Box 6, Folder 6: Lapham Centenary, 1911

Addresses Delivered at the Lapham Centennial Celebration held by the Wisconsin Archaeological Society, at Milwaukee, Wis., March 7. 1911

Donor, The Wis. Archaeological Society

Dr. Increase A. Lapham By Charles E. Brown It was in the field of Am. archaeo. research that Dr. Increase A. Lapham may be said to have achieved his greatest success.

From his letters and from other sources of information we learn that he became interested in antiquities while a resident of the State of Ohio.

In 1836, (being then 25 years of age) he came from Columbus and established himself at Milwaukee.

Here in his profession of civil engineer his services his services found ready employment in laying out streets and lots in the new city.

During the course of this work he noticed the peculiar earthen elevations which he quickly recognized as aboriginal mortuary and emblematic monuments.

Such works were very numerous about Milwaukee

in that early day. They were found in groups or series upon nearly every prominent point of land over looking the Milwaukee, Menomenee and Kinnickinnic river valleys.

Of these he immediately began to make careful surveys. The first group thus surveyed was located in the vicinity of the recently dedicated Lapham public park. this was in 1836. Other groups were platted between that time and 1852. Exhibit

During the first year of his Milwaukee residence, he published in the Milwaukee Advertizer, his first description of an effigy or animal shaped mound.

This mound was one of the so called Turtle-type and was located at Prairieville, near Waukesha.

In his :Wisconsin", which has the distinction of being the first book printed in Milwaukee, being published

in 1844, he devoted several pages to Wisconsin antiquities, especially those at Aztalan, in Jefferson County.

In the years following, he published papers, articles and notes upon the remarkable Indian antiquities of the state of his adoption.

These appeared in the scientific journals, newspapers and other printed matter of his day. some were widely copied.

On Jan. 16, 1852 he delivered for the benefit of the Young Men's Association, at the Free Congregational Church at Milwaukee, an illustrated lecture on "Wis. Antiquities". Ex.

At this time Lapham's archaeological work had attracted the interest of the American Antiquarian Society of Worchester, Mass, which very generously offered to bear the expenses of an archaeo survey. Ex. 1,2,3,4

The result of these investigations was Lapham's very valuable work "The Antiquities of Wisconsin", a book of about 100 pages of text, and finely illustrated with 55 full page plates and 60 figures.

It was published in 1855, as a Smithsonian Contribution to Knowledge.

When this classic work made its appearance it attracted the attention of antiquarians both at home and abroad, and in the succeeding years done more to make his name familiar in scientific circles than any of his many other achievements.

In his introduction to his work. Prof. Joseph Henry, then secretary of the Smithsonian Institution pays the following tribute to Lapham's interest in and devotion to his work: