Location - This site is located two miles west of Williamsburg, at the intersection of 240th Street and M Avenue, mainly on the northeast corner. The site may be reached by driving west from Williamsburg on 240th Street for two miles, or south from Marengo on M Avenue for nine miles. This area is sometimes known locally as "three mile corner."
The author of the 1881 History of Iowa County noted of this area that, "the surface of Troy [Township] is rolling, mostly good prairie, but some rough land and timber along Old Man's Creek."
Rattlesnake master, which grows here, was used by Native Americans to cure rattlesnake bites. It was also used to treat reproductive disorders. The fruit and leaves of Rattlesnake master were used to induce vomiting as a medical treatment. The Meskwaki, who call this plant kishi'paskwap, used this plant as a cure for bladder trouble and poisons other than just rattlesnake bites. The scientific name of this plant is Eryngium yuccifolium. Eryngium is a Greek word meaning, "pickly plant," while yuccifolium is a Greek reference to the plant's yucca like leaves.
Tall goldenrod, which grows here, is frequently the host of the gall fly. Adults deposit their eggs on empty goldenrod stems in early summer. Ten days later, the eggs hatch and the larva burrows down into the plant stem. The larva's chewing results in the production of galls (bubbles in the stem), which provide the larva both food and protection. Generations of children have learned that cutting open this bubble and extracting the worm inside is an easy way to obtain fish bait. The blossoms of this plant, when boiled with yarn, will dye the wool a tan color.
This is the best site in the summer for a showcase of compass plant, named by pioneers because its basal leaves tend to align in north and south directions and, hence, could be used as a "compass" on cloudy days. Native Americans burned the entire plant, and then inhaled the smoke to relieve rheumatism and head colds. This plant can grow as high as eight feet, and blooms in July and August.
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