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In McFarland, what is commonly known as Indian Mound Conservation Park (IMCP), consists of 4 separate parks built on 9.5 acres of marsh, prairie, woodlandlands:. 

• McFarland School Forest (bordering Exchange Street and then the surrounding lands north until the hill starts upwards towards water tower)
   
• Jaeger Park (river area)
   
• Thrun Marsh Park (marsh area)
   
• Indian Mound Park (area on hill, water-tower area, north side of hill going down to Burma road)

The IMCP is managed by the Village, McFarland School District, and WI DNR

Recovered artifacts, dating back to 7000 B.C,  show us how this land was used in history:

• In prehistoric times, Native Americans used the land for hunting, fishing, and gathering wild foods. 
   
• Most notably, effigy mounds were built here.  Effigies, also known as Indian Mounds, are sacred places where Indian cultures buried their dead and honored their spirits. 
   
• (See the sections below for more information Indian Mounds)

Settlers - In settlement times, farmers used the land to pasture cattle and hogs because the land was too steep to farm.

First Park - The land was divided into two parcels, upper parcel is the current Indian Mound Park. The lower parcel of land was farmer owned who would use the land to herd cattle until the 1970s. 

Land Sale - The remaining land was sold to the Village of McFarland to become a park using a federal government grant award. Interesting fact:  Just days before the land was officially sold and transferred to the Village of McFarland, the farmer harvested most of the trees and killed a lot of them.

McFarland School Forest - In 2006, the school forest was created following plans to protect the Indian Mounds. 
 

There are three types of effigy mounds:

1. Round, conical, and oval mounds
    
2. Short and linear mounds: sometimes joined together in groups called chain mounds
    
3. Effigy mounds: carefully-sculpted into animals, and supernatural beings

During early settlement, the territory now known as Wisconsin, was home to the greatest number of Indian Mounds in North America, roughly 15,000-20,000 . 

Most of these mounds were created in a short time span, between 800 BC and A.D. 1200.

Although the original builders of the mounds are unknown, natives from the Ho-CHunk, Menominee, Potawatomi, Ojibwe (Chippewa), and Dakota Sioux tribes in Wisconsin likely created them.

The mounds serve an important function in ancient culture, as people used them for social, religious, and political purposes -- but mostly as ceremonial centers.  
 

Eighty percent of the effigy mounds in Wisconsin have been destroyed due to agricultural practices, urban development, and vandalism.

The Lewis Mound is unique because it’s one of the few mound groups that remains largely-intact.

Still, the Lewis Mound sustained some damage when the village constructed the original water tower.

To prevent future desecration of the remaining mounds, Volunteers rerouted the trails to go around the effigy mounds and preserve the park’s rich history.
 

• A canine 
   
• Four linear mounds
   
• Two conical mounds
   
• One oval mound
   
• A long, curved mound shaped like a snake

In 1985, Wisconsin created the Burial Sites Preservation Law to protect all human burial places from destruction, including, burial mounds.

Mcfarland also took steps to protect the Indian Mounds by creating the school forest in 2006. 

Moving forward, the Indian Mound Conservation Park will continue to be used for wildlife preservation and a park for outdoor  education.