Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1853-09-28
| Forfhe Grant County Herald.
EARLY RecoEAecti0as OF PedRar's
| Creek

| Mr.. EprroR: Thinking few early
recollections connected with the history
of the mining country might possibly be
read with interest by some of your rea-
lders, send you the following, which
you may dispose of as your editorship
may deem advisable. The first miners
cabin, was built on Pedlars Creek in the
fall of 1927, by Morgan Keyhoe, Pat
rick O. Mara, and Albert Browning =
The two first, were jolly sons of the
Emerald Isle, and the last, '.hunter
from Kenlucky.'' Their cabin stood on
the main branch of the creek, about two
miles northwest of where the village Of
Linden now stands. TIE creek took
Its name from Morgan Keyhoe above
named, who was an Irish pedlar, and
brought quantity Of goods with him
when he first came to the place. Early
in the spring of 1928 the second cabin
was erected, by coup pie of Irishmen.
named John Dougerty and Dan. Shan
non, near wha I is now called Provision
hill, and soon after cabins or shanties
might be foun d in almost every hollow
or ravine, along the creek for some two
miles or more. The first mineral discov-
cred upon the creek was found by a
teamster named Tomlinson, who was on
his way from Gaena TO Dodgeville, with
a load Of provisions, and discovering the
first cabin, above spoken of he went to
see If he could cross the creek near it !;
and III going down the hill, his wagon
wheel ran over badger hill, and turned
up peice Of mineral. This was early
in the spring of 1923. This discovery
proved to be float, from what was after
wards known as Browning's Patch
Tomlinson Immediately staked off frac-
ton of lot, near the creek, as the in
mates Of the cabin had previously taken
up lot on the hill, which they had sta
ked off two hundred yards square accor-
ding to the then regulations of mines
Holes We're soon sunk upon the afore-
said lot, and the mineral discovered, was
what was called patch, being large pei
ces lying in the clay anu tumbling rock.
Several other leads We're struck soon
after, say in the course of month, some
of them were north and south veins, and
some patches in the clay. During this
summer there was certain man, from
Lincoln County, Missouri, a regular
puke, having been lounging about Dodge
vile, and spunging upon his friends and
acqualntances, got teamster to haal
himself, tools and little something to
eat, as far as Pedlars Creek, just above
the cabin Of Keyhoe, Bro wing and
Mara, stood at that period, some scat
tering white oak saplings forming abeau-
tiful shade. Under these he requested
the teamster to dump himself and duftng.
He commenced ''suckering," down in
the shade Of the saplings, and at about
four feet, struck float mineral; 1t turned
out to be something Of Lead, and he
sold it for six hundred dollars. In the
fall ne went home and never returned to
the mines again that ! know of. But
this was only one of the lucky cases.
Hundreds OF others worked hard for
years and made nothing. The population
Of the Greek IN the fall Of 1928 was
probably between and 800 men, and
not more than about four or five families
Gil told. The sight of female in those
days was interesting in the extreme, as
it brought to the recollection Of the har-
dy miner his home, his wife and chill
dren, from whom he had exiled himself
for a season in hopes Of making money
enough to render them what he called
comfortable; or if fortune should smile
brightly upon him, SO that be should
strike big lead, oh, the fine fiNings for
"mother and the Children" whilst ii re-
minded The boys like myself (for was
young them Of their mothers sisters
and cousins whom they had left al home
in sucker, or some other state of the
Union. The heavy dry bone leads Of the
Messrs. Heathcocks, was also discovered
Ein the spring or summer of 1928, by
Captain Jones, the float of which was
struck rear the rayine, but being so
mixed with drybone the smelters who
had only log furnaces, could do nothing
with 1t, and SO the captain thinking il
worthless, left the creek and moved to
Blue River. There were several log
| furnaces erected in what was called the
Vicinity Of Pedlars Creek" during this
summer and fall, viz. by Millsaps aid
Hunter, about five miles south, near
BLACK Jack" by r. H. Kirkpatrick al
Diamond grove, about three miles east
while about five miles northeast near
Dodgeville upon Otter Creek the well
known Captain Estes established him
self with store and furnace.
ASA PIONEER.
Head Of Platte, Sept. 20.
TO BE CONTINUED.