Mound Cemetery

The history of the Mound Cemetery began with Native American mound-building cultures in the area.  The late Mississippi period mound, built somewhere between 1200 and 1600 AD, is one of the few remaining mounds that has not been leveled, plowed under, vandalized or eroded away.  It has likely remained because early plantation owners in the area began burying their families atop the mound to protect the graves from frequent flooding.  The oldest marked grave is that of Rachel Horton, who died on March 15, 1866.  After the Civil War, Mound Cemetery became a public cemetery for Arkansas City residents, thus continuing to protect the site.  With burials spanning more than 100 years, and the mound itself representing the long-gone Mississippian Mound Builders, this cemetery is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for both its historic and prehistoric significance.