National Register of Historic Places

Swan Island Site

Palestine, Crawford County, Illinois
Listed
December 18, 1978
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
78001142

About this property

The Swan Island Site is an archaeological site in Crawford County, Illinois, located north of the point where the Wabash River crosses the Lawrence County line. The shell midden site, located on a sandstone ridge in the Wabash River flood plain, was inhabited by people of the Riverton culture in the Late Archaic period. As of 1978, it is one of three known sites associated with the culture, which lived in the central Wabash Valley and had distinct methods of making tools. Archaeologists first found the site in the 1950s, and Dr. Howard Winters of the Illinois State Museum began excavations there in 1961. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1978. It is one of three archaeological sites on the National Register in Crawford County; the other two are the Riverton Site and the Stoner Site, the other two known Riverton culture sites as of 1978.

Location

Palestine, Crawford County, Illinois

Categories

PREHISTORIC
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Questions about this property

When was Swan Island Site listed on the National Register?

Swan Island Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Swan Island Site?

Swan Island Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Swan Island Site?

The period of significance for Swan Island Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Swan Island Site?

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