Charles Mound

Charles Mound
Charles Mound Illinois state highpoint
Elevation	1,235 ft (376 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence	95 to 105 feet (29 to 32 m)[2]
Location
Location	Jo Daviess County, Illinois, USA
Coordinates	42°30′14.56″N 90°14′23.01″W / 42.5040444°N 90.239725°W / 42.5040444; -90.239725Coordinates: 42°30′14.56″N 90°14′23.01″W / 42.5040444°N 90.239725°W / 42.5040444; -90.239725[1]
Topo map	USGS Shullsburg

Charles Mound is a gentle, 1,235-foot (376 m) high hill in northern Jo Daviess County, Illinois, near the small town of Scales Mound and 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Galena. It is the highest natural point in the state; thus, it is considered a highpoint.

Geography

Charles Mound is the highest natural point in Illinois. (The highest point is the Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower.) The top of the hill is about 0.25 miles (400 m) from the Wisconsin border. It is within the Driftless Area, a region of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, centered around Dubuque, Iowa, that was not covered or ground down by the last continental glaciers. The hill itself is an erosional remnant, similar to that on which the original village site of Scales Mound was located.

Settlement

Elijah Charles, one of the region's first permanent settlers, arrived in 1828 and settled at the base of the mound and the hill assumed his name.^[3]

Access

Charles Mound is located on rolling farmland. The land owners, Jean and Wayne Wuebbels, allow public access only on the respective first full weekends of the months of June, July, August, and September.^[4]

See also

• List of U.S. states by elevation

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Charles". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=NJ0855. Retrieved 2008-12-17. 
2. ^ Earl, Edward (2007). "State Prominence". http://home.earthlink.net/~esquared/outdoor/county_prom/state_prom.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-05. 
3. ^ Mansberger, Floyd (1990-04-02). "Scales Mound Historic District". National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/hargis/PDFs/200844.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-17. 
4. ^ "2011 Access Dates for Illinois". The Highpointers Foundation. 2011-02-01. http://highpointers.org/archives/195. Retrieved 2011-08-20. 

External links

• "Charles Mound". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:423586. Retrieved 2008-12-17. 
• "Charles Mound". Property Information Report. Illinois Geographic Information System. http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/hargis/Reports/Reports.aspx?RefNumVariable=305100&FormType=Short. Retrieved 2008-12-17. 
• "2003 Highpointers Convention". The Highpointers Foundation. http://www.highpointing.com/Illinois/Convention%202003.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-17.