Day 59 – at Tall Timbers Marina in Havana, IL - September 3, 2011

We spent a second night at Tall Timbers Marina because of the weather.  We are expected to see rain and thunderstorms during the day today and into tonight.  The weather system bringing the rain should be cleared out by tomorrow morning.

So we hang out on the boat and watch it rain.  Although we did have rain on and off throughout the day, we saw via weather radar on Fred’s phone that much stronger storms passed just north of us.  Between rainstorms in the afternoon, we took a quick walk to Rockwell Park and Rockwell Mound, just up the hill from the marina.  Rockwell Park is built on top of Rockwell Mound.  Rockwell Park was the site of major speeches by Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the campaign for US Senate in 1858.  Rockwell Mound is an Indian burial mound built around 150 A.D.  It is thought to be the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Illinois River Valley.  Mounds of this type were usually built over the log-covered tombs of prominent leaders.  Ceremonial and everyday items were often placed with the burials.  It has been estimated that the two acre Rockwell Mound required about 1.7 million basket loads of earth to construct.  This mound was scientifically verified in 1986 when a small test trench yielded pottery fragments and a variety of other identifiable material.  Individual basket loads of earth were clearly visible in the wall of the trench.
            Miles: 0           Bridges: 0        Locks: 0

Rockwell Mound

historical marker at Rockwell Park/Rockwell Mound