Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-04-23
ANNALS OF DUBUQUE.
The DiscOyerer Of Lead In the Upper allssls
sippi Mines-Dubuque a Half a
Century ago Personal.

EDITOR TINES II was glad to rcld
in the Times of tho 9Th instant an
historical paper written about 80 yrs
ago By Lucius Ii. Langworthy who
died in 1865. This paper reyives
early recollections, aud it may be
pardonable for Vae who has made
some researches ato the early his
tory of the West 30 make q few cor
rections of, aud note a few additions
to, the statement thus published
from date 1913.
Julian Dubuque was not tho dis
coverer Of the lead ore in the Upper
Mississippi mining region. The dis
covery was first made near Galena,
Illinois by tho French explorer NJ
lie Sour, in the year 1900, and IS
years before Dubuque obtained from
the Sank and Fox Indians the privi-
Iege Of working the mines near the
city that now bears his name. Du-
buquo remained here as smetcr
and trader for % years, until the
time Of his death ia 1910 He was the
only white man who had legal
right to work mines on the west side
OF the Mississippi river before June,
1884 His Indian grant was con-
tirmed, in 1879, by Baron Carondoict,
then Governor Of the Spanish pr0vo
| ince Of Louisiana, 60 hich al the
country west Of the Mississippi then
belonged.
Such was the Influence Of Dabuque
over the Indians, that they would
permit no other traders to ira llic
with them during his lifetime, and
| only occasionally for 20 years after
ward. The country west Of the rig.
er became part of the public domain
OF the United States in 1903, but no
effort was made to develope what is
now Iowa until after the Blackhaw k
war Of 1892, when, by treaty, the To-
dian title was extinguished TO the
eastern one third Of our State OF
| course all the miners from 1880 TO
1888 were trespassers on the public
lands, and though some Of them
complained of the military authority
used to keep good faith with the In-
dams, they could but know and ac-
knowledge that the Government
dealt ionlenty with them. Those
who were here in the winter OF Is
% 30 were treated by Col. (aince
EresidenO Taylor and his officers
with all the forbearauce they could
expect For the appearance of obey
! ing orders; one wagon, conveying
ore contrary 10 orders, was broken
up. 1t belonged to H. L. Camp. 4
part Of the roof was removed from
/ the house of Thomas McCraney. l.
stood on'tho site OF the present Lor-
rimer House. The soldiers then ro-
turned to FL Crawford, Pr du Chen,
and Mr.. MeCraney did not remove.
A few retired to The east side OF the
river, and others winterod in huis on
the islands.
Mr.. Langworthy mentions the
Dames Of four of the lead-mining eX-
plorers in Dubuque mines in 1880,
besides himself and his brother JAS.
! Among those who came and remain
ed from q few days to few weeks
in that year were:
VIM. g. Anderson. Lemuel Cook, John Daugheyty,
fred Dixon. VIM Dowea. Pleasant Ewing Thomas
/ Gray, Thomas Humes. Matthias Ham. b. Gordon, 3.
| Lamont, X. s. Leai J. MeCabe r. Murphey Patrick
] 0'M0fa, John 0'Regan, II. Redman w H. smith, T.
/ Streeter, W Wtitesides, Isaac Whitaker, II. b.
Philips, T. Mob. Whesides, Jas CnrIan, john Camp
BELL Milton Dckerson, IL l.. Dodge, J. Ewing, ames
Gilmore Jas. Hills, A. Hurd, James IIurd, BENZ XII
bourne, 5. Lemon, -Loyett, James bic Pheeters. II
Cgan J. o'Mtra, John Paul Owen Riley, s. streeter
E. NJ Urn, A. r Whitesides, J. Wooley, Jesse Yount
| A McNear.
The first act resembling legislation
in Iowa was at a meeting Of miners,
June IL, 1880, held around an old
stranded cotton wood log, 1t tie
place of the present steamboat lcveo.
Mining regulations were then adopt.
ed "a reported by the committee
consisting of j. l.. Langworthy, H.
f. Lander, j. McPheeters, Samuel
II Scales, and f NJ. Urn. BY conn
mon consent, Dr.. Francis Jarrot was
authorized TO issue papers for arbi.
tratng mining difficulties
In 1919, a man by the name oi
Reed spent winter here, partly ir
cutting one hundred cords Of WOOD
on what is now Seventh street levee
for smelling purposes, for John "
Shull, trader, whose trading nous,
was on the island opposite the mouth
of Catfish Creek.
The oldest living Indian trader
among US is Gen. Geo. w. Jones
who opened wagon road six miles
from Sinsinawa Mound, Wisconsin
TO JorGans ferry, now Dunleith, il
1923. to convey the ore bought from
the Indians then working tho olC
Dubuque mires, to his trading pos
and smelling furnace.
As contrast between fifty year
ago and now, it may be said tina
Capt Morgan, with a few dragoou
passed across Iowa from COunci
Bluffs to the hills FIVE miles west 0
Dubuque in 1920. There he behel
} what is now Dubuque city ant
Julian township, covered with s.
many thousands of buffaIoes passin.
south ward, that he remained in cam
three days before daring to ventur
to cross over to the Fox village o
the mouth of Catfish creek, now oe
cupied by the saw mill ard umbe
yard Of e. r. Lumbert 4 Co.
4 thousand and more facts as {
the reminences of Julian Dubuqu
and Of the early history Of our cit
and county have been collected an
compiled and are now ready for pub
LEGATION as a part Of the history {
our city and State.
OCcIDENT.
I DUHUQUE, April 9Th. 1872.
: PURCHASE OF TOBACCO. The Whit,