Mineral Point - Visitors Guide 2008 - (Page 4) a glance back in time ineral Point is tucked in the hills of in the MdescribedSouthwest Wisconsin rolling area as “driftless.” Because the land was left untouched by glaciers, minerals at the surface could be readily discovered. Prospectors, miners and adventurers swarmed the hills and lived in crude shelters known as “badger holes.” • That is how Wisconsin got it’s nickname as the Badger State. The discovery of lead in the 1820s gave rise to the first “mineral rush” in the United States, and Mineral Point grew to be the largest, most important settlement in the area. In the 1830s, news of the lead mining rush reached Cornwall, England, and miners and their families started arriving. These immigrant Cornish miners possessed advanced mining skills. They also came with expertise in stone building construction. Their legacy is reflected in some of the finest examples of mid-nineteenth century architecture. Mineral Point was an important center of early Wisconsin government. In 1829 Mineral Point became the county seat of the newly formed Iowa County. At the time, Mineral Point had a population greater than that of Milwaukee and Chicago combined. “Wisconsin” began in Mineral Point with the 1836 inauguration of Henry Dodge as the first Governor of the Wisconsin Territory. In the 1830s Mineral Point was a bustling, growing city that attracted many politically significant and influential people. Historians say that for over a decade the lead-mining country controlled Territorial Wisconsin and the politics of Mineral Point controlled the mining country. Then in 1849, the California Gold Rush created an exodus from the young city. 260 people departed in one day alone, and Mineral Point fell into a state of depression. A new industry soon developed in • zinc mining. By 1891, the Mineral Point Zinc Co. was the largest zinc oxide works in the United States. Beginning in the 1870s, agriculture was also becoming an important part of Mineral Point. By the turn of the century, the dairy industry was well established. Beef cattle fed on the native blue grasses producing a special brand of beef at the Chicago Stock Market. 1935 marked the beginning of a preservation movement when Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum began restoring stone houses on Shake Rag Street, now known as Pendarvis. Preservation developed on a larger scale in the 1960s when artists, craftspeople and preservationists began restoration of more historic buildings. history history •h istor y INTERESTED IN HISTORICAL RESEARCH OF MINERAL POINT OR HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT GENEALOGY RECORDS? The Mineral Point Room of Local History contains a vast collection of newspaper articles, books, maps, photos, land records and other documents. 608.987.2447 or minptroom@hotmail.com. 4 history • www.mineralpoint.com http://www.mineralpoint.com
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