Nitschke Mounds County Park
(Nitschke Group)
Located in the Dodge County park, this group is considered one of the finest examples of the effigy mounds remaining in Wisconsin.
The group seems to have been abandoned and neglected until acquired by the county in 2003. Since that time, thanks to mostly
volunteer effort, the mounds are on the way to recovery and restoration. One can clearly see the work in progress around the site - tree
and brush removal, creating wood-chipped paths lined with small logs, seeding the mounds and installation of interpretive signage
(you can also see some temporary signs being replaced with better permanent ones). A lot remains to be done here, but the site is
striking contrast to those placed on the National Register of Historic Places and then abandoned and allowed to rot away - it's always
nice to see local interest and involvement where different non-profits, including Friends of Dodge County Parks, Horicon Boy Scouts
and Beaver Dam Charter School, take stewardship and restore and maintain the site.
Originally, this group believed to contain around 100 mounds. During the mapping of this group in 1927, archeologist W.C McKern identified 62 mounds, of which all 16 south of HWY E and 7 north of HWY E were later lost to cultivation. At present, the site is
believed to have 39 effigy, linear and conical mounds. The site also has Indian Garden Beds and believed to have hosted a native
village - a common occurrence on sites like this featuring springs, which, apart from being a source of fresh water, were considered
sacred by Native Americans. Walking down the park trails, one can rest and reflect on any of the strategically positioned wooden
benches. You can read more about the park and the mounds and find bigger version of the map below at:
