Arboretum Mounds

(Charles E.Brown Group, Arboretum Woods Group, Gallistel Woods Group, Vilas Group)

National Register of Historic Places

 

    There are three groups of mounds in the Arboretum. One, located in the Wingra Woods just north of McCaffrey Drive, is overlooking

several springs flowing into Lake Wingra (springs were very important natural features in the worldview of Native Americans).

This group consists of 6 linear, 4 conical, 1 bird and 1 panther mound (see above).

  Across the drive from the first one, in the Gallistel Woods, another group consists of 2 linear and 1 panther mound (below).

  The third group is located in the Lost City Forest part of the Arboretum and currently is inaccessible to public due to heavy undergrowth

and shrubbery covering the entire section of the woods. The group has three linear mounds, some of them reportedly partially

destroyed. There is also a panther and a turtle on private property in the residential area inside the Arboretum.

  While two major groups in the Arboretum are in more or less good condition, with pedestrian trails bypassing them and undergrowth

and debris being removed from the mounds from time to time, I was still underwhelmed. I think the entity like Arboretum, putting

lots of emphasis on the educational aspect of preservation and history, and considering that these mounds are on the National Register

of Historic Places, could do a better job of marking the mounds and putting the description tablets next to them like many state and

local parks do. The bigger yet problem is large trees growing over the mounds. Those trees are just one severe storm away from being uprooted and taking part of the fabric of the mounds with them.

  There is a bit of confusion over the names of the above groups. Gallistel Woods mounds are appropriately called Gallistel Woods

Mound Group, while mounds in Wingra Woods are called Arboretum Woods Mound Group. Both groups are sometimes referred to as

Charles E.Brown Mounds. The third group in the Lost City Forest is sometimes called Vilas Mound Group (not to be confused with

Vilas Park Mounds or Vilas Circle Mound). I don't know the name of the mounds on private property.

Approximately twice a year Arboretum gives tours of its mound groups. Look for newspaper announcements like the one below.