Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-08-27

Twenty years ago Potosi was bet
tel known by the more homely name
OF ",Snake," or "Snake H0Uer. ~
The true name, Potosi, was only writ
ten, sometimes printed, in letter heads
and official papers, for Potosi then
figured as the first town in the coun.
ty, in police and criminal matters
Twenty years ago Potosi was the
largest town in the Southwestern
counties Of Wisconsin,, and ranked
with Galena and Dubuvue for whole.
sale Us well as retail traffic. The
river towns and trading posts along
the Upper Mississippi, in Wisconsin,
Iowa and Minnesota then and years
after laid in their supplies of provis,
ions, whisky and tobacco at Potosi.
The lumbcrmen from the Kickapoo
and Wisconsin, the surveyors and
subdivision contractors under the
employ Of the Dubuque Land Office,
and the thousand Sucker teamsters
who came up Spring seasons from
Illinois with their ten>oX teams to
break up prairie lands--alI drew their
supplies Of the Potosi merchants
Galena and Dubuque were as jealous
Of their Potosi rivals as Of each other.
and, it was said, supported river de-
coys to divert the trade and emigra>
lion anywhere else rather than to
Potosi.
The following business names then
figured among the advertisements in
the Potosi Republican, J. ". Seaton
the editor: b A. Mckenzie, S. z.
Lewis, |. g. Try, John Thompson,
J. T. Lewis, {. Kaltenbach, S. NJ.
Langworthy, Sam Wilson, Sam
Vance, j. Augustine; also, the follows
ing lawyers: Cole & Biddlecome,
Z. X. Lord, William Hull. Very
singular indeed, none Of the above
named persons have died. But all
have deserted Potosi and gone to
build up rival towns and cities, ex-
cept oeaton, Lewis and Keltenbach,
and these are now doing the entire
mercantile business Of Potosi. The
stocks OF merchandise were as heavy
as any now offered in the large towns,
The law was as ably dealt then as
now IN fact ADLER lawyers were no
where known in the state.
Among the leading men Of Potosi
not IN trade at that time were Light.
foot, Woolly, Templeton. Nav. Chap.
man, Palliser-al dead Yet living
are IL. L. Massey, 10. Palliser, Jo
Hall, X. Winners Geo. Kinney. NAL
let, and may be one or two others
There fingers an unceasing veneer
alton for Potosi in the hearts of old
settlers everywhere The business
men there were wealthy and could
afford to be generous to men starting
in business. Great numbers Of
miners, lumbermen and farmers were
the recipiants of such aid from the
Potosi merchants as gave them theil
starts and insured their success anC
wealth. Perhaps there are hundred.
of men now living and wealthy who
acknowledge the favors of Lewis anc
kaltenbaeh in furnishing them sup,
plies on a credit, at times when pow
erty was at their door and even hope
almost departed.
The failure Of Potosi to flourish
andand grow with neighboring cities,
or even towns of seeming equal i'm.
Rp"0,rtance, is variously accounted for.
mere appears an adverse destiny in
the future of nearly every mining
town, and Potosi is no exception .
The site is two miles from the 49,.
and The trade appears drawing farther
away. The landing is poor, the treach,
erous river and levee land being a.
uncertain as the wind. The present
population are likewise shifting about
hostile to taxation and progress, dull
patrons of schools, but extremists
on liquor and politics-the latter
chiefly rot gut and copperhead. In
deed the people were never but once