Lake Park-Milwaukee, WI

For centuries the Indian burial mounds of North America have long been a mysterious and otherworldly place. The mounds were mostly constructed near water for funerary or ceremonial use. Native Americans believed themselves to be of the land and that their souls became one with it in the afterlife. Upon death, the departed did not go to heaven but lingered upon the earth.

From a bluff overlooking the break waters of Lake Michigan, Lake Park in the city of Milwaukee was once home to a series of prehistoric conical mounds. Destroyed by development of the land, most of the mounds have disappeared except for one, the last known remaining within the city. Discovered in l905 by the Wisconsin Archeological Society, the mound lies north of North Point Lighthouse and Lion bridges. It remains a mystery who built the mound. Some believe the builders to have been the ancestors of Menominee Indians. Documents show that Menominee Indians had possession of the land at Lake Park until 1835, after which government surveyors began parceling off sections to settlers seeking timber lands.

In l889 the city developed a Parks Commission, after realizing many years earlier that the poor could not afford manicured gardens in which to seek refuge from oppressive city life. Intense work in the park followed the Commission’s formation. The park's famous "Lion Bridges" spanning the lighthouse ravines were completed in l896-7. Oscar Sanne designed the bridges with lion sculptures carved by Paul Kupper. By 1964, the bridges were narrowed and closed to vehicles.

During this same time period the lighthouse in the northern section of Lake Park was in its conception. In l854, the U.S. Lighthouse Service acquired 2 acres on which to build North Point Lighthouse and Keeper's Quarters on the grounds. Erected in l855, by l888 these structures had to be reassembled 100 feet to the west to avoid creeping bluff erosion

The lighthouse guided ships on Lake Michigan for 139 years until its decommissioning in l994 by the U. S. Coast Guard. Both the lighthouse and park are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

When settlers came into area looking for a place to live they unknowingly built their homes near or on the mounds themselves. Many believe that the homes built on these sites experience heightened paranormal activity due to the disrupted flow of energy that was a part of the land centuries ago.

The faint sounds of laughter along with the overall feeling of malaise are induced with icy cold spots felt on hot summer days. Several witnesses have seen children standing by the lions, behaving almost as sentinels or guards. Activity at the lighthouse is closely associated with these bridges and the surrounding portions of Lake Park. The occurrences cannot be attributed to any known stories or legends associated with these locations. It remains a mystery as to why the ghostly sights and sounds of children have been heard and seen near the lions and lighthouse.