Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-03-01
Beetowa Business-Some Items of its
4 Early History.


> on business connected with the
Marshal's office, we took time to
gather . few items concerning the
early history and present business
of thattown.
Fortunate in cornering one of the
pioneer. settlers, we learned from
him that Bcetown was first settled
by Mett Edwards and man
named Arthur, in the year 1926
Duringithe year following Mr.. Ar
thur while searching for a bee-tree,
found 10 the hollow trunk of fallen
tree a great quantity of honey, and
under the up-turned roots discovered
chunks OF mineral. This was near
the present site of what is known
as "Old Beetown," and the fact gave
to the settlement the name the main
town now bears-Beetown. The
discovery soon brought to the vicin-
| ity large number Of miners, and
theyillage fourished as mining towns
generally do in their early history.
In 80 Matt Edwards built the first
hotel a half mile up the hollow
then in the vicinity of the best min
ing, now on the site of Beetown
proper. The upper hamlet rapidly
improved and took the name of
Charlottesville. In As or '46 by vote
Of the villagers the name was chang
ed to "Beetown." During the year
a the mineral raised from Musca-
longe, .Aip-and- Tuck, Hackett's
Branch and Beetown Diggings Gall
within a circuit of a few miles)
amounted to 100000 lbs. Then
there was but two smelling furnaces
in that part Of the county, one by
Chas Oder Il Co, at Beetown and
the other by Major Price at Cassville
In 1915 The village bad 2 dry goods
stores , blacksmith shops, 3 physi-
clans 2 hrick-yards, several grocer
les q saddlcr, wagon and shoemaker,
tailor, jewolicr, and district school
house. Al this date the mineral vicin-
age was peopled by natives of every
State in the Union and almost every
Kingdom Of Europe, and the pop
ulation soon increased to sixteen
hundred searchers after the hidden
treasure. Beetown was in it's glory
probably in 1876 aud AZ soon
thereafter the Mexican war, and
little later the California exodus, told
tearfully on the population OF the
mining towns. And until the close
Of the late war the mines of Bee
town were comparatively idle.
Since the war and the establish
ment Of several large companies for
tho development Of the mines
around Beetown there has been
marked Improvement in the business
of the place. The successful opera
ton OF the "Graham Mining Co."
employing fifty laborers, and the
PittsburG and Wisconsin and Illinois
Companies, running near IS many
hands each, have made business
brisker the past year than at any
time since the decline of Beetown.
OF these mines we intend to give
further and extended notice az soon
as We get time to visit them.
G. Lampson and the Mccoy Bros
are doing a good business in general
merchandise. w. f. Swaziland has
well stocked room with drugs and
and medicines. DR.. Nichols has
been doing fairly in sale of drugs,
groceries and dry goods. He is
preparing to go East soon and Bee
town will lose a good citizen. Birch
Bros. are well established in the
smithing and wagon manufacturing
business. John Cahill, one of the
witLiest and best natured Irshmen
we ever met, is doing well With
stock Of tin and hardware. James
Stanley does the harness aud sad
dlery work, and has plenty of it.
Ritner Stephens has butcher shop,
and Edwards q Bushnell q confec-
tionery in connection witch the same
business. G. Hutchinson is proprie-
tor of a large smelling furnace
Jacob Rockefeller is doing q good
business at blacksmithing. Samuel
Ncwick is the general business
agent, notary, town clerk, every
body's adviser on legal matters, be-
sides keeping q bachelors hall and
the good will of everyone. DR.
Willard has long been the established
physician. Dr. Colburn has recent
ly located at Beetown; he is young
man and promises well in the prac-
tice of bis profession. The Good
Tenn lars, Lodge is one of the most
hourlohiug in this part Of the STATE,
now numbering over $50 members.
The "Beetown House." by w. J
Mccoy, IS a well kept and orderly
house. The "Union Hotel" by
lshmacl Bros, is also good house.
tara now republican paper, it is
said, will soon be started in Milwau-
kee A bill, has been introduced in
the Legislature to incorporate The
Milwaukee Publishing Company, the
incorporstors Of which are A. NJ
Thomsor, w. G. Roberts, Hiram
Bowen, g. G. Williams, e. w. Keyes,
S. d. Hastings, +. G. Dyer, o, S.
Head, j.. A. Bentley, James Colman,
j. j, Williams, w. p. Dewey, IL. ID.
Barron, ~. l.. Utley, Philetus Saw
yer, l.. + Frisbie, w, G. Allen, Ed
ward II rlburt, Allen Worden, Asa
hazel Finch, Levi Blossom, Edward
SandersCn, Angus Smith, George b
Goodwin, S S. West, NJ. Bingham
and G. II. Upham. The capital stock
is $780, zoe, and the object Of the
corporation is to publish a morning
paper in milwaukee.
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ONLY $l5 O0l-Owing TO the "hard