AZTALAN, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Friends of Aztalan State Park recognized the 75th anniversary of Aztalan State Park Saturday morning.
Robert Birmingham is the Volunteer Executive Director at the park. He took part in the anniversary celebrations, which included speakers, tours, cake and free park admission.
“The state park preserves Wisconsin’s first town, which was built over 1,000 years ago by native people,” said Birmingham
Seventy-five years ago this month, the site of the ancient Middle-Mississippian town known as Aztalan became a Wisconsin state park. Located outside of what is today Lake Mills, Aztalan is the grounds of this ancient community that thrived between A.D. 1050 and 1250 and is an archaeological site for understanding human history in Wisconsin.
Through archaeological study, historians have found evidence of a community surrounded by walls that included a residential area, a plaza, a communal food storage area, ceremonial mounds and agricultural fields. Historians have also found evidence of stone structures in the Crawfish River where Native people trapped fish for food.
“People that lived here weren’t originally from this area, rather came up from southern Illinois from America’s first city which we call Cahokia,” said Birmingham.
Those who settled in Aztlan built large, flat-topped mounds and a stockade around their village. Portions of the stockade and two mounds have been reconstructed in the park to reflect the history of the park. However, there are still lots we don’t know about what happened here.
“The reasons for the demise of this culture are questions that have not been completely answered,” said Birmingham
In 1964, Aztalan was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark. Today’s caretakers of the 172-acre Aztalan State Park, like Birmingham, see the park as a place to respect, explore and celebrate the history and mystery of one of Wisconsin’s first farming communities.
“This is an essential part of the history of the state of Wisconsin,” said Birmingham. “As are all of the years that native people have lived here prior to the coming of the Europeans.”
Aztalan is one of several Wisconsin state park properties celebrating milestone anniversaries this year. Tower Hill State Park in Spring Green celebrated 100 years in July, Kinnickinnic State Park in River Falls celebrated 50 years earlier this year and Natural Bridge State Park in North Freedom and the Sugar River State Trail in Green and Rock counties both celebrate 50 years this October.
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