Stop 16 – Heim Effigy Mound

Historic Landmark Trail Stop 16:

The Heim Effigy Mound, which is thought to represent a fox or a wolf, is one of many mounds that once existed in the Four Lakes area. It was believed to have been constructed about 750 to 1200 CE, and it measures 143 feet from nose to tail and rises about 3 feet above the surrounding land. Ferdinand and Lena Heim donated this property to the Wisconsin Archeological Society for preservation in 1937. In 1977, the Heim Mound was designated as a Middleton Landmark and in 2004 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Read more about the site from the Wisconsin Mounds or learn about Heim’s discovery from the Wisconsin Archeological Society.

The Indigenous peoples of what is now southern Wisconsin created effigy mounds as cultural, ceremonial and burial sites. Effigy mounds are large, low-relief earthen sculptures in the shapes of actual or spiritual animals and are considered sacred places by the modern descendants of their creators. More than 140 effigy mounds were created around the Four Lakes area. 

Status: Heim Effigy Mound is open to the public but is situated in a residential neighborhood. While visitors can access the mound at any time, it is surrounded by private residences. Mound Drive is a dead end, so visitors must park on Gateway Street and walk to the site. Upon entering Mound Drive, the mound is located between the second and third houses on the right-hand side and can be identified by a historic landmark marker.

Click here for Middleton Historic Landmark Trail stop 17: Ehrman Lustron House

Photo from the Wisconsin Historical Society.