Box 6, Folder 8: Delaplaine Address

Read at meeting of Archaeological Section Wisc. Nat. Soc. Feb 20 1903

Genl. Geo. P. Delaplaine Born Phila - September 1814 Died Madison, Wis April 1895

On account of their appreciative interest it is a great pleasure to bring to the notice of the members of this society the efforts made by men who in an early day endeavored to preserve the records left by the prehistoric people in our state, and I have chosen for this evening's sketch Genl. Geo. P. Delaplaine of Madison. As Mr. Delaplaine came to Milwaukee in 1835 with Captain Garrett Vliet U.S. Engineer and assisted in dividing into sections the government land...

...where Milwaukee now stands. We may well claim him as an old settler of Milwaukee. In 1837 he was associated with Solomon Juneau in the American Fur Company and in 1838 went to Madison, making that city his home until the time of his death in 1895. In 1858 an accidental meeting and conversation with the Hon. Thomas Eubank, then the U.S. Commissioner of Patents, on a train in New York was the means of changing Mr. Delaplaine's interest in the archaeology of Wisconsin from one of idle curiosity to one of earnest activity. During their conversation Mr. Delaplaine mentioned the unusually fine mounds on his land a short...

...distance west of Madison - Mr. Erobank was greatly interested and repeated the description given at a meeting of the American Ethnological Society, N.Y. and after some interesting discussion the secretary was directed to request the attendance of Mr. Delaplaine at a special meeting to be called for the purpose of hearing a statement from him relating to the mounds of Wisconsin. To quote his own words, 'I was happily called home and thereby saved the chagrin of disclosing to those learned [lovers?] in science my almost utter ignorance of the subject.' On his return from this trip...

...Mr. Delaplaine began a thorough study of the mounds and it has been said "it would be fortunate if other landed proprietors would follow the good example of Mr. Delaplaine" and preserve an accurate record of all mounds on their lands, especially when, for any reason, it was necessary to destroy them. Many very interesting animal effigies had even in those early days been destroyed by the plow. Mr. Delaplaine thought the state should cause an archaeological survey to be made or at least take some action to secure the preservation of mounds found on the grounds surrounding public institutions. He wrote to Dr. Lapham, "Gov. Randall...

...[who I think has a good share of brains] can surely see the importance of the subject. Let him refer a communication from you with a special message to the legislature." Nothing was done at the time. It was decided to await the result of an appeal that Dr. Lapham had made to the State Historical Society to issue a circular to each county survey or asking his aid in preserving a record of all mounds found in his county. Dividing the waters of Lake Monona from those of Lake Wingra is a narrow gravelly ridge about 75 ft elevation. Along its crest in 1859 there was a series...