The Rush Lake Indian Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery that contains
the burials of many members of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, including Simon Pokagon, the son of Leopold
Pokagon (the namesake of the Pokagon Band). Many of the graves at the site are unmarked. Members of the Band
requested geophysical surveys at the cemetery in order to locate unmarked graves.
The 2001 field school conducted magnetic and resistivity surveys at the cemetery. We also gathered transit data to make an accurate map of the cemetery's present condition.
JP Ketchum and Kendra Kennedy are prepared to complete a magnetic survey of one part of the cemetery. The surveys
were very successful. The magnetic survey was somewhat hampered by modern metal at the site, but it did successfully
locate the foundation of small chapel which once stood at the site (it was located behind JP and Kendra outside of the
fence). The survey also showed that the chapel probably extended past the fence at one time (indicated by the red signals to
the right (east) of the fence (which could be not be surveyed).
The resistivity survey also located the chapel, but not as clearly (in the square on the left). The blue patches near the center
indicate potential graves, some of which are not marked. The red areas on the right were areas of high soil resistance
caused by very dry conditions. This year's surveys will be conducted at the start of the field school when the ground is moister.
Go to the Removal Period Archaeology project
Read about prehistoric archaeology and the Goodall Tradition project .
