, four of which were

examined by the writer during the summer months of 1916 and

1917.  Except for one mound-that located upon the farm

formerly owned by Mr. J. H. Fortney-all of the mounds were

of very small size. Whether to class these small tumuli with

the larger one has been a somewhat puzzling question, but since

they were all explored together, and found in close proximity

to each other, the term Ulrich Group is not inappropriate.

All of the mounds examined had been disturbed, more or

less, by earlier explorers. They left no written record of their

work, but some of the older inhabitants of the region stated

that few objects or burials had been found by these men. At

the Fortney mound, however, it was evident that three burials

had been disturbed, and some beads, and objects of copper found.

A diligent search gave us no trace of the whereabouts of these

specimens, at the present time.

 

MOUND NO. I.

The first mound of this group to be examined was located

upon the farm of Mr. Ulrich, two and one-half miles west of

Farmersville, and three-fourths of a mile south of the pike.

The mound occupies a position upon the high ground, in the

 

* The examination of the Ulrich Group of Mounds was made by Mr.

Mills under the supervision of the Curator and the contents of the

group are owned by the museum and now on exhibition in the North

Hall, second floor. Mr. Mills assisted in the exploration of the Westen-

haven Mound near Circleville and the Tremper Mound near Portsmouth

prior to his exploration of the Ulrich Group.--Editor.

(162)

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The Ulrich Group of Mounds.             163

 

woods, some distance west of Tom's Run, a tributary to Twin

Creek. The dimensions of the mound were fifty feet east and

west by forty feet north and south. The central core of the

mound was removed and only the rim left standing, but no

traces of graves were found.

Three feet north of the center a charred log was found,

about two feet above the base-line. Just over this log was a

cache of leaf-shaped implements, chipped from vari-colored flint,

and ranging in size from two to three and one-half inches in

length. There were twenty specimens in this deposit. Some

of the pieces had been affected by the heat from the smouldering

log. Two and one-half feet east of this cache, and at the same

level was another deposit of flint pieces, similar in design and

workmanship with those of cache number one. The number of

pieces composing the second find was twenty-three. Lying just

above this were four spearheads of larger size. A large spear

five inches in length, of square-shouldered pattern and made

from a dark colored flint, was found at a depth of eighteen

inches from the surface of the mound. Two other flint objects

of the leaf design were found several inches above the last men-

tioned spear. One of these pieces is six and one-fourth inches

in length, and made from a translucent piece of chalcedony.

The other is four inches long and two and one-fourth inches

broad-made from a dark fossiliferous flint. The most extraor-

dinary specimen in the whole lot, however, is a cream-colored

leaf-shaped blade made of clear Flint Ridge chalcedony, ten

inches in length and three inches in breadth. This large piece

was lying among the roots of a maple tree, scarcely six inches

below the surface of the mound. The blade is shown in Fig. 1.

Two weeks digging in the southern and western portions of

the mound did not bring to light any more specimens except a

few small flint pieces, and gorget with concave sides, made of

blue, banded slate. Work was brought to a close on the mound

without finding any evidence of a burial having been made by

the builders. Perhaps earlier explorers took out a skeleton here,

but no record of such has been found to date.

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The Ulrich Group of Mounds.             165

 

 

 

MOUND NO. 2.

After finishing mound number one of this group, work was

begun upon a small mound located north of number one, on the

same side of the creek, and a few yards north of the turnpike,

which leads to Farmersville. This work was about the same

size as number one, and was covered with a growth of trees of

some size, the roots of which were found all thru the mound

and, consequently, made digging very laborious. Aside from this,

the stiff, red clay of the structure was hard to loosen with the

mattock. The presence of the trees made it impossible to ex-

amine the entire structure, consequently we had to be satisfied

with trenching from west to cast.

At a point three and one-half feet south-west of the center a

large deposit of brick-red clay was encountered. It appeared

to have been taken up from an area where a fire had been in

progress for some time. In this mass of clay were the remains

of a skeleton, the bones of which were in a broken condition,

and much scattered thru the clay. Some of the bones showed

signs of having been subjected to heat. With the skeleton was

a boat-shaped gorget, with two holes drilled at the center, but

not to completion. A trench dug into the northern portion of

the mound, a short distance from the center, revealed a few

pieces of wood, an unfinished slate object, one large celt, which

had been in the fire, one dark colored, notched spearhead, three

inches in length, and a boat-shaped gorget of the same type and

workmanship as the one found with the skeleton. This last

named gorget was also made of banded slate, but the two holes

on each side of the center perforated the gorget. The specimen

is shown in Fig. 2.

Work on the mound was brought to a close on account of

the extremely hard digging and the presence of the large trees.

which could not be removed. No doubt a complete examination

of the mound might reveal more objects of interest and possibly

another burial.

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166      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. MOUND NO. 3. In the northwestern part of German township, just a few hundred yards from the township line, is situated the third mound of this group. It is also very small; in fact it is the smallest of the three mounds, and is located in the woods on the farm now owned by Mr. Adam Gilbert. Permission to explore the work was obtained from Mr. Gilbert and operations were begun in August, 1916. Previous explorations by others, who had dug into the center, revealed nothing of interest as far as can be learned. The mound measured thirty-nine feet east and west by forty feet north and south. It was built of a stiff clay resembling

that used in the construction of mound number two. There were no trees growing upon its surface. This, therefore, gave us an opportunity to examine the entire structure. Altho it was the most thoroly explored, it was the least interesting member of the group. Work was begun at the southern rim and carried thru to the north side, taking in this way, the entire structure. At the center, the fragments of a slate tube were found. These pieces had evidently been thrown out by earlier explorers in the course of the work. A thoro examination of the base and the contents of the mound proper revealed nothing until we reached a point a few feet northeast of the center. Here at the base-line the remains of the skeleton of a child were found. The burial had been made in a stiff clay, and consequently nothing remained save a few teeth and the fragments of the skull. Immediately

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The Ulrich Group of Mounds.            167

 

beneath this, however, at a depth of one foot below the base-

line, were the remains of an adult skeleton also very much de-

cayed. In fact, the leg bones were the only ones that were in a

condition that they could be removed from the grave. The re-

mainder of the bones were but a mere semblance of their

former condition. This grave had been dug below the base, with

the foot of the grave just northeast of the center of the mound.

Except for a ball made from a granite rock, which was found

on the base-line just west of the grave, no relics of any kind

were found here. Following this, the work was carried to the

northern rim without results.

 

 

THE FORTNEY MOUND.

Mound number four of this group is situated upon the

farm formerly owned by J. H. Fortney, one and one-fourth

miles southwest of Farmersville, section thirty-three of Jackson

township. Number four has been called the "Cedar Mound" or

the "Fortney Mound". Just west of this large tumulus are

some low earthen walls enclosing a village site. This place has

been known as "The Fort". It was perhaps a fortified village

occupied by the builders of the Mound or by later Indians;

possibly both frequented the site in days gone by.

The mound was located upon a spur projecting from the

side of the valley overlooking Twin Creek. This was an ideal

location for such a monument. From its crest one could com-

mand a wonderful view of the valley below. Here the builders

might have come to watch the deer and other animals as they

came to the creek for water, or to make observations up and

down the valley for an enemy. The site is a favorite resort of

visitors even to this day. But the location is not favorable for its

own preservation. A portion of the work had already washed

down the hillside, and the remainder was fast becoming a prey to

the inroads of washouts. In order to save the contents of this

mound for scientific study it was necessary to make a complete

examination of the structure.

A survey of the mound found it to be oblong in shape,

eighty-three feet in length, forty-five feet in width, and from

twelve to fifteen feet in height on the crest. The long axis of the

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work ran somewhat northwest and southeast. It lay parallel to

the side of the valley. The slopes of the mound were very

steep and corresponded very well with the valley wall on the

southern side; this was due, of course, to erosion.

As the work progressed it became evident that there were

two different stages in the erection of the mound. There was,

however, no great lapse of time between the two stages. These

conclusions are based upon the finding of the central portion of

the mound composed of a loamy earth intermingled with a stiff

clay, while the top four or five feet were found to be composed

of a stiff clay with little or no "top soil". In many places there

was a strong demarcation between the two layers, showing that

there was a suspension of the work for a short time at least.

Perhaps the mound was built to the height of the central por-

tion and considered completed but the deaths of some prominent

individuals later prompted the builders to make additions to the

mound. The truth of this supposition seems to be borne out

when we note the finding of four graves in this tough clay sec-

tion of the top and eastern end of the mound. Now, when this

later addition was made a different kind of soil was used and it

seems likely that this soil was taken from the adjacent gullies,

for here would have been an ideal place for the filling of the

baskets, easily. Why this was not resorted to in building the

central portion is, of course, a matter of conjecture.

The examination revealed eight burials, three of which had

been disturbed by earlier investigators. These three burials have

been represented as A, B, and C below;

Burial A.-The skeleton found here was not entire. The

majority of the bones had been removed by relic hunters years

ago. The grave occupied a position of prominence at the edge

of the spur, overlooking the valley. It had been dug to a depth

of about three feet below the base-line, and the mound was later

erected over it. The persons who dug here years ago reported

some objects of copper which have been lost. The grave was

dug beside number five, which will be spoken of later.

Burial B.-Almost the entire skeleton had been removed

from this grave prior to our examination. The grave was located

about ten feet from the southern rim of the mound, twelve feet

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The Ulrich Group of Mounds.             169

east of the center, and two and one-half feet above the base-line.

A "carpet of bark" had been prepared in the grave and the body

had been placed upon it. No traces of relics of any kind were

discovered in the grave.

Burial C.-This grave was found in close proximity to num-

bers one and two, to be spoken of later. The burial had been

made near the top of the mound, about twelve feet east of the

center, and the skeleton had been exhumed by the Fortney boys,

years before. From them I learned that a quantity of beads,

similar to the ones found with the other skeletons in the mound,

had been found by them.

Burial No. 1.-This burial had been made at a depth of

five feet below the top of the mound, and twelve feet east of

the center of the structure. The skeleton lay with the head to

the south, and with the body turned upon its side, a fine layer

of white ashes covered the bottom of the grave, and extended

for some distance around. Buried with this individual were two

strands of beads; one strand was placed around the neck and

the other lay in the abdominal region. The beads found around

the neck are about fifty in number, rather uniform in size, and

varying in shape from cylindrical to round. All of them are

made from the columellas of marine shells. The second strand,

found in the abdominal region numbers about eighty, and are

all smaller than those found around the neck. Practically all of

these are of a button shape. Aside from these objects, a flint

spear, five inches in length made of dark nodular flint, was

found beside the feet of the skeleton.

Burial No. 2.-Lying just west of number one about two

feet, and at the same level, was the skeleton of an old woman,

the bones of which were remarkably well preserved. All the teeth

had been lost before death except the lower incisors. The skele-

ton was lying with the head to the south, a reversed position

from that of skeleton number one. The bones were lying upon

a layer of ashes, and leaves or twigs, and some ashes had also

been sprinkled over the body. The only objects with this skele-

ton were some beads of shell, which, for the most part were

small, cylindrical, and extremely well made. The beads were

around the neck. Nine of these occupied a position just beneath

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the chin, and were considerably larger than the remaining ones.

These larger beads were well made, about three-fourths of an

inch in thickness, and cut from the same material as the first

ones. The necklace is shown in Fig. 3.

Burial No. 3.-This grave lay twenty feet east of the center,

at a depth of six feet and six inches below the top of the mound.

The skeleton was lying on a layer of bark which extended for

two feet on each side of the bones. The skeleton was that of an

adult female, lying in a horizontal position with all of the bones

present except those of the feet. It seems likely that this person

had been interred elsewhere and was later brought here for

burial. No objects were found in the grave.

The finding of these four graves, numbers 1, 2 and 3, to-

gether with C, in the tough clay or outer mound leads us to

believe that the burials were made here after work on the inner

mound had been suspended for some time. The method used in

burying in this section of the mound was the same as that of the

inner section. The character of the objects found in the two

sections was the same. In short, no evidence was found point-

ing to the presence of two different cultures.

Burial No. 4.-This was the most interesting of the burials

encountered. We may also call it the central grave of the

mound. It became evident after the burial had been worked out

that the skeleton had been placed in position after the mound

had been built to a height of about three feet. The death of

this individual who had, perhaps, superintended the construction

of the mound to that height must have been a great calamity

for his followers. Therefore, in order to show respect for their

lost leader, a burial of great pomp was given him.

A grave of large dimensions was excavated, from the por-

tion of the mound already built, to a depth of about three feet,

very near the original surface of the ground. After finishing

this part of the work a layer of oak bark and puncheons was

placed in the bottom of the grave, up the sides, and out for a

short distance upon the level. Then flat stones (limestones and

shale) were laid around the edges of the bottom of the grave, and

upon these was placed a double row of logs, forming, as it were,

a square pen, twelve feet by twelve. In the center of this pre-

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pared grave the body was placed, with feet to the east, and

arms lying naturally by the sides. The legs and arms showed

traces of the paint which once adorned the person. Across the

knees was placed a large copper axe, nine inches long, and five

inches broad at the bit. The edge of the axe is blunt, showing

that it had not been entirely finished. Two wrappings of cloth

and buckskin encased the axe, the cloth having retained its

original shape has left a strong impression upon the surface of

the axe. The weight of this remarkable axe is five pounds. The

axe is shown in Fig. 4. Around the neck of the skeleton was a

strand of beads numbering three hundred. These beads were

also of shell, finely made and well polished. They were all

small. The necklace is shown in Fig. 5. After the interment, a

fine layer of ashes was placed over the body, and the grave was

then filled with an admixture of fine woods earths. Following

this the mound was built up to the second stage.

Burial No. 5.-This was a subterranean burial placed near

the edge of the spur upon which the mound was built. The

grave had been dug just west of A, to a depth of one and one-

half feet. Lying in the grave was the skeleton of an adult with

some of the bones missing. The individual, however, was of

some importance as attested by the character of the objects

placed in the grave with him. Upon the chest was found a large

rectangular plate of copper, thirteen inches in length, five inches

in breadth, and thinly beaten. The surface had been finely

polished, and the piece had, no doubt, been wrapped in cloth.

A small portion of the cloth still adheres to the plate. The plate

is shown in Fig. 6. Lying just beneath this plate was a white

limestone gorget, pierced with two holes, while scattered about

this were four or five snow-white shell beads, very poorly pre-

served. No other objects were found.

There was one feature about this last grave which seemed

to be somewhat unusual. Before the burial was made here, the

sides of the grave were lined with bark, and extending from the

head of the grave a carpet of this bark was laid upon the natural

surface for a distance of six feet towards the central portion of

the mound. The width of this carpet was about two and one-half

feet. Just to the left of the bark was a deposit of charcoal,

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The Ulrich Group of Mounds.             175

 

which seemed to indicate, that a fire had been in progress here

for some time. Now, the whole arrangement suggested the idea

that, perhaps, the skeleton had been brought here from its

original grave and placed upon the carpet of bark beside this

grave; while it was lying there a fire was built and some cere-

monies gone thru with before interment was made. Later the

body was lowered into the grave, the objects placed with it, and

the earth filled in.

RESUME.

A discussion dealing with the identity of the builders of

these mounds is not to be entered into here. A simple record

of facts is given. It is evident, nevertheless, that the burial

customs of the builders of these mounds did not differ very

much from those in vogue among the builders of many other

mounds found in this section of the state. In conclusion, let it

be sufficient to say, that the mounds are Pre-Columbian in age.

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

Many obstacles were encountered in carrying on this work

and a great deal of the work could not have been accomplished

without assistance. Accordingly I wish to acknowledge my in-

debtedness to the following persons:

I am especially indebted to my wife, who aided me greatly

in the field work, to my father, Dr. D. C. Mills, for aid and en-

couragement, to Curator W. C. Mills, of Columbus, for advice

and aid in the field, to Mr. W. P. Lane, of New Lebanon, for

assistance in the field, and to Mr. H. C. Shetrone, for prepara-

tion of the photographs for the cuts shown herewith.

For the many favors shown us in the field, I am indebted

to the following persons: Mr. Joseph Ulrich, Mr. Adam Gil-

bert, Mr. Arthur Bauman, Mr. Hugh Ulrich, and Mr. Walter

Worrel, all of Farmersville, Ohio.

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