A Vanished Archaeological Treasure

archaeological site

I’ve been thinking I wanted to write (without expenditure or too mucheffort) about a Lucas County archaeological site deemed worthy for the National Register of Historic Places that we now drive over on a regular basis, courtesy of the Iowa Read More …


Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail

Mormon trail Shelter

Lee County played an important part in Mormon history. The Mormon Historic Sites Foundation and the National Park Service have erected interpretive panels at historical locations throughout the county. The Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, the first of its kind Read More …


Archaeological Investigations at Rathbun Lake, Iowa

Ariel View of Rathbun Lake

This paper presents the results of an archaeological survey of nearly 7#000 acres located in the Rathbun Lake Project Area, mouth-central Iowa. Fieldwork was conducted in 1980 and 1981 by Environment Consultants, Inc. under contract from the U.S. Army Corps Read More …


Mormon Trail: Historic Bylaw Inventory Evaluation

Report Cover

The purpose of the Mormon Trail portion of the project was to research, field inventory, and evaluate those roads that represent the Mormon’s path across Iowa and clarify the the apparent and intrinsic qualities of these routes.


Mormon Pioneer: Across Iowa in 1846

Mormon Pioneer Trail sign

The Iowa portion of the trail was used relatively little, mainly by the Mormons fleeing Illinois in 1846, and by some other Mormons jumping off from Keokuk, Iowa, in 1853. It was also used in 1856-1857 by seven companies of Read More …



The Mormon Trek Across Iowa Territory

Sign Reading Mormon Trail

The Mormon migration of 1846 from Illinois to Utah constituted the greatest mass movement under a single direction in all United States history; nor did any one of the many religious colonies planted along the Atlantic seaboard probably ever attract Read More …




The Rock Creek Ossuary, Iowa

Rock Creek

Salvage operations were conducted by the Northwest Iowa Archaeological Society during June and July of 1972 at the Rock Creek Ossuary after it was learned that the site had been vandalized and was in danger of destruction. The site consisted Read More …