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 This
marker was placed on the campus of Drury College by the University
Club of Springfield in 1927; the location is near the tennis courts
west of Drury Lane. The text of the marker reads as follows:
"THESE MOUNDS MARK THE SITE OF PRE-HISTORIC INDIAN HOMES. THEY
ARE BELIEVED TO REPRESENT THE REMAINS OF THATCH-ROOFED CIRCULAR
ADOBE HUTS, SIMILAR TO THOSE BUILT BY THE MANDAN INDIANS. THOUSANDS
OF SIMILAR MOUNDS ARE WIDELY SCATTERED IN GROUPS THROUGHOUT
THE OZARKS, BUT ARE BEING RAPIDLY DESTROYED BY AGRICULTURAL
AGENICES. THEIR BUILDERS ANTEDATED THE OSAGES. MEAGER EVIDENCE
INDICATE A NON-WARLIKE AND AGRICULTURAL RACE. PROBABLY EFFACED
EITHER BY PESTILENCE OR BY WARLIKE ENEMY TRIBES."
ERECTED BY DRURY COLLEGE OCT. 12 1927. Mo. Hist. Rev. 22:249-50.
Jan. 1928 (Note: Date effaced by vandalism.)
A Springfield News-Leader article of June 26, 1976 suggests some
doubt as to the authenticity of the mounds, the news item reading
as follows:
"A recent archaeological investigation revealed that at least one
of the 'Indian mounds' on the Drury College campus is a natural
formation and is not manmade, field directors of the Ozark Archaeological
Survey report. At the request of Dr. Robert E. Cooley, chairman
of the Historical Sites Record of Springfield, OAS conducted excavations
on the mound just east of the tennis courts on the campus recently.
"Purpose of the test was to validate the archaeological and historical
significance of the mound prior to its destruction to make way for
construction of additional tennis courts," said Jeep Helm and Betty
Jane Turner, field directors of OAS.
"The research was part of the preliminary study to designate Drury
College as a historical district on the National Register of Historic
Places, according to the directors.
"Historical marker No. 13, placed on the campus in 1927 by the
University Club reads 'These mounds mark the site of Prehistoric
Indian homes'.
"No material could be found in the testing which would confirm
the text of the marker, the archaeologist reported. The inscription
also states that the old St. Louis road once ran diagonally through
the campus. Findings of the archaeologist show this statement to
be in error, but old Springfield maps show the road to Jefferson
City cutting through the campus, the investigation found.
"Full report of the findings were written by Mrs. Helm and Mrs.
Turner, who are survey and research associates at the Center for
Archaeological Research of Missouri State University.
"Copies have been donated to Greene County Library, Drury College
and the SMSU Library. Dr. Cooley, director of the Center at SMS,
is consultant to the project."
--Prepared by Tice Rollins
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