Indian Artifact Finds in Coal Creek Township--1903

     In our Local History collection, we have many books that cover the history of small towns in Montgomery County.  One interesting book is “According to the Record—Selected Articles from the New Richmond Record 1903-1904. In the October 22,1903 issue of that paper, there is an article about Indian artifacts found in Coal Creek Township, near New Richmond.

Early in the twentieth century, two men, J. Lee Allen and Winton Utterback discovered such relics as axes, arrowheads, ceremonial stones, a celt, and other items.

The ax that was found was of such immense size, that they considered that it must have been used for hewing out trees, and other heavy work. It was too big for use in battle. Pictured on the left is a celt, used to scrape animal skins. On the right is an early woodland arrowhead, similar to what may have been found here.

     State Geologist Blatchley took possession of these artifacts for further study. He proclaimed them to be some of the finest of their kind to have ever been found.

     The area where these artifacts were found was on the farm owned by Mr. Junius Allen, presumably in section 28, almost straight south of New Richmond.  In the center of this property was a small pond that may have been used by those who built the mound containing the artifacts.