Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
An 1838 letter describes Aztalan
Letter describing Aztalan, April 28, 1838
Nathaniel Hyer first brought the archaeological site known as Aztalan to the world's attention in an 1837 newspaper article. He wrote this four-page letter describing the site the following year. The letter includes the same block-print map of Aztalan that appeared in the newspaper in 1837, supplemented by a hand-drawn sketch of a nearby enclosure that has since vanished and was not known until now. This adjacent site was a semi-circular fortification about half a mile downriver from the main village. Hyer also describes the remains of a 10-foot-wide, straight road from Aztalan (since obliterated). The letter was sent to Massachusetts governor Edward Everett, whose advice Hyer requested about the "best method of rescuing these works from oblivion." Click on any page to zoom in; open the drop-down at the upper left of the viewer to see a typed transcription.
| Related Topics: |
Early Native Peoples Mississippian Culture and Aztalan |
| Creator: | Hyer, Nathaniel F. |
| Pub Data: | Wisconsin Historical Society Archives collection SC 2971. |
| Citation: | Hyer, Nathaniel F. Letter describing Aztalan, April 28, 1838 (Wisconsin Historical Society Archives collection SC 2971). Online facsimile at: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1709; Visited on: 4/19/2024 |
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