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Archaeologists estimate that there was once were more than 10,000 Native
American burial mounds in Illinois. Native Americans from the Woodland
Period (1,000 B.C. - 1,000 A.D.) often marked locations of graves by
covering them with a mound of earth. These mounds were commonly located
on the crest of a bluff overlooking a valley. Today probably fewer than
500 remain, and most are damaged because of illicit excavation. Thanks
in part to the citizens of Quincy, Indian Mounds Park is one of the few
public places in the state where visitors can reflect on the sacred
Native American tradition of burials. Eight, and perhaps more, burial
mounds are preserved here.
In
1894, E. J. Park, president of the Quincy Boulevard and Park
Association, encouraged the city council to purchase the rugged bluff
land comprising the west portion of what is now Indian Mounds Park.
Following a petition drive calling for the preservation of the Indian
Mounds, the city council purchased 10 acres in 1897. Purchases of land
continued until I906 until the park encompassed its present day 37
acres. Renowned landscape architect O.C. Simonds of Chicago designed and
managed construction of the park.
0ver
the years, many people drowned while swimming in the Mississippi River,
fostering discussions about the need for a community pool. In 1924 the
city opened the first Indian Mounds Pool, called the Plunge. In I965, a
new Olympic-size pool was constructed in the footprint of the old pool.
After 30 years of use this pool developed maintenance problems and the
Quincy Park Board voted in 2002 to build a third pool. The third Indian
Mounds Pool opened in 2003. The pool is heated and features waterslides,
rain drop and floor geysers, diving boards, a food court, a sand
volleyball court, and a beach-like slope helpful to small swimmers,
seniors, and those with disabilities.
The
replacement of an existing swimming pool prompted the citizens of Quincy
to again draw attention to the Native American heritage of the park.
Today visitors can take a self-guided tour through the park and
respectfully view the eight remaining mounds. The tour includes eight
wayside exhibits that introduce the history of the people who built the
mounds. Nearby are a modern statue of a Native American girl, a stained
glass window titled “Sunset in Indian Mounds Park” above the door of the
bathhouse, and a border of blocks that portray stenciled designs of
artifacts found in the area.
Visiting Indian Mounds Park
Visiting Hours
Open daily Sunrise - Sunset
The swimming pool is open
seasonally
There is no fee to visit Indian Mounds Park. Admission is
charged to use the pool.
Location:
Indian Mounds Park is located on S. 5th Street at
the intersection of Harrison Street.
 Learn more about the
Quincy
area.
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