Dickson Mounds State Museum — Attraction in Lewistown

This poem, part of a book about the area I wrote a few years back, is reasonably accurate, but not precisely....

Dickson Mounds State Park

near Lewistown, Illinois . . .

-Not fossils . . . bones,?  said

Mr. Dickson, -and, I should know,

because I‘m a chiropractor.

Bones of old Mississippian Indians,

Left right where they were buried,

and I dug up the dirt

and left the bones there

for you to see,

mothers with their pots

and their beads

and their babies,

fathers with their bows

and flints and spearpoints,

boys and girls, too,

they are all there,

for your enjoyment,

and education.

A U.S. Dollar

isn‘t too much to ask,

for all my work,

is it??

Forty years he made a living,

but folks started thinking,

-Once you‘ve seen those bones once,

you‘ve seen them for all.? And

there weren‘t enough

grade school principals

who would let kids go, or

enough parents with a dollar now or two,

to send them off for a field trip,

to see Indian bones,

the bones of farmers, and fishermen,

of mothers and fathers and girls and boys and babies.

So, Mr. Dickson sold it to the

State of Illinois

and the State of Illinois

fixed the road and put a new

roof on the building,

put up a new sign, and

raised the prices again.

Then one day, some Potawatomies

came along, stood on the road

and asked,

-Would you be looking at those bones,

if they were your grandfather and grandmother?

Or, your little sister or brother?

Or your Aunt who died giving birth??

And, slowly, slowly, more and more people said,

-No.?

Now folks come and see the

dioramas, and pictures, and exhibits

and the bones are

covered up again, so their souls and spirits

can relax and not worry about

their nakedness,

more naked than any flesh,

the nakedness of bones.

The bones of farmers and fishermen

and fathers and mothers

and girls and...

A branch location of the Illinois State Museum. Multiple cultures lived in Illinois over 90 centuries and used this location near a major river -- this site is most closely linked archeologically to one of them and the Museum struggles to balance telling the site-specific story and at the same time put it in historical context across 9,000 years. The displays currently assume a scool-age target audience, but labels cover more for an older and more inquisitive audience. [A capital improvement, with a redesign and display refresh, is coming at some time in the next 5 years, assuming funding, so check ahead what is open.] Repatriation of human remains and grave goods have made progress (according to staff) but are not discussed in displays I saw. There are also archeological dig examples under roof and behind glass scattered on the property, but self-service interpretative signage or documents were not available at those locations.

There are other more general family-oriented services on the larger site, like picnic area, trails, and playgrounds, but not right at the main building. Wetlands restoration by another agency is in progress nearby, which will eventually enhance the site as it might have appeared before modern...

I had been wanting to go to this place and we finally made the easy 45 minute trip from Springfield Illinois what a delight as soon as I saw some reviews that weren't so in favor of the place I knew it was going to be a good place don't go in expecting to be at Disney World or let around by the hand you have to put some effort into it but the staff are super friendly and will answer all your questions you can also hike around the grounds and this place is truly awesome for the history Buffs as a state worker myself I could relate with the budget cuts lack of hiring Etc they're only five people working in this large facility and they are at the mercy of the Illinois state government so be nice to them and appreciate them. Make sure you check out the three buildings down the hill as well you'll be shocked when you go inside the more of a history buff you are the more you will like this place if you're trying to entertain your kids might not be the best but there is some cool stuff inside the museum that I saw that is for kids. Amazing...