Indian Mounds Park in St. Paul contains at least six ancient Native American burial mounds overlooking the Mississippi River. At one time there may have been as many as fifty earthen structures along the bluff. The oldest ones were probably created by Hopewell people over 1,000 years ago. The mounds are some of the tallest Native American mounds in Minnesota or Wisconsin. In 1856 a Presbyterian minister named Edward Duffield Neill decided decided to dig up a couple of the mounds. Some of the mounds were built around log tombs, grave goods included mussel shells, stone knives, bear teeth, arrow heads, pottery and copper ornaments. While 19th century amateur archaeologists, plundered and destroyed most of the sites mounds, the city of St. Paul began considering options for preserving the open acreage along the top of the bluff. Once the city fathers had assembled enough land for a park they removed 11 mounds to enhance the landscaping and improve the view. At the turn of the century the park was expanded to over eighty acres. In 1916 a Prairie-style, brick pavilion designed by Charles H. Hausler was completed. The commodious and well designed building serves the public as a refreshment stand, a concert pavilion and comfort station.
