Cahokia Mounds to get $550,000 in state cash Illinois treasurer visits historic site

News-Democrat, Belleville, IL

Published Friday, July 18, 2008

COLLINSVILLE --Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said Thursday he is making good on his predecessor's promise by providing $550,000 to help enhance visitors' experience at the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site.

Giannoulias visited the site to announce that a percentage of the interest that grew from an initial $100 million investment deposited six years ago by former state treasurer Judy Baar Topinka was earmarked for Cahokia Mounds.

In all, the preservation fund has earned 0.4 percent of the interest on the initial investment, totaling $860,000. Approximately $310,000 has already been spent on a master management plan at the 2,200-acre site, which is required under the United Nations' designation as a World Heritage Site. The United Nations bestowed the designation on Cahokia Mounds in 1982.

Giannoulias announced that his office has spent $100,000 to buy indoor-outdoor antenna audio MP3 players for visitors, who can listen through earphones to audio-guided tours in English, Spanish or German. The new equipment should be available within the next three to six months. The remaining $450,000 will be used for other projects yet to be determined.

"As elected officials, we need to be constantly looking for ways to protect these sites that are vital for education and preserving our history," Giannoulias said. "We are currently operating during a time when all of our budgets are in flux. Many programs and services the state has offered look like they will have to be scaled back or cut out all together, including some historic sites here in Illinois. I understand the importance of preserving historic sites in our state, that is why I'm working hard to fulfill a promise made to Cahokia Mounds under the previous administration."

The site include 70 mounds that served as home and burial sites. Giannoulias compared Cahokia Mounds' national historic significance to the Statue of Liberty and Yellowstone National Park.

Cahokia Mounds Site Manager Mark Esarey said that 330,000 people visited Cahokia Mounds last year and that the state's investment will only improve visitors' experience at the largest prehistoric Native American city north of Mexico.

"I think the visitors will have a much better experience with the enhancements that are going to be coming out from this money and the long-term vision that will be provided under the master management plan," Esarey said.