Karen's Mound - Restoring a Lost Landscape
Posted by: 
Markerman62
N 30° 41.990 W 084° 51.313
16R E 705416 N 3398300
Located in Chattahoochee River Landing Park at the end of River Landing Road, Chattahoochee
Waymark Code: WM179GB
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 01/07/2023
Views: 0
Chattahoochee River Landing Park-An Apalachicola River Heritage Destination
This restored mound helps you visualize the original appearance of the seven prehistoric mounds that archaeologists believe stood here. Native Americans started building the earthworks 2,000 years ago.
Recent research suggests a relationship between the massive site and the Kolomoki culture that flourished in Southwest Georgia, Southeast Alabama, and Northwest Florida in A.D. 350 to 600. Occupation continued well into the Mississippian era (A.D. 900-A.D. 1500).
A private landowner destroyed the mound before the City of Chattahoochee obtained the property. Archaeologists found the site in 2011 and recommended its restoration as part of a new effort of respect and preservation. The reconstruction of the mound was completed in 2017 by Sean Neel and Sons, using plans donated by Melvin Engineering. City employees did the finishing work. Chattahoochee resident Lorrin Howell, historian Dale Cox, Chattahoochee Main Street, and the people of the Chattahoochee area donated funding for the effort. Howell and Neel supervised the work.
Karens Mound stands as an example of both the carelessness that led to the destruction of a more than 1,000-year-old monument that is sacred to Native Americans and the concern of area residents who restored it.
Karens Mound is dedicated to the memory of Karen Howell. She was a beloved resident of Chattahoochee who always saw the good in people and volunteered many hours to make her community a better place.
Marker Number: None
Date: None
County: Gadsden
Marker Type: Plaque
Sponsored or placed by: City of Chattahoochee
Website: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark.
Please post a photo at the marker location.