Box 8, Folder 2: Correspondence 1852

Jan 28 / 52

Dear Sir

I have a little time this P.M. and shall improve it but sending you a rough sketch of a group of Ancient Mounds near the other group that you have my survey of, these respective positions as I have them on the plat I presume are not exactly right as the courses and distances were applied to my field book in the field I will give you my field notes and you can use these if you please

[List of coordinates.]

from [?] to 14 " N60 W 75 " 20 [?] dia 2 1/2 ft h, thense S 4 E 1.00 & runs to 0 mound 1 1/2 = h & 15 [?] wide with Round Mounds on it The first one 38 [?] dist 2d.50 [?] 3d 40 [?] 4th 75 [?] 50th, 50 [?]. From this they are [disconstucted?] There to 15 section N 58 W. 87 [?] .50 [?] dia & 6 1/2 ft h. From thence N 70 W a continuous detached round Mounds as follows

[List of coordinates.]

Thence from 19 sta S 7 1/2° W. 63 & dist E enf of = Mound which bears N 73 W 2.50 Chs and here is broken by a space of 3 ft; thence 5.00 chs and is again proper by 6 ft space ; thense 4.00 chs to West End Thence from E end of this Mound S 68 W 4.00 chs to a mound which lies as follows. S 82 E 2.00 and runs to a point and from the same point again N 5° W .25 [?] The End of which is 15 [?] wide. From the same point again S 15 E .80 [?] the End of which is 15 [?] wide at 60 [?] it is 15 [?] wide, at the end (80 [?]) is 25 [?] wide. At the point from where

from where these courses and lists were take it is 4 1/2 h

Thence from 16th station S5 E 4.25 Chs to the East End of a = Mound 3 ft high and 25 [?] wide which bears S 79 W 4.00 Chs, thense N 49 W 1.75 Chs to the End of an irregular shaped Mound. It's position is as follows S 70° W 30[?] from the head to fore leg thence S 84 W 80 [?] to hind leg .90[?] to the End. The legs are N side and are 25 [?] long.

Thence from 28 station S 18E to the West End of a = Mound 3 ft h and 50 [?] wide bears East 1,00 From 30 station West 1.75 Chs to = mound which bears S 80 W 1.75 [?] 2 ft h 15 [?] wide From 31sta S 38 W 2.50Chs to the E end of one animal shaped mound the same as 29 sta Course of the body S 65 E 1.60 Chs to the West and tale end Legs on the S side 5 ft h From 32d sta to 33 sta N 85 W 1.15 to a similar shaped one which bears N 65 W 1.20 Chs legs on S side

From End of 32d sta S 25 E 1.75 Chs to E end of = Mound 3 ft h 25 [?] wide S 70 W 2.00 From W End of 34 sta S 18 W 1.25 Chs to a bird shaped named and from this point (in the center of the [illegible] of the Bird) N 75° E 25 [?] Thence N 70 W .65 [?] to the end which runs to a blunt point. Then from said point in the breast S 75 W 25 [?] thence N 50 W 65 [?] to a blunt point Thence from the breast N 8 W 1.00 Ch the End 30 links wide Thence from point in Breast S 10 W 40 [?] the end of which is 40 [?] wide

Thence from breast S 10 W 4.00 Chs to E edge of a point and from same point S 62 W 4.00 Chs to West Edge of [illegible] which is [illegible] circular.

I understand that there is a work on [illegible] published by or through the news of the Smithsonian Institute Is there such a work to your knowledge if there is could it by obtained by a remittance of Surveys of this kind? What it the cash price of it etc etc

What would it cost to get a Lithographed plate for this County (Sauk) on a scale of 1/2 inch to the mile

Respectfully Yours Wm. H Canfield

I A Lapham

Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. This is to Certify, That Increase A. Lapham of the County of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, is a regularly constituted member Of the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, and as such is entitles to all the privileges of a Member of said Society for the term of One year from the date of this Certificate. Madison, Wis., January 1st, 1852. Henry M. Billings President.

[Countersigned:] Albert C. Ingham Rec. Secretary.

[illegible] Jany 26th 1852

Dear Sir I received your Letter of Novr 27th in due time but at that time was just ready to leave this place for a few days-hence the delay. I shall not be able at this time to furnish you a copy of the [Sand?] Office Platt of the township requested in your letter. I have made surveys of several groups of Ancient Mounds since sending you the plat I did, but I cannot at this time copy them. I think it would be much more interesting to have a survey of all that there are in a neighborhood instead of here and there an isolated group

The valley of the Wisconsin River S. E. between the larger main bluffs and stream East of Prairie-Du-Sac for 3 or 4 miles up the river is completely filled with these works. The valley of the River here is some 2 miles wide and timbered neatly with Black Bur and White Oak - generally a light sandy soil and quite undulating, in some places hilly. There is no mounds on the prairie. I have seen none on marshy grounds. There is artificial works on the Little Baraboo in the form of garden beds - the beds 4 or 5 ft wide and the alleys 12 or 18 inches wide and about 10 inches deep I have seen several fields containing from 1 to 5 acres Yours truly Wm. H Canfield

I. A. Lapham

Smithsonian Institution Washington January 14 '52

I. A Lapham Esq

Dear Sir Mr. [illegible] has written to us to com=plain of not receiving blank forms, Directions, etc, etc, which were sent to other observers. I have written to inform them that we make no discrimination among our observers & have sent them all the documents [illegible] as we have to you & all others. The mail has failed, probably. I see in the paper you forwarded to us that a delay of two weeks to 20 days has recently occurred.

We should regret the discontinuance of Mr. D's register and hope that he will not to so until he reconsiders the matter in the light I have presented it.

We are in correspondence with your Agricultural Society relative to a system for Wisconsin, and should be very glad if the state could be districted, properly & furnished with instruments

Yours very respectfully E Foreman [illegible] S.I.