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191-4: Accounts of Giants in US Newspapers (Part4)
This will be in four parts.
Pre- 1870
1870 - 1890
1891 - 1910
1911- 1922
Those that come from primary sources are marked with a star (*)
When people refer to the Smithsonian as covering up stories of large bones, removing them, and hiding them - that is based solely on the belief that all these newspaper reports are true. If assumed true, the fact no one is revealing these bones proves there is a coverup (in their mind at least). That is the argument of those who don't believe such bones exist - and that logic is very sound. However, ee know tall skeletons exist for we have a femur shaft of an 8'2" male individual but without a full skelton it means nothing.
Nothing now seems to exists, except our bone. Even the one in the creation museum is not real. It's a reconstruction based on verbal account of what someone is supposed to have found. Where is the original then?
Below are the balance of the old newspaper reports.
1911-1920
BELVIDERE DAILY REPUBLICAN, APRIL 12, 1911 FIND INDIAN RELICS NEAR LAKE DELAVAN Fourteen Are Unearthed Beneath Knoll Where Chicagoans Camp. Lake Delavan, Wisconsin – Out of a knoll that for years has formed the playground of thousands of Chicago people during the summer months, Phillips Bros., owners of Lake Lawn farm, have just dug fourteen human skeletons, and the probability is that still other finds will be unearthed. For years it has been suspected that the big mound on which several Chicago church choirs have been accustomed to camp, one after another, in different years, contained rich Indian relics, but no one seemed to make a move toward exploration. As the result of an argument as to what was hidden in the mound, the owners of the place dug down eight feet and raked out skeletons which are probably the largest specimens of the red race found in southern Wisconsin. Two of the skeletons were found in a sitting posture. All were buried in a stone-floored and walled pit, over which a solid clay slab had been placed. The skeletons have been preserved intact and will go to the state museum at Madison. Walworth county has a very large number of the mounds, some of them having been explored, with the result that only a few relics, most of them crude weapons, were found.
OAKLAND TRIBUNE, JULY 25, 1911 BONES OF SEVEN FOOT CALIFORNIAN GIANT FOUND IN SOUTH Ethnologists will be interested in a discovery made by Assistant Curator William Altmann of Golden Gate Park Memorial Museum—namely, the fact hitherto denied that the Digger Indians of California were acquainted with at least the rudiments of pottery making. “Until now, no pottery of Digger Indian manufacture has ever been found,” says Altmann, and therefore he highly values the find he made in an Indian Burial Mound at Concord, in Contra Costa County. From an excavation made by workmen in the employ of the Port Costa Water Company has been found a large number of Indian relics of great age, including the specimens of crude pottery already mentioned and the skeleton of an Indian giant more than seven feet tall. The skeleton is in the possession of Dr. Neff of Concord, who is mounting it for exhibition. The pottery specimens consist of charm stones of baked clay of spindle shape and pierced so that they may be suspended from the neck by cords. In addition, there are a large number of knives and arrowheads of obsidian or volcanic glass, which is extremely rare in this part of the state, and leads to the belief they were brought down by the Shasta or Modoc Indians and traded for other things with the Diggers of Contra Costa. A striking peculiarity about these arrowheads is their shape and pattern. They are notched in a very painstaking way with jagged division and resemble very much some of the weapons Filipino warriors use. A stone mortar and several phallic pestles carved with considerable skill and precision, stone sinkers for fishing, and artistic pipes made of soapstone, together with a quantity of wampum, are among the souvenirs secured by Assistant Curator Altmann, the donor being Joseph Hittman of Concord. The mound from which these relics were taken is close to the railroad depot at Concord. The work of excavation is still going on and more interesting finds are looked for.
ARIZONA JOURNAL-MINER, OCTOBER 13, 1911 RANCHER REFUSES TO SELL SKELETON OF GIANT Peter Marx of Walnut Creek, discoverer of a prehistoric human giant on his farm several weeks ago, while in the city yesterday, stated that the curiosity is attracting such deep interest in scientific circles that he is almost delayed with his letters and during the past two weeks he has been visited by Mr. and Mrs. Shoup, the former an attaché of the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, who made the long journey for the express purpose of viewing the frame of the giant of other days. Mr. Shoup was provided with photographic instruments and took several pictures. Mr. Shoup, of the Smithsonian, also desired to take it (the giant skeleton) back to Washington, but this request was held up by Mr. Marx stating that as the subject was found in the territory it should be kept there. Mr. Shoup was very much interested in those portions of the human frame that were unusually large, particularly the skull, which indicated that the giant was of such abnormal size as to be beyond comprehension as that of a human being. Mr. Marx has uncovered another burying ground near the point where the skeleton was found. IRRIGATION DITCHES ARE A SIGN OF ANCIENT HIGH INTELLIGENCE An old irrigating ditch has also been partly recovered, and it is Mr. Shoup’s (of the Smithsonian) belief that the place was intelligently cultivated in some past age by an industrious people. Mr. Marx has uncovered many implements, some of which are unique in construction and for what purposes they were utilized is problematical.
BISMARCK TRIBUNE, MAY 3, 1912 FREAK BODIES FOUND BURIED Queer Skeletons May Be Those of Unknown Race in Wisconsin By Associated Press. MADISON, Wis., May 3.—The discovery of several peculiar skeletons while excavating a mound at Lake Delavan this week, may prove that heretofore an unknown race of men once inhabited southern Wisconsin. According to Maurice Morrissey, an attorney at Delavan, the heads of the skeletons are much larger than any race which inhabits America today, and slope directly backward from over the eyebrows while the nasal bones protrude far above the cheek bones. The skeletons are imbedded in charcoal and covered with a layer of baked clay to shed water from the sepulcher.
WICHITA BEACON, MAY 3, 1912 MAYBE THEY “STOOD PAT” Evidences of Non-Progressive Race Have Been Dug Up in Governor La Follette’s State. Madison, Wis., May 3.—Examination of skeletons discovered in Mounds at Lake Delavan and Lake Lawn farm was declared today to indicate that a hitherto unknown race of men inhabited Southern Wisonsin ages ago. Information of the characteristics of the skeletons was brought to Madison today by Attorney Maurice Morissey of Delavan and Chas. E. Brown, curator of the state historical museum, will make a further investigation. The heads are much smaller than those of any people which inhabit America today. From directly over the eye sockets, however, the head slopes straight back and the nasal bones protrude far above the cheek bones. The jaw bones are long and pointed resembling those of an ape. Skeletons supposed to be those of women had smaller heads, which were similar in facial characteristics. The skeletons are embedded in charcoal from four to ten feet deep and covered over with layers of baked clay designed, it is believed, to shed water from the sepulchre.
* NEW YORK TIMES, MAY 4, 1912 STRANGE SKELETONS FOUND INDICATIONS THAT TRIBE HITHERTO UNKNOWN ONCE LIVED IN WISCONSIN MADISON, Wis.. May 3.—The discovery of several skeletons of human beings while excavating a mound at Lake Delavan indicates that a heretofore unknown race of men once inhabited Southern Wisconsin. Information of the discovery was brought to Madison today by Maurice Morrisey, of Delavan, who came here to attend a a meeting of the Republican State Central committee. Curator Charles E. Brown of the State Historical Museum will investigate the discoveries within a few days. Upon opening one large mound at Lake Lawn farm, eighteen skeletons were discovered by the Phillips Brothers. The heads, presumably those of men, are much larger than the heads of any race which inhabit America today. From directly over the eye sockets, the head slopes straight back and the nasal bones protrude far above the cheek bones. The jaw bones are long and pointed, bearing a minute resemblance to the head of a monkey. The teeth in the from of the jaw are regular molars. There were found in the mounds the skeletons, presumably of women, which had smaller heads, but were similar in facial characteristics. The skeletons were embedded in charcoal and covered over with layers of baked clay to shed the water from the sepulchre.
INDIANAPOLIS NEWS, MAY 4, 1912 SKELETONS OF STRANGE RACE FOUND IN MOUND IMBEDDED IN CHARCOAL IN SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. RESEMBLANCE TO MONKEY MADISON, Wis., May 3.—The discovery of several unusual skeletons of human beings, while excavating a mound at Lake Delavan this week, is of great scientific interest, and may prove that a heretofore unknown race once inhabited southern Wisconsin. Information of the finds was brought to Madison today by attorney Maurice Morrissey, of Delavan. Curator Charles E. Brown, of the state historical museum, will make an investigation. On opening one large mound last fall eighteen skeletons were discovered. Little attention was given the bones, which soon crumbled. When another mound was opened a few days ago, however, the excavators were impressed by the peculiar cranial characteristics. Heads Are Much Larger. The heads, presumably those of men, are very much larger than those of present day men. From directly over the eye sockets, the head slopes straight back and the nasal bones protrude far above the cheek bones. The jaw bones are long and pointed and bear close resemblance to those of the monkey. The teeth in the front of the jaw resemble the molars in the mouths of persons today. The skeletons were embedded in charcoal and covered with layers of baked clay to shed water from the sepulcher. They were found from four to ten feet below the surface.
ALTON EVENING TELEGRAPH, MAY 4, 1912 BONES OF OLD RACE FOUND. Skeletons Discovered in Wisconsin Are Larger Than Present Men. Madison, Wis., May 3. – Examination of a score of skeletons discovered in mounds at Lake Delavan and Lake Lawn Farm was declared today to indicate that a hitherto unknown race of men inhabited Southern Wisconsin ages ago. Information of the characteristics of the skeletons was brought to Madison today by Attorney Maurice Morrissey, of Delavan, and Charles E. Brown, curator of the State Historical Museum, will make a further investigation. The heads are very much larger than those of any people which inhabit America today. From directly over the eye sockets, however, the head slopes straight back and the nasal bones protrude far above the cheek bones. The jaw bones are long and pointed, resembling those of an ape. Skeletons supposed to be those of women had smaller heads, which were similar in facial characteristics. The skeletons are embedded in charcoal from 4 to 10 feet deep and covered over with layers of baked clay, designed, it is believed, to shed water from the sepulcher. Note: Various versions of this story ran in newspapers across the country.
MORNING OREGONIAN, MAY 11, 1912 BONES OF PRIMITIVE MAN ARE REVEALED Prehistoric Skeleton is Found at Ellensburg. 2 ROWS OF TEETH IN UPPER JAW Fossils Countless Ages Old Are Well Preserved. Height 6 FEET 8 INCHES Scientist Visits Place Where Builders Unearth Scientific Lore and Says It Is of Earliest Clans. ELLENSBURG, Wash., May 10.—(Special)—A skeleton of a primitive man, with forehead sloping directly back from the eyes and with two rows of teeth in the front of his upper jaw, was uncovered here when contractors were excavating for an apartment-house on Craigs Hill today. The hill is of the hogback formation and the excavation was made on the side hill about 20 feet below the surface and about 20 feet back from the face of the slope. The skeleton was found in the cement rock formation, over which was a layer of shale rock. The rock was perfectly dry and doctors say that the skeleton could have remained in that formation hundreds of years without rotting. The jaw bone, which broke apart when removed, is so large that it will go around the face of the man of today. The other bones are also much larger than that of ordinary men. The femur bone is 20 inches long, which, according to scientific men, would indicate that the man was 80 inches tall, or approximately six feet eight inches. Scientist Examines Spot. Dr. J. P. Munson, Ph.D., M.S., professor of biological sciences in the State Normal School, and who lectured before the International Biological Congress in Austria last Summer, visited the spot this afternoon, and, after examining the bones, pronounced them to be those of a primitive man. The teeth in front are rounded down and the jaw bone, which, Dr. Munson states, is due to eating of uncooked foods and the crushing of hard substances. The sloping skull, he says, shows an extremely low order of intelligence, far earlier than that of the Indians known to the white settler. The skeleton, perfectly preserved, was exposed when a blast of dynamite loosened the cement rock so that when M. E. Root, who is employed by Mr. Belch, again approached the hillside he say, gleaming from the rock, a skull. No effort was made to molest the remainder of the skeleton till later in the afternoon, when the small son of Contractor Belch was told by his father of the discovery. With the aid of a pick the boy uncovered a perfect skeleton. Citizens Are Interested. Craigs Hill, which runs along the eastern edge of the city, is supposed to be of glacial formation, although some believe that the hill is a delta of a river which flowed from the Nanum Canyon across the valley into Yakima Canyon countless ages ago. The removal of a heap of debris is anxiously awaited by a number of people, as it is expected that more bones and perhaps trinkets will be uncovered. The thigh bones are on exhibition at the Record office, together with a jaw bone of unusual size.
KANSAS CITY STAR, MAY 11, 1912 FIND BONES OF ANCIENT MEN. Prehistoric People of Washington Had Practically No Forehead. ELLENSBURG, WASH, May 11.—Skeletons believed to be those of prehistoric people, were found today in a deep hill excavation. The skulls showed practically no forehead, sloping sharply back from the eye sockets. One skull contained a complete double row of teeth in the upper jaw. One of the skeletons was six feet eight inches in height. The hill is being explored for other skeletons.
DAILY CAPITOL JOURNAL, MAY 11, 1912 (UNTITLED NOTICE) The skeleton of a prehistorical man has been found near Ellensburg. The upper jaw had two rows of teeth, which shows reckless extravagance, as one row was no account with no teeth opposite them.
TACOMA TIMES, MAY 11, 1912 PREHISTORIC MAN’S SKELETON EXCAVATED IN ELLENSBURG ELLENSBURG, May 11. –What Dr. J. P. Munson, professor of biological sciences in the State Normal school, pronounces the skeleton of a primitive man was found here today by workmen excavating for an apartment house. The skeleton is that of a man about six feet eight inches tall. The forehead slopes directly back from the eyes. The jaw bone is so large it would go around the face of a man today, and the other bones are proportionately large. Dr. Munson says the skull indicates the primitive man to have been of a far lower type of intelligence than the earliest known Indians.
EVENING STANDARD, MAY 11, 1912 FIND PRE-HISTORIC SKELETONS. Ellensburg, Wash., May 11.–Skeletons believed to be those of pre-historic people were found today in a deep hill excavation. The skulls showed practically no forehead, sloping sharply back from the eyesockets. One skull contained a complete double row of teeth in the upper jaw. One of the skeletons was six feet eight inches in height. The hill is being explored for other skeletons.
SAN FRANCISCO CALL, MAY 11, 1912 PREHISTORIC SKELETONS FOUND IN WASHINGTON ELLENSBURG, Wash., May 10.—Skeletons believed to be those of prehistoric people were found today in an excavation at Craig’s hill 20 feet below the surface. The skulls showed no forehead, sloping sharply back from the eye sockets. One skull contained a complete row of teeth in the upper jaw. One of the skeletons was 6 feet 8 inches in height. The hill is being explored for other skeletons.
MORNING OLYMPIAN, MAY 12, 1912 (UNTITLED NOTICE) At Ellensburg they have unearthed a primeval man skeleton with two rows of teeth. What an opportunity for the old time dentists.
YAKIMA HERALD, MAY 15, 1912 FIND GIANT BONES IN GLACIAL DRIFT Dynamiting for Excavations at Ellensburg Workman Find Skeleton of Primitive Man ELLENSBURG, May 11.—The bones of a primitive man were unearthed Thursday by Edward C. Belch, a contractor, who is making excavations for a 24-room apartment house on the site. The bones were found buried 20 feet beneath the surface of Craig’s Hill. The skeletons, perfectly preserved, were exposed when a blast of dynamite loosened the cement rock, so that when M. E. Root who is employed by Mr. Belch again approached the hillside, he saw a skull gleaming from the hillside. No effort was made to molest the balance of the skeleton till later in the afternoon, when the small son of contractor Belch was told by his father of the discovery, when with the aid of a pick he uncovered the perfect skeleton. This was taken to the school this morning, where the teachers quickly decided that the shape of the skull was that of a primitive man. J. P. Munson, Ph. D., professor of biological sciences in the state normal school, was told of the discovery this noon, and went to see the site. While there he unearthed a skull, which was broken by the pick. Mr. Munson stated that every indication pointed to the fact that the skull was that of an Indian of a low degree of intelligence, as the forehead was sloping, and the teeth of peculiar formation. The front teeth were worn off down to the jawbone, the result, as Professor Munson stated of eating uncooked foods, as was the habit of primitive people. He could not estimate the length of time that the bones had been in the ground, but as the cement rock in which they were buried was perfectly dry, and beneath a strata of shale rock, conservative estimates place the age of the bones at many hundreds of years. Craig’s Hill, which runs along the eastern edge of the city, is supposed to be of glacial formation, although some believe that the hill is formed by a delta of a river which flowed from the Nanum Canyon countless ages ago. The skeletons were found 20 feet beneath the surface of the hill, the graves apparently having been tunneled into the hillside. The femur of the largest skeleton is nearly 20 inches long. This, according to Dr. B. J. Moss, would indicate that the man was 80 inches tall, or 6 feet 8 inches, as the man’s height is ordinarily four times that of the length of the femur bone. One of the skulls was unusually large, and in the upper jaw has two complete and distinct rows of teeth in front, each set being perfectly formed. This was regarded as decidedly unusual by the normal school professor, who examined the skull closely. He did not regard the two rows of teeth as a racial attribute, but rather as a freak of nature. The removal of the head of debris is anxiously awaited by a number of people as it is expected that more bones and perhaps trinkets will be uncovered.
NEWPORT MINER, MAY 16, 1912 OLD SKELETON IS FOUND Bones of Primitive Man Are Found at Ellensburg. Ellensburg.—A skeleton of a primitive man, with forehead sloping directly back from the eyes and with two rows of teeth in the front of his upper jaw, was uncovered here when contractors were excavating for an apartment house. The skeleton was found in the cement rock formation, over which was a layer of shale rock. The rock was perfectly dry and doctors say that the skeleton could have remained in that formation hundreds of years without rotting. The jaw bone, which broke apart when removed, is so large that it will go around the face of the man of today. The other bones are also much larger than that of ordinary men. The femur bone is 20 inches long, which, according to scientific men, would indicate the man was 80 inches tall, or approximately six feet and eight inches.
ELLENSBURG DAWN, MAY 16, 1912 BELCH UNEARTHS A LARGE SKELETON Edward Belch, who has been excavating on East Third street on the side of Craig’s Hill for the past two months for a large apartment house, unearthed last Friday a large skeleton fully twenty feet below the surface in a rock formation, over which was a layer of shale rock perfectly dry, and it is generally believed that it could have remained in that formation for ages without being entirely decomposed or lost. The bones are exceedingly large, in fact the jaw bone is large enough to goround the face of an ordinary man of to-day. In fact all the bones are much larger than those of the ordinary man of this age or any other age of which we know. The femur is twenty inches long, which indicates that it was the skeleton of man fully six feet and eight inches tall—a giant. Dr. J. P. Munson, who is professor of biological science in the normal school, after examining the bones pronounced them those of a primitive man. The teeth in front are rounded and worn flat, almost down to the jawbone, which Dr. Munson states is due to eating uncooked foods and the crushing of hard substances with the teeth. The sloping skull, he says, shows an extremely low order of intelligence, far earlier than that of the Indians known to the white settlers. The head slopes directly back from the eye sockets and the upper jaw contains a double row of teeth in front. Everything would indicate that at one time it was the skeleton of a powerful man. No living person knows anything about how the skeleton came there. Some profess to believe it was caught in a flood that at one time washed the sand gravel and dirt that created Craig’s Hill, while others think that the tribe dug into the hill and made the tomb purposely for the body. The skeleton of which Mr. Belch has unearthed, the find being as much of a mystery and surprise to him as anyone else.
EVENING HERALD, MAY 17, 1912 OLD TIMER MUST HAVE BEEN A BIG FELLOW Skeleton Discovered at Ellensburg Indicates the Original Must Have Measured Eight Feet—Is Regarded as of Great Value PORTLAND, May 17.—“That discovery of the bones of a human giant at Ellensburg is one of the most interesting anthropological finds made in the Northwest,” said Chief of the General Land Office Field Division L. L. Sharp. “I just returned from Ellensburg, where I had an opportunity to view the bones. The skull jawbone, thigh and other parts of the largest skeleton indicated a man to my mind at least eight feet high. A man of his stature and massive frame would weigh fully 300 pounds at the least.” The head is one of the most remarkable I have ever studied among prehistoric skulls. It is massive, with enormous brain space. While the forehead slopes somewhat, not averaging the abrupt eminence of our present race, the width between the ears the deep, well rounded space at the back of the head are convincing testimony of high intelligence for a primitive man. The cheek bones are not high, like those of the Indian, nor has the head any resemblance to the Indian skull. I am convinced that this skull is of a prehistoric man who was one of a remarkable race of people who inhabited this part of America some time prior to the Indian control. The spot where the bones were uncovered is fully twenty feet beneath the surface. There is the usual gravel formation on top, then the conglomerate, a strata of shale and in a bed of concrete gravel beneath the shale were the bones of this giant and of a smaller person. The shale would indicate tremendous age, perhaps more than 1,000,000 years, for the deposit in which the skeleton was found. But this I deem impossible, and presume that the bones were put beneath the shale by means of a tunnel, perhaps, or some other system of interment. I cannot think it possible that a human being of the advanced stage indicated by this great skull could have existed at the period when the shale was formed. “The jaw is remarkable, and contains many teeth, chief among which are the massive grinders. These are worn down, probably from the habit of the man eating nuts, grasses and other food in a rough state. The strength of the jaw is very apparent. Both skeletons found are incomplete. The head of the smaller is badly broken. Not a very clear idea of height can be gained, but the thigh bone, if not disproportioned, indicates far greater height than that of the present race of man.” In the valley where Ellensburg is situated, the sedimentary formation is very deep, at some places exceeding 1,000 feet.
MILWAUKEE SENTINEL, JUNE 8, 1912 PRIMITIVE MAN A GIANT From the Seattle Post-Intelligence. Eleven skeletons of primitive men, with foreheads sloping directly back from the eyes, and with two rows of teeth in the front of the upper jaw, have been uncovered in Craigshill, at Ellensburg, this state. They were found about twenty feet below the surface, twenty feet back from the face of the slope, in a cement rock formation over which was a layer of shale. The rock was perfectly dry. The jaw bones, which easily break, are so large that they will go around the face of the man of today. The other bones are also much larger than those of the ordinary man. The femur is twenty inches long, indicating, scientists say, a man eighty inches tall. J. P. Munson, professor of biology in the state normal school, who lectured before the International biological college in Austria last summer, visited the spot and pronounced them the bones of a primitive man. The teeth in front are worn almost down to the jaw bones, due, Dr. Munson says, to eating uncooked foods and crushing hard substances with the teeth. The sloping skull, he says, shows an extremely low order of intelligence, far earlier than that of the Indians known to the whites. [Note: This version of the article was widely reprinted over the following months--J.C.]
OAKLAND TRIBUNE, JUNE 10, 1912 BEST-PRESERVED SKELETON OF EXTINCT TRIBE HAULED FROM CHANNEL Up to about three hundred years ago, a giant race inhabited the coastal regions of California. Remains of these people have been discovered in the islands of the Santa Barbara Channel. To William Altmann, assistant curator of the Golden Gate Park Memorial Museum, belongs the honor of discovering one of the tallest and best preserved skeletons of this extinct tribe. Altmann utilized his vacation a week ago in excavating an old Indian burial mound in the nursery of Thomas S. Duane, two miles from Concord, in Contra Costa County. The giant skeleton found was ten feet from the surface and around it were a large number of mortars and pestles, charm stones, and obsidian arrow heads. The giant skeleton has been laid and reconstructed in the Curator’s office and placed on private exhibition yesterday. The bones are in a good state of preservation, being hard and firm, although brown with age. Two or three of the vertebrae are missing and the skull is broken into three parts. The skeleton is seven feet four inches. The skull is in great contrast to that of the Indian today. The under-jaw is square and massive, being remarkably thick and strong. PHALLIC CARVINGS The artifacts are ornamented with phallic carvings, whereas the marks made by the former and present-day Diggers are not carved or ornamented in any way. The charm stones are of baked clay, a beginning of the more advanced works of pottery, which are not found with Digger remains. This interesting find was made on the Salvadore Pacheen Ranch, part of which is occupied by Duane’s nursery. It is Altmann’s intention to make a further exploration of the mound at an early [date] for other relics of this by-gone era. A SUPERIOR RACE OF GIANTS ADMITTED IN CALIFORNIA The find is of the greatest importance to anthropologists the world over, confirming as it does, the theory originally advanced when the giants were unearthed in the Santa Barbara Islands, that a superior race of Indians, both physically and mentally, preceded the Digger and other native races of the present day. This is evidenced also in the burial posture and the charm stones found near the body.
LOGANSPORT PHAROS TRIBUNE, JUNE 19, 1912 DOUBLE DENTITIONS Charles Milton found a skeleton that is thought to be that of an Indian while digging sand near Lake Cleott yesterday. The bones are well preserved and very large. The jaw bone is almost twice as large as that of the ordinary person. One peculiarity about the jaw is the fact that the teeth are double both front and back. The sandpit where the bones were found is supposed to be an old Indian mound. Several arrow heads were excavated and other like utensils were found. Among these was a peculiarly shaped flint supposed to have been a fish scaler. About two or three bushels of charcoal was found along the side of the skeleton.
MORNING REVIEW, SEPTEMBER 4, 1912 BONES OF ANCIENT GIANT Amazing Discovery in Oregon is of Great Interest to Anthropologists The discovery of the bones of a human giant at Ellensburg is one of the most interesting anthropological finds made in the northwest, according to L. L. Sharp, chief of the general land office. “I just returned from Ellensburg,” said he, “where I had opportunity to view the bones unearthed. The skull, jawbone, thigh and other parts of the largest skeleton indicated a man to my mind of at least eight feet high. A man of his stature and massive frame would weigh fully 300 pounds at least. The head is one of the most remarkable I ever have studied among prehistoric skulls. It is massive, with enormous brain space. While the forehead slopes down somewhat, not averaging the abrupt eminence of our present race, the width between the ears and the deep, well-rounded space at the back of the head are convincing testimony of high intelligence for a primitive man. The cheekbones are not high, like those of the Indian, nor has the head any resemblance to the Indian skull. I am convinced that this skull is of a prehistoric man who was one of a remarkable race of people who inhabited this part of American some time prior to the Indian control. “The bones were uncovered fully 20 feet beneath the surface. There is the usual gravel formation on top, then the conglomerate, a stratum of shale, and in a bed of concrete gravel beneath the shale were the bones of the giant and of a smaller person. The shale would indicate tremendous age, perhaps more than 1,000,000 years, for the deposit in which the skeleton was found. But this I deem impossible, and presume that the bones were put beneath the shale by means of a tunnel perhaps, or some other system of interment. I cannot think it possible that a human being of the advanced stage indicated by this great skull could have existed at the period when the shale was formed.”—Portland (Ore.) Telegram.
LA CROSSE TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 4, 1912 FIFTY SKELETONS UNEARTHED--REMAINS OF GIANT ABORIGINES DISCOVERED More than fifty skeletons of the ancient mound builders were unearthed Saturday from five mounds in the town of Stoddard, by a party of Normal students and professors, who made a special trip to investigate them. Valuable relics were also recovered that will be on exhibition at the Normal museum. The country around La Crosse has long been known as the center of Indian activities in centuries long past and as evidences of this fact there are many Indian mounds in this vicinity. About thirty years ago agents of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., investigated several mounds in what is now the town of Stoddard. They unearthed much valuable material in the line of skeletons, arrow heads, and spear heads from the first few of a chain of a dozen mounds and at the present time there is in Washington a Stoddard Collection of Indian relics. Since that time Smithsonian officials have often considered opening more of the mounds but nothing has been done. Spurred on by the generous offer of A. White, who owns the ground on which are located five large mounds, to donate the contents to the Normal School Museum (apparently no help from Smithsonian officials), the Normal authorities recently took the matter up, and several local citizens generously provided a fund for the expenses of an expedition to unearth the contents. A SIX-FOOT, SIX-INCH SKELETON UNEARTHED Professors A. H. Sanford and W. H. Thompson of the University of Wisconsin Department of History, and L. P. Deneyer of the Geology Department, together with a company of thirteen students left on Saturday morning with shovels to examine the ancient graves. Professor Austin and some of his students surveyed and made a contour map of the field determining the dimensions of the mounds and the lay of the surrounding country. The expedition was of a scientific character, and the results of the investigations will appear in printed form. A large mound in the center, probably the grave of an Indian chief, was adjoined by two smaller ones on each side. The latter were investigated first and the efforts of the diggers were rewarded at once by the unearthing of a skeleton about five feet down, which measured six and a half feet in length. The skull was very large being eight inches in diameter from ear to ear. The teeth were well preserved, but the other bones quickly fell to pieces. The first mound yielded eleven skeletons. The second contained only charcoal and burned bones indicating cremation. EFFORTS YIELD MANY SKELETONS AND ARTIFACTS The middle mound, which was the largest, required much effort to excavate. More than twenty skeletons were found besides the bowl of a clay peace pipe, a copper arrow head, copper skinning knife, a sandstone spearhead, and several flint arrow heads. The fourth eminence yielded over twenty five skeletons, pieces of clay pottery, and a bear’s tooth. The last mound, after digging about six feet down, brought up a large spear point of quartz with a red coloring design on each side. Adjoining the White farm is property owned by Homer Hart of La Crosse on which are located several more mounds.
MONROE COUNTY MAIL, JUNE 18, 1914 SCIENTISTS FIND GIANT SKELETON: IN LIFE THEY AVERAGED TWELVE FEET HIGH Skeletons of a race of giants who averaged twelve feet in height were found by workmen engaged on a drainage project in Crowville, near here. There are several score at least of the skeletons, and they lie in various positions. It is believed they were killed in a prehistoric fight and that the bodies lay where they fell until covered with alluvial deposits due to the flooding of the Mississippi River. No weapons of any sort were found at the site, and it is believed the Titans must have struggled with wooden clubs. The skulls are in a perfect state of preservation, and some of the jawbones are large enough to surround a baby’s body.
EL PASO HERALD, APRIL 19, 1915 ARIZONA GIANTS “The skeleton of a giant fully eight feet tall has been found near Silver City,” said H. E. Davis. The thigh bone of this ancient inhabitant of the southwest measures two inches more than the ordinary man and must have been a giant of great strength. The jaw bone is large enough to fit over the jaw of an ordinary man. A peculiarity of the forehead is that it recedes from the eyes like that of an ape. The similarity is still further found in the sharp bones under the eyes. The skeleton was found encased in baked mud, indicating that encasing the corpse in mud and baking it was the mode of embalming. Near the skeleton was found a stone weighing 12 pounds, which, judging from its shape, must have been a club. The wooden handle has rotted away but there are marks on the stone that indicate that it had been bound to a wooden handle with tongs. It is rather peculiar that less than 30 miles from where this skeleton was found and located on the Gile river are the former houses of a tribe of small cliff dwellers. The existence of these two races so near together forms an interesting topic. “These ‘gorillalike’ or ‘monkey-like’ skulls have been reported in many states several times by Smithsonian personnel. Professor Thomas Wilson, the curator of Prehistoric Anthropology for the Smithsonian, said the following about the find of an eight-foot-one-inch giant skeleton in Miamisburg, Ohio, in 1897. “The authenticity of the skull is beyond doubt. Its antiquity is unquestionably great. To my own personal knowledge several such crania were discovered in the Hopewell group of mounds in Ohio, exhibiting monkey-like traits.”
LOS ANGELES TIMES, SEPTEMBER 3, 1916 FIND BONES OF GIANT IN A CALIFORNIA CAVE The discovery of a skull, jawbones and femur of giant proportions by D. L. Gilliland and F. M. Puntenney of Moonpark, in a cavern in one of the canyons of the great Pisgah Grando Rancho just over the Ventura county line, lends color to the belief, long held by residents of that scenic section, that the burying place of a prehistoric race of giants has been found. The find was made under peculiar circumstances, Messrs Gilliland and Puntenney who are officers of the law at Moonpark, were searching for two Mexicans, said to have been connected with robberies at Moonpark and Santa Susana. After scouring the various canyons they came upon a wide cavern deep in the brush and hidden from view by a rugged rampart of rocks. Seeing that there was an opening in which the fugitives might take shelter, Mr. Puntenney pulled aside the underbrush and peered into the depths. Within he saw the grinning skull of huge size and the great femur, that must have formed the thigh bone of a mighty giant. In this vast and silent region are to be seen ancient ruins that still stand in mute testimony of the fact that at some remote period in the history of our sunny Southland a race of giants lived and moved and had their being. And that in these small but fertile valleys, this long forgotten race built their crude homes and practiced the arts of life according to their original lights.The skull, jawbones and femur of the giant's skeleton found by Messrs Gilliland and Puntenney, were brought to Moonpark in an office in that town, where examined by Dr. Philo Hull, who has pronounced them unquestionably those of a human being. The bones are being preserved and are on exhibition, they are attracting a great deal of attention.
CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL, SEPTEMBER 20, 1916 REPORT OF SIXTY-EIGHT SKELETONS AVERAGING SEVEN-FEET TALL On July 13, Professor Skinner of the American Indian Museum, excavating the mound at Tioga Point, near Sayre, Pennsylvania, uncovered the bones of 68 men, which he estimates had been buried at least seven or eight hundred years. The average height indicated by the skeletons was seven feet, but many were taller. Evidence of the gigantic size of these men was seen in huge axes found beside the bones.
BEMIDJI DAILY PIONEER, OCTOBER 3, 1916 LARGE SKELETONS FOUND IN MINNESOTA Some large mounds have been found in this territory. In some places a number of pieces of pottery have been unearthed. It will be remembered that when the dam at International Falls was under construction several hundred pieces of tempered copper were unearthed from a depth of 15 feet. The articles consisted of fish hooks, knives, spears, and arrows. The art of tempering copper, which was known by these early mound builders, is now a lost art. An unusually large skeleton was also unearthed and thought to have been a woman. Physicians who have examined the skeleton declare that it represented a type of early prehistoric persons who were seven feet tall or more and who possessed an especially large lower jaw. They drew this conclusion because the skeleton found was that of a person of very large stature. The jaw bone was wide and its construction is said to be a special gift of nature to the early man in order that he could masticate the coarser foods which then made up his subsistence. The skull is very large. The well rounded forehead gives evidence of considerable development of intelligence of the Rainy Lake territory. [...] The skeleton will be sent to the Minnesota Historical Society.
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, NOVEMBER 22, 1920 THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM CLAIMS POSSESSION OF AN EIGHT- TO NINE-FOOT GIANT Dr. W. J. Holland curator of the Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh and his assistant Dr. Peterson, a few days ago opened up a mound of the ancient race that inhabited this state and secured the skeleton, who, while in the flesh, was from 8–9 feet in height. The mound was originally about 100 feet long and more than 12 feet high somewhat worn down by time. It is on the J. B. Secrest farm in South Huntington Township. This farm has been in the Secrest name for more than a century. The most interesting feature in the recent excavations were the mummified torso of a human body, which the experts figured was laid to rest at least 400 years ago. “Portions of the bones dug up and the bones in the leg,” Prof. Peterson declares, “are those of a person between eight and nine feet in height.” The scientist figures that this skeleton was the framework of a person of the prehistoric race that inhabited this area before the American Indian. The torso and the portions of the big skeleton were shipped to the Carnegie Museum. Dr. Holland and Peterson supervised the explorations of the mound with the greatest of care. The curators believe the man whose skeleton they secured belonged to the mound builder class.
1921-1922
THE VANCOUVER SUN, AUGUST 18, 1922 PRIMITIVE MAN, TEN FEET TALL, IS UNEARTHED MEXICO CITY, Aug. 17 – The department of agriculture received yesterday from an agent on Tiburon Island, Gulf of California, the skeleton of a primitive man, more than ten feet tall. It was found a few days ago. Other bones of similar size have been encountered.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, AUGUST 19, 1922 STONE AGE CONNECTICUT Prehistoric Inhabitants of Nutmeg State Were Flat-Heads of Great Strength and Huge Teeth BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Aug 19.--Two complete skeletons, believed to have belonged to inhabitants of the earth in the Stone Age, are said to have been unearthed by a band of archaeologists, headed by Prof. Warren King Moorehead, near the Housatonic River, at Laurel Beach. The professor and his assistants have been digging in this section for some time and claim discovery of a number of indications that the section was once inhabited by a forgotten race. Both skeletons appear to be well preserved. The bones are rough, denoting great strength, the skulls are flat and both possess a perfect set of teeth of unusual size. Prof. Moorehead said it was his belief the bodies were buried in salt water several thousand years ago, which accounts for their preservation. He also expressed the hope that he and his assistants would soon locate a burial ground of a tribe of an ancient race.
