Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-06-13

IHE LEAD REGIONS.-We learn from the Ia
lena Jcersonian, that the lead regions in Illinois,
Wisconsin and Iowa, embrace an area OF nearly
| Sir thousand square miles. In Illinois a part of
each of the counties of Carroll and Stephenson,
and all of the county Of 10 Davies; in Wiscon-
sin the counties of Grant, Lafayette, Iowa, Green
| and a part Of Dane: and in Iowa the county of
| Dubuque, all are known to contain valuable de-
posts Of lead ore.
| The discovery and history of the mines are thus
| noticed by the Jefersonian:
| There is good reason to believe that the early
| French and Spanish settlers on the Mississippi,
were we'll acquainted with the mines Of this dis
| trict. 1t is thought that the company of two
| hundred miners who emigrated in l7l9 under the
patronage of Rcnault, "Drcctor General of the
Mines" to the then French colony of Louisiana,
sent Of detachments to this quarter. We hear Of
| them engaging in mining operations during the
next year, on the east and west bank of the river
near the mouth Of the Wisconsin. 1t is certain
that LIE Suer, who, in 1920 advanced as high up
as St. Paul, on the Mississippi, and from thence
to the Great Bend of the Minnesota, where he es-
| tablished trading post, familiar with the
mineral productions of this region. Whatever
knowledge the French might have possessed, we
have no ground for the belief that they made it
| of any practical benefit. There are no evidences
hereabout of their operations, nor did the early
| settlers find any traditional accounts among the
| Indians, Of former occupancy of the country by
the adventurous followers Of Bevillc and Crozat.
| For century, then, the discovery made by the
| French was turned to no account In the mean
time, Illinois had passed through her territorial
infancy and had reached the dignity of State
AT the period Of her admission into the Union, the
district we are describing was very imperfectly
known. 1t was occupied wholly by Indians
among whom, here and there, adventurous traders,
| or Jealous missionaries had obtained prccari-
Gus footing. In 1919, Col. johnson, of KY, the
brother Of the late Richard NJ. johnson, obtained
certai n concessions from the General Government,
inducing him to engage in mining operations. In
| the sp ing of that year he landed In Ririere la
Fere (now Galcna river) with thirty men and a
supply of provisions and mining implements, suf-
icient TO carry him through the summer. He
found no difficulty in Obtaining what he sought
In various parts OF the "diggings" the Indians
had worked out-cropping veins Of Gre, to supply
tn cmsclves with lead for their own use; upon
these he comm need at once, and his success was
SO great, that he was followed in short time by
numerous other Adventures. For the most part,
mining, with johnson and his immediate success
| sOrs, was collateral busness-trade with the In
dams being the principal object. Until within a
few years, Johnson's trading post, stood as he
abandoned it., on ground now occupied by the le-
wee at the foot of Hill street. In 1926 it was es-
timated that 400 men were engaged in the mines.
In 1871 emigration from Missouri, Southern ILL.,
nois and Indiana flowed in rapidly. The lead DIS
tfict became in miniature the antiype of Califor-
MIA In 1929, the land being still held by govern
ment, the town of GALENA was laid off by act of
Congress.
497 ,24l $3.50 pounds Of lead, valued at SIC 575,-
657 "a, have been taken from the m mes in twelve
years, being on an average of upwards of a mil
lion of dollars per year. When the great Califor-
MIA excitement broke out, many of the miners left
for the shores of the Golden FL Dorado, which,
for time, materially affected the sress Of the
mines. That emigration has now ceased, and the
productions of the mines are steadily increasing.
Eastern capitalists are beginning to turn their at
tention to them, and are investing their money,
with confidence of its ultimate return.
Zinc ore is also found in the neighborhood OF
the lead mines, but little attention has been given
it. Copper has also been found, but the search
| for it has now been abandoned.