Near Hancock in Waushara County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Whistler Mound Group and Enclosure

Photographed by Keith L, April 18, 2009

1. Whistler Mound Group and Enclosure Marker

Inscription. The Whistler Mound Group and Enclosure originally consisted of 70 conical or round burial mounds and a low, earthen double enclosure. The site has never been scientifically investigated so the exact date of construction is unknown. Archaeologists, however, believe that these mounds were constructed during the late period of mound building circa 650~1200 A.D.

Enclosures, like the one in the Whistler Mound Group, were once found throughout the northeastern United States. The functions of these structures is not known, but it is surmised that they define "sacred space" where special ceremonies were conducted. The Whistler enclosure is one of the few in Wisconsin to have escaped destruction by modern development.

Tragically, most mounds in Wisconsin have been destroyed. The remnants of the Whistler Mound Group and Enclosure are now protected by Wisconsin's burial law. The site was also listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Erected 2000 by the Wisconsin Historical Society. (Marker Number 457.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Indigenous Peoples and Communities

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. In addition, it is included in the Wisconsin Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 650 CE.

Location. 44° 7.655′ N, 89° 30.098′ W. Marker is near Hancock, Wisconsin, in Waushara County. It can be reached from the intersection of 6th Avenue and Beechnut Drive, on the left when traveling south. Marker is by the entrance to Whistler Mounds Park at Fish Lake. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: N4140 6th Avenue, Hancock WI 54943, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern Wisconsin. It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Sacred to the Memory of the Soldiers (approx. 2.2 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 5.7 miles away); Sir Henry Soloman Wellcome (approx. 9.2 miles away); Almond Veterans Memorial (approx. 10.4 miles away); Korean War (approx. 12.3 miles away); Footprints in the Sands of Time (approx. 12.3 miles away).

Photographed by Keith L, April 18, 2009

2. Whistler Mound Group and Enclosure Marker

Whistler Mound Group and Enclosure image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Keith L, April 18, 2009

3. Whistler Mound Group and Enclosure

In the foreground is a map of the Whistler Mound Group and Enclosure. The white line is the walking trail around the enclosure and between the mounds.

Whistler Mound Group and Enclosure Information image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Keith L, April 18, 2009

4. Whistler Mound Group and Enclosure Information

Photographed by Keith L, April 18, 2009

5. Whistler Mound Group and Enclosure

Whistler Mounds Park Sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Keith L, April 18, 2009

6. Whistler Mounds Park Sign

Credits. This page was last revised on December 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 23, 2009, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 2,622 times since then and 110 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 23, 2009, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.