Native American Sites of the Chicago Region - The Kautz Site

[@Bruble73]

The property with the Springhill Farm barn was my aunt's farm that I grew up on. It was so bittersweet to watch this video. They bought it in 1980 or so and lived there for many many years. They dug a pond down the hill near the river and I used to ride the horses right there on the prairie path. Such wonderful memories! The best parts of my childhood were on that farm. Memories like family reunions and picnics, highs like meeting my first boyfriend, and the devastating loss of my mother when I was 14. I can still smell the rotten egg smell from their well water, lol. we grew watercress in the natural spring, raised goats, rescued a few horses and ponies and there were always a couple dozen cats around. so thankful for that farm

[@CassSchuyler-iu5qn]

My dad dug that pond. This made me cry. Thank you for finding this.

[@thomasfoss9963]

Wow!! Great story--- I miss our old farm that Mom grew up on--

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks very much for sharing your experiences growing up on this site. That adds an entirely new perspective, and it also highlights why people have been living near that location for thousands of years. Thanks again!

[@bloodywanker231]

I drive past Spring Hill farm daily! I live on that road caring for my grandparents (The Bishop's) property. Arrowheads were found during construction and in the woods behind me you can still find raised mounds that I dare not disturb. I had also found a few fossils of the ferns that grew wild on the property. Very lovely area and quite fortunate to spend time here.

[@matildagreene1744]

Squatters

[@thomasmackowiak]

Thank you for this informative video on the Kautz Site in your series of videos on Native American Sites of the Chicago Region! I enjoyed watching this video and I appreciate all the time and effort that you put into producing your videos.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks very much for the kind words and the ongoing support! It is very much appreciated! Thanks too for taking the time to write a comment!

[@joeharris2074]

I’m not sure why it took the algorithm so long to show me this channel, but boy am I glad it did. These videos are amazing. Thank you for making them!

[@BeHistoric]

Yes, the KZbin algorithms are indeed mysterious. Very glad that you found us now! We are hoping to continue to provide good and interesting content for our channel. Thanks again!

[@JoeSavesGraves]

AGREED!!!!!

[@BeHistoric]

After publishing the video, we were alerted to the fact that the Kautz Site was renumbered to 11-DU-01 sometime in previous decades, although we referred to it as 11-DU-46, which was the number it was assigned in the original Illinois State Archeological Survey forms. Our apologies for any confusion. Brian & Joyce

[@bethbartlett5692]

This is my first viewing of this Channel's Videos. The Production quality, including the Narratives are outstanding. I would like to share my Perspective, from personal studies and research: The content details fall with a range of Time that's less restricted by the influence of the "Mainstream Academics" practice of their "19th Century Theory based Paradigm and Linear Timeline" used as their foundation of fact and also used as a "Tool for comparison and measure", (any data, artifact, Oral or Written History, that doesn't fit or support their Paradigm is routinely: denied, ignored, discarded, and/or ridiculed.) Having been heavily schooled in the practice of: "Academic Professional and Ethical Research and Statistics" which fully requires the adherence to and practice of the "Standards of Science and Research" (which includes in brief summary, the following directions): "With Mind fully Open, free of any predetermined Beliefs, Theories, Opinions, ... apply all the available the data details, .... and allowing the applicable Research Methodologies and Statistical analysis, to extract the greater facts. We were further trained in the practice of: Individual Thoughts Management aka Mature Minded Practice of Thoughts: establishing a habit of being: "Conscious in Thought" + "Applying Higher Mind" (Where all our Positive Thought Energies and Wisdom reside.) Our "Lower Mind aka Ego Mind aka Adolescent Mind" houses all the negative thought energies: ("fear, prejudice, judgemental, envy, jealousy, etc, it is where the Lackings are experienced: lack of self worth, self esteem, self confidence, etc.") This is directly associated with our Emotional Development, behaviors, susceptibility to influence, drama, and the potential for Ego to influence unethical behaviors. Apparently this may have become faded in Academic training, as a result of other Administrative interests. Having happened to majored in Sociology with Behavioralism my focal area, it was a subject of direct study, most easily observed and discerned aka diagnosed. Overwhelmingly obvious in observations of the accusations by particular Academics identifying themselves as "Mainstream Academics". When I first came to hear accusations of those whom attempted to introduce new ideas, alternative theories, content that didn't fit the "Mainstream Academics Theory based Paradigm", and these individuals accusing their peers and Researchers of "Psuedoscience", it was most perplexing ... (I believe my grandmother described this sort of behavior as "the pot calling the kettle black". ) Holding a "Theorized Linear Timeline and Darwinian Theory" as the foundation of Fact is the very essence of Psuedoscience. ... and the Freedom of Thoughts, necessary for unbiased Exploration and Discoveries, is the Fundamental Cornerstones of Authentic Academics, of Science and Research. It is a Requirement, not an Option. Countless examples of Academics identifying themselves as "Mainstream Academics" have paraded through countless articles and documentaries, over the course of some near 40 years and most predominantly in the 2000's to present my discernment results in their absence of adherence to the Standards of Science and Research", and same regarding the Application of their Higher Mind. I'm observing Academics using Belief, to the extent that one PhD defined the practice, the behaviors as "Mainstream Academia Dogmatic Orthodoxy", and the man is literally correct in his Discernment. I have no fear of ridicule on the subject, for if the subject were in a fair review, like that of a Judicial Process, the strength for correctness would align with the "Standards of Science and Research", and where that is absent, a fella really doesn't have "a leg to stand on". In the sharing of my perspective, not 1 accusations or name calling was mentioned, it is Discernment rather than Judgemental, and that is a practice of an "Authentic Academic". Authentic Academics adhere to the Standards of Science and Research" and with a "Conscious Application of their Higher Mind". It isn't a hard practice, when it has been exercised and the Ego Mind isn't in the mix. I just wanted to share this for I felt there was a Clarity in the Production of this video, and the Mind's of its Writers and Narrators. Food fo Thoughts. Beth Bartlett Sociologist/Behavioralist and Historian "Born in Chicago" ✨

[@89128]

Growing up in Chicago I heard stories of construction crews building new subdivisions finding archeological artifacts, and then burying them because work would have been stopped and the landowner billed for any archeological work done on the property. I don't know if the billing is still in effect, but much history was lost because of it.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for the comments and for sharing your observations! Yes, there have been few brakes on building and construction over the past few centuries, especially regarding the discovery of any archeology hidden beneath the surface. We've lost a great deal of knowledge and information as a result.

[@thomasfoss9963]

One of those sites that got destroyed which you refer to up here on the Chain is in the Pistakee Highlands area on "Pistaqua Lake"--- When they built the homes in the 50's, many mounds, and an old village site were bulldozed over and spread around--- Many bones, broken pottery, and various points have been found in that area over the years---

[@BeHistoric]

@@thomasfoss9963 Thanks for that additional information. The location, in fact, sounds a great deal like the site referred to in our "St Charles Mounds" series, where a group of antiquarians dug into mounds along or near Fox Lake. We'll look into this site further in the coming months. It is indeed sad that so many burial mounds and effigy mounds were destroyed along the Des Plaines, Fox, and DuPage river systems in the past two hundred years. Thanks again!

[@royhaught9516]

Another very well researched and interesting video. I enjoyed every minute of it!

[@BeHistoric]

So glad that you enjoyed the video and found it interesting! Thank you for watching and for taking the time to comment!

[@PaulRSmileyOyen]

I couldn't number the times I've passed over the DuPage river bridge while riding my bicycle, back in the early '70's, never knowing what treasure lie nearby. Wonderful to know such ancient history has played out in the area where I grew up.

[@mr.b3168]

I said the same about previous videos. There's so much history locally. Yet we only seem to seek out more "famous" history beyond our reach.

[@BeHistoric]

Indeed there is so much history and prehistory in the area that it keeps us quite busy! Thanks for watching the video and commenting! Very much appreciated!

[@JoeSavesGraves]

I'm actually mad I just found your channel also, thanks KZbins! I see others complaining about the algorithms and I agree. You guys are so detailed! When you referenced what you researched or where your information came from at the beginning got me excited!! I'm the same guy that just emailed you about a headstone in Park Ridge IL. Now I guess I have about 100 of your videos I need to watch. Perfect! KEEP IT UP. HISTORY HISTORY HISTORY!!

[@BeHistoric]

Glad that you found our channel and that you are enjoying our videos! Thanks too for the information regarding the headstone - looks like an interesting artifact! Thanks again!

[@lestermarszalek6142]

Exalent program thanks for saving the history it is truely amazing how the land still speakes to us.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for watching our video and for commenting! Thanks too for the kind words!

[@ShaneRamseyMakesVideos]

What a great video so far and I already checked out your channel and subscribed.

[@BeHistoric]

So glad that you found us! Thanks for watching, subscribing, and commenting! We very much appreciate it!

[@rocco.mbb.zoccoli]

A a user of the bicycle path that runs to the north of the site as recently as earlier this week it blows my mind that the area was once a prairie and not as heavily wooded area but also so rich in history... Thank you

[@BeHistoric]

Yes, the landscape has changed quite a bit over the past 100 years. When you see some of the early photos from when the CA&E train ran through many areas, such as this, you realize how much more open and rural the area was, in terms of housing as well as trees. However, before that - a few hundred years ago, there would have been more savannah like landscape - meadows, with small thatches of trees here and there, and scattering forest. It's remarkable to think how much it has changed. Thanks again for the comment!

[@SaturnaliaJones]

What a treat! After watching your Winfield Mound series I naturally drifted to the Kautz Site to investigate. Thank you!

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks very much for watching this video, after the Winfield Mounds series! Thanks too for the kind words and for taking the time to write a comment!

[@bigbensarrowheadchannel2739]

That was a very well made and interesting video.

[@BeHistoric]

Very glad that you found the video of interest! Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment!

[@coyote2welve]

Definitely gonna check this out. Hope it's ecologically not too degraded. Indigenous management can't always be restored but any humans can be a keystone species.

[@BeHistoric]

The river to the north of the Illinois Prairie Path from this path was straightened for at least a few hundred feet - although the marshland remained. The river to the south of the IPP appears to be relatively untouched, largely because farms and homes lined it for a century or more. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@cyan1616]

Not the Kautz site, but along the Des Plaines river I often see the mounds in the woods. I always knew what they were, but the majority of Chicagoans are ignorant of their history.

[@BeHistoric]

There are actually quite a few sites along the Des Plaines River valley. That is an area very much worth investigating regarding Native Americans. Thanks for commenting and sharing your experiences!

[@lindaboyack3164]

My great great grandmother homesteaded on Golf Rd in Morton Grove in 1840. My Dad was born in 1933. He said they had coffee cans full of arrowheads they’d find in the farm fields. They were so common they didn’t think anything of it. He didn’t save any. My grandmother was born in 1886. She remembered seeing native Americans in full headdress riding by on their horses to Chicago for the expo.

[@BeHistoric]

Wow, that's amazing! Thanks for watching our videos and for taking the time to comment, and to share your family experiences! It highlights how close we are in time to the point at which an entire group of people and culture was displaced from this region - just a few hundred years. Thanks again!

[@michaeltumey7756]

Looking over your videos, I didn't see anything on Starved Rock, near where I live, and I was certain to find Starved Rock listed, but did not find. Hopefully you'll get here someday.

[@BeHistoric]

Starved Rock is indeed a remarkable site. We may in fact explore it at some point - we'll have to see where it might fit. Partly we are trying to highlight some of the lesser known sites in northern Illinois, as many people are unfamiliar with them. We don't shy away from popular sites - but we like to ensure that some of the lesser known sites are described and made more accessible to folks. Thanks for the very good question - and thanks for looking through our videos! Very much appreciate it!

[@richardsheehan6983]

Good stuff.

[@BeHistoric]

Glad that you enjoyed the video! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@CassSchuyler-iu5qn]

I grew up on that farm..

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for sharing and for watching the video! Do you recall any stories related to archeological digs at the location?

[@erinnolan7213]

I grew up in the house next to that farm. Do you happen to remember Erin Stark?

[@GOMF-eq4qc]

Well done, as always.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for watching and for commenting! Thanks too for the continued support! We very much appreciate it!

[@whathappened2230]

Imagine showing up somewhere, then forcing the Native people off their land.. only to investigate their past and "celebrate" it. Now just think for a min... What you would be thinking if you were one of those forced off your land, to find out later that your past was being "celebrated" by those who did that to you...

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for the comment and observation! We appreciate the perspective that you bring. It is always good to try to see things from another perspective, an alternative view. However, when we use the term, "celebrate", we are using the word in the sense of "to make known publicly or to proclaim", another well used form of this word. We believe this to be far more appropriate than the opposite - of concealing, hiding, or denying the existence of these sites. As we've stated numerous times in our videos, the forced removal of Native Americans from their North American ancestral lands was unethical, brutal, and often with no underlying legal basis. Regarding your hypothetical ... we do not have to imagine it ... as some of our own ancestors were removed from their lands in Northern Ireland (as well as other regions to the south) by the English in their Plantations of the 16th and 17th centuries. However, we welcome any archeologists and historians of any background (English or otherwise) investigating and highlighting the cultures that existed prior to the English arrival. We believe that it is generally better to bring events of the past into the light than to keep them hidden in shadow.

[@whathappened2230]

@@BeHistoric Nothing against you two! I just think is is strange how we humans act sometimes.. maybe without realizing it.

[@kris8263]

I see your point. Just because something was done in the past does not mean the mentality of people has not changed. It's also funny how this video teaches us to respect people's property in light of complete disregard to Indigenous people.

[@Flightle]

Fantastic series!

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks very much for watching and taking the time to comment! Thanks too for the kind words!

[@davidperry5631]

In the pictorial of the site lithics, I saw what appeared to be several paleo points.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for the careful watching and the comment! Are you referring to the Gates article images or the later Geraci article images? Indeed, a few of the points indicated by Gates and labeled as Archaic in 1961, may in fact have been Paleo period. It should be noted that Gates' article included a few other artifacts from the general DuPage Valley watershed sites - and not all were from the Kautz Site. He unfortunately did not note the exact location of each lithic or ceramic in his article. A few of these larger lithics do not appear in the Kautz finds noted by Geraci. But that's an excellent observation. So thank you again!

[@WyoWellTester]

AI images have weird anomalies like hands

[@BeHistoric]

Thank you for the comment! Indeed, AI rendering tools have a ways to go, especially regarding details of the human anatomy. However, they get they often get the general image roughly right, which makes them a nice alternative tool for creating pictures of events for which there are no images. Thanks again!

[@nitsudocsicnarf347]

​@@BeHistoricLazy, learn to illustrate .

[@BeHistoric]

@@nitsudocsicnarf347 Thanks for your perspective. But we do not agree. AI imagery tools certainly have their faults and biases, but so too do some human illlustrators. We have seen many illustrations made by human artists also with significant errors and distortions, particulary of Native Americans. And in fact, several of the illustrations shown in this video were actually done by human hand. But again, thanks for the comment.

[@Flightle]

Edit: You did precisely this. Congrats on such a well resourced and documented video. Really high production value. Thank you! I think it would be worthy to note in comments or subscript that you are using AI renderings to give context and feeling to the video.

[@threeshocks5769]

Good ole Kane county

[@BeHistoric]

Kane County is indeed a wonderful place, chock full of prehistory and history. In this particular case, the Kautz Site is located in DuPage County, right on the north edge of Winfield Township, and the south edge of Wayne Township.

[@XlrationMedia]

Great content, except for the AI generated visuals. I appreciate it is labeled as AI but in historical videos i don't think it's a truthful representation. Would be better and less distracting using stock footage of something else vs pictures of deformed faces, arms, hands, and other wildly wrong images.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for watching the video and for commenting! Thanks too for expressing your view regarding the AI imagery. It is not for everyone, but we find it to be a useful tool for conveying the story, especially as it is never represented as an actual image of a historical event. We view these in the same light as artistic renditions, drawn by humans, which can also be problematic in terms of details within the image. Another technique used by many documentarians is to show a similar or related image from the same period - although this too can be misleading as many viewers do not understand that this was meant to be representative - not an actual image of what is being described. In the end, a creator has a handful of tools (artistic renditions, AI generated images, modeling/simulation, animation, related period images) that they can use to create a semblance of what is being intended by the narration. The intention is to give the viewer a rough idea of actual events - a framework or structure, so that they can use their own imagination to fill in the details. As long as the video creator is open and honest about the sourcing of their images, we believe that all of these to be viable tools for describing historical and prehistoric events. But we do appreciate your point of view on this. Thanks again!

[@turdferg100]

Still waiting for winnebago County.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Hopefully, we will get there sometime in the coming months/years. There are literally hundreds of sites to cover in northern Illinois. Many to choose from. Did you have any sites in particular in mind?

[@tammig3679]

Macktown Living History in Rockton has artifacts from as far back as 8000 years. We are continuing to excavate especially along the Rock River.

[@James-hd4ms]

Why did they choose that spot? Springs and nuts and game and a railroad.

[@BeHistoric]

Perhaps the abandonment of the railroad led to their leaving the area too? :-) Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@mr.b3168]

Sucks you couldn't get access.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Yes, it would have been interesting. It would have been nice to see whether we could have had shed any more light on the exact location of Wenner's excavations, for both Unit 1 and Unit 2. Thanks again!

[@MattWAdams]

Not a fan of the AI representation of old photos! It is downright misleading and erroneous!

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for watching and commenting. We appreciate your point of view regarding AI imaging. However, regarding it being misleading, we always, always, always put the source of the image in the lower right hand corner of the frame. If anyone is ever wondering where the image came from - the information is right there - as well as in the video description. The only exception is when we take a picture or video, then we do not put the image source in the lower right hand corner. However, all other pictures or videos have the source credit in the lower right hand corner. If we are telling you where the image came from, then we do not understand how it can be misleading. Initially, as there were few AI image generators, such as DALL-E and Midjourney, we would simply state them as the source. Now, however, as there are many more AI image generators coming to the fore, we are starting to label the credit staring with "AI", so "AI - Bing Image Creator" as an example. We believe that this makes it pretty clear to anyone who is watching. As far as the images being erroneous ... for most of the stories that we relate, based on extensive research, there are unfortunately very few images related to the events described in the videos. If there are period photos, documents, maps, we of course use those first and foremost. However, where there are no images available of the events described, then we have only a few options. We can use stock images or videos, which we find to be far more off the mark and erroneous. We can use generic representations. So for example, the filmmaker Ken Burns might use a picture of a Civil War soldier when talking about a specific Civil War soldier, although the image/photo is not of that specific person. However, he's trying to give the viewer a sense of what this person looked like - not that this was the exact person. Is that misleading or erroneous? Sometimes, we will do likewise in our videos, but again, we find that practice sometimes more deceptive, as the picture might be period, but it is not of the person/event described - but only something similar. Then there are human made illustrations - which are extremely costly for a small channel such as ours - and they too have their biases an inaccuracies. However, we will use available illustrations or paintings, especially those that were near contemporary with events (eg George Catlin). We find that AI generated images are fairly reasonable in describing the period and location that we describe in our videos. Some of the details may not be accurate - but it is generally close to the events, people, or places described - as the AI models are typically trained using millions of photographs. And so we believe that using AI images gives the viewer a reasonable facsimile of the events that we are describing. We also believe that it is better than most of the other options available, including someone standing in front of a tree or a bush while talking at the camera - as no one wants to see that. In any event, we appreciate your point of view, but we would contend that it is the best option available when describing events where there was little or no photographic record. Thanks again for commenting!

[@vadimgousarovski8043]

Те , що зля тримає в оп кротоферму , то означає що він такий само ...

[@auggies]

The American Indians DNA comes back to Asia. We are also being told there were others living here before these Indians came here.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for watching our videos and for taking the time to comment!

[@SingedAndZoeGaming]

The AI images are creepy. I’d rather it just be maps and other non ai person images.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for watching and for the feedback. Unfortunately, as there were no period images of this dig or the people associated with the archeological investigation from the 1950s, there are few choices.

[@BR-it2qe]

Chicagoland is what we call our metropolitan area. Chicago region sound like we started invading neighboring states and building our own country.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for watching and for the comment! Yes, understood, but many areas further west, south, and north do not consider themselves as the Chicagoland metropolitan area. There is no perfect term here - each with their pros and cons. Region seemed most fitting for the series as it continues to unfold.

[@Zip_Tykzoo42087]

As soon as a saw your awful use of AI images I was out. I found another video that didn’t use fake images.

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@matildagreene1744]

You forgot to mention all the Illinois cities built ON TOP of native villages 🙃 THOSE archeological sites will NEVER be uncovered. Too embarrassing. 🤮 We are all living on INDIAN burial grounds.

[@BeHistoric]

Yes, we've only scratched the surface of habitation sites in the Chicago Region. There are literally hundreds to even thousands of sites. We will only be able to cover a small portion of them. Our intention is to highlight this all too often overlooked reality - that our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities, once stood on places habitated by indigenous people for hundreds or thousands of years. By pointing to specific places in the landscape, as we do in this series, we believe that it makes that reality more tangible - versus simply saying that they lived in this general area. Thanks for the comment!

[@theguy9234]

If you want to learn about ancient people's that lived all over. Read the Book of Mormon.

[@richardalan3204]

There is no such thing as Native Americans.

[@nitsudocsicnarf347]

Trash, AI photos... 🤦‍♂️

[@BeHistoric]

Thanks for watching our videos and commenting!

[@JoshSDshot]

Chicago .... city of bs