Letter from National Park Service on Mines of Spain Inclusion in National Park System_03.07.1971United States Department of the Interior
IN "PLY A PEA TO:
L58 MWR CS
NATIONAL. PARK SERVICE
MIDWEST REGION
1709 JACKSON STREET
OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68102
MAR 7 1971
Mr. Wayne A. Norman
Chairman, Five Flags Civic Center Fund
256 West Tenth
Dubuque, Iowa 52001
Dear Mr. Norman:
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to review the
information you sent regarding the "Mines of Spain" site
relative to its potential for inclusion in the National
Park System. Based on that information and some further
research on our part, we do not believe the site qualifies
as being nationally significant, as we use this term in our
Justification to Congress.
After receiving the copy of "NPS Criteria for Parklands,"
you now realize that we must analyze a site or area to insure
that it meets the basic criteria for a potential Service
area before proceeding with studies or recommending any associated
Congressional action. We have based our conclusion on several
factors. First, from your description there seems to be a
lack of tangible historic remains on this site. Secondly,
the existing Julian Dubuque Monument Park does not meet the
criteria which excludes burials as being eligible for con-
sideration or recognition except in cases of historical figures
of transcendent importance. We recognize that this point is
debatable relative to Dubuque's importance as a national
figure; however, the exception to this criteria has normally
been held to former presidents. mast, but quite important,
is 'the fact that Cardinal's heroic: contribution to this
nation came at St. Louis rather tian at the Mines of Spain
location. In other words, it is :7is destination that was
important and the ensuing events effected by his arrival.
We do, however, have some positive suggestions to offer.
We must admit we are intrigued with what could be beneath
the surface of the site and its possible national significance.
You mentioned in your letter that a Fox Indian Village was
located on the 1,300-acre site along with the lead mines.
We are not aware of any archeological surveys which might
have been conducted to determine what, if anything, might
remain of that village or the lead mines.
Therefore, we suggest the following course of action which we
hope you will seriously consider. Working with the State
Historic Preservation Officer, Mr. Adrian Anderson, nominate
the site to the National Register of Historic Landmarks,
listing it as a site with state significance. When the site
is listed on the Register, it will be afforded a measure of
protection even though it remains in private ownership. It
will also qualify the site for Federal grants under the
Historic Preservation Program. Site surveys (in this case
archeological surveys), acquisition, and preservation of the
site, could be accomplished with Federal grant monies.
Site surveys in the form of archeological investigation could
reveal nationally significant findings. Hopefully, this would
be the case and then new nomination forms could be prepared
and refiled under the national significance category.
This refiling under national significance automatically
triggers National Park Service action, whereby a site
evaluation study is programmed. If the site evaluation
verifies national significance, the site could then have
potential as a National Park System area under the historical
category. The Fox Indian Village, Dubuque and the associated
V� u
Mines of Spain,, along with Cardinals contribution, could
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al f be tied together to form a very important site
We realize this would appear to be a somewhat circuitous and
involved process; however, the National Park Service has
adopted this method to screen the many requests for studies
that we receive. In this way, we are able to concentrate
our efforts on areas with the most potential.
We urge you to work closely with Mr. Anderson if this course
of action appeals to you and your colleagues. If we can give
you any further advice or be of any assistance, please
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contact us. We appreciate having the opportunity to become
familiar with the site and its possibilities, and we sincerely
hope that your future work will produce a site of major
national significance.
Sincerely yours,
.�.rd
J. Leonard Volz
Director, Midwest Region
cc: Mr. Adrian Anderson
Assistant State Archeologist
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa 5224o
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