Near Alto in Cherokee County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
MISSING
SEE LOCATION SECTION
Mound Prairie
Photographed By Brian Anderson, July 28, 2018
1. Mound Prairie Marker - post-refurbishment
Inscription.
Mound Prairie. . Bulging out of the earth a few yards from this point, three prehistoric Indian mounds interrupt the prevailing flat terrain. Long overgrown with grass, the mounds and adjacent village (covering about 100 acres) constitute one of the major aboriginal sites in North America. From about 500 to 1100 A.D., Caddoan Indians inhabited the village, which lay near the southwest edge of a great mound-building culture. Called ""Mississippian,"" this culture once flourished throughout the present eastern United States., Excavations during 1939-41 and 1968-69 showed two of the mounds to have had ceremonial purposes. One may have been capped with bright yellow clay and both apparently supported temples. The tallest mound (about 20 feet) revealed several major burials. , The village, surrounding the mounds but not settled before they were built, contained many round houses that probably resembled giant bee hives. Thousands of pot fragments, some pipes, charred corn cobs and nuts, and flint points were found in the area., Centuries after its abandonment by the Indians, this region was again a center of civilization when, in 1690, the first Spanish mission in East Texas was built nearby to minister to the Tejas Indians.
Bulging out of the earth a few yards from this point, three prehistoric Indian mounds interrupt the prevailing flat terrain. Long overgrown with grass, the mounds and adjacent village (covering about 100 acres) constitute one of the major aboriginal sites in North America. From about 500 to 1100 A.D., Caddoan Indians inhabited the village, which lay near the southwest edge of a great mound-building culture. Called ""Mississippian,"" this culture once flourished throughout the present eastern United States.
Excavations during 1939-41 and 1968-69 showed two of the mounds to have had ceremonial purposes. One may have been capped with bright yellow clay and both apparently supported temples. The tallest mound (about 20 feet) revealed several major burials.
The village, surrounding the mounds but not settled before they were built, contained many round houses that probably resembled giant bee hives. Thousands of pot fragments, some pipes, charred corn cobs and nuts, and flint points were found in the area.
Centuries after its abandonment by the Indians, this region was again a center of civilization when, in 1690, the first Spanish mission in East Texas was built nearby to minister to the Tejas Indians.
Erected 1970 by Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number
Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 31° 35.596′ N, 95° 9.092′ W. Marker was near Alto, Texas, in Cherokee County. Marker was on State Highway 21, 6.2 miles west of Marcus Street (U.S. 69), on the right when traveling east. Marker is located across the highway from Caddo Mounds State Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 1649 State Highway 21 West, Alto TX 75925, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Note that you can no longer climb to the top of the mound and the marker once located on top of the mound has been removed.
Photographed By Jeff Leichsenring, March 26, 2023
3. Damaged Mound Prairie Marker
Reported damaged by tornado 2/5/21
Photographed By Richard Denney
4. Caddo Mounds Panorama and Marker
Photo looking southeast
Photographed By Richard Denney
5. Panorama from the top mound
Looking northwest. Back of marker visible lower left of photo.
Photographed By Brian Anderson, July 28, 2018
6. Mound Prairie
All three mounds which make up "Mound Prairie" are visible in this photo.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2009, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. This page has been viewed 2,399 times since then and 66 times this year. Last updated on March 29, 2023, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. Photos:1, 2. submitted on August 8, 2018, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas. 3. submitted on March 29, 2023, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. 4, 5. submitted on July 28, 2009, by Richard Denney of Austin, Texas. 6. submitted on August 8, 2018, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.