unknown person, possibly an Indian (1926)

HIGGINS, HEIKEN, KERBECK, JORGENSEN

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 4/20/2011 at 22:05:16

Audubon County Journal (IA)
July 15, 1926, pg. 3
WORKMEN UNEARTH SKELETON
IN OAKFIELD TOWNSHIP

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Coroner Who Was Called Says That
Body May Have Been Buried a
Century Ago.

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Parts of a human skeleton which,
says county Coroner Chas. Higgins,
may be more than a century old
were unearthed recently at the farm
of Horace Heiken in Oakfield town-
ship, about a mile east of Gates.

The discovery was made by work-
men who were excavating. The
house on the Heiken farm had been
raised and a full basement was being
dug to replace the old basement,
which extended under only a part of
the house. While digging in the ex-
treme northeast corner of the new
excavation, one of the workmen
struck bone with his shovel at a
depth of four or five feet and upon
digging back into the wall, parts of
the remains of a human body, which
fell apart immediately when touched,
were found. Most of the skull was
found, as well as several teeth, the
jaw bone, part of the bones of the
fore arm and upper arm, as well as
some smaller pieces which could not
be identified. The bones of the arm
were decayed to a considerable ex-
t(e)nt.

County Attorney S. C. Kerbeck was
notified of the unusual discovery and
with Sheriff Jorgensen and Coroner
Higgins, visited the Heiken farm.
They found the remains, which were
brought to Audubon and placed in
the keeping of the sheriff to be those
of a human body beyond all question
of doubt, but how they came there is
a mystery that is not likely to be
solved.

Mr. Heiken had resided on the
farm for more than forty years. The
present house was built 31 years ago.
It is thought probable that the bones
were those of an Indian.

Note: On the 1921 plat map for Oakfield twp., the Horace Heiken farm is shown in Section 32, and is labeled as the "Spring Water Stock Farm". The 2008-2009 plat map shows the same property owned by Byard Heiken.