Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-01-26

DI NJ Petef PARKINSON, Jr., US
bmes in the Darlington Republican
correct some of Moses M. Strong's
ptes on the early history OF our
tv. The matter is of sufficient
,terest to justify publication OF Mr..
: (a,kiuson,s article in fall. Refer
ng to Nh. Strong's account, he
roceeds:
| find in these extracts some ma
elial inaccuracies as to the dates
lld also as to facts, and as these
arly historic facts are becoming OF
JUme Importance, and may, and per-
ans will, sometime in the future
BECOME permanent history, there is
&olne reason why they should te
colq'ect, and Mr.. Strong, | trust, will
hot be displeased with me for the
srulsections which l shall make. My
is personal, while Mr..
Etipng's is hearsay, AS he dad not
rolse to Wisconsin until some years
Subsequent to the dates which he
peaks OF.
Mineral Point was not discovered
hntil late in the fall of 1928, in the
month Of Novembel---my father, d.
Ri. Parkinson, of whom Mr.. Strong
peaks, then lived in the Willow
Springs, near the Pecatonica, and
commenced building the log house
ii Mineral Point of which he speaks,
fD January, 1929.
Thrust readily occur to Mr.. Strong
.auI others who are familiar with the
fearly history of this country, that
Mineral Point could not have been
discovered as early as April or May
ls27, when they reflect that at that
|tlme neither the settlements nor min
hcral discoveries extended more than
two miles Lerth of Shullsburg, and
at was the attempt of the whites to
extend their mining operations be-
|yond the prescribed line, 1.-THE ridge
|about two miles north of Shullsburg,)
'hat gave rise to the "WinnebaSo
War which put stop to all, or
searIy all, mining operations for that
year.
The Mineral Point discovery was
made by "Old Kale Downing," and
not by Nat Morris, as stated by Mr..
Strong. This same "Old kale Down
ing" discovered or struck the New
Diggings," and alsc the Brigham
Mines at Blue Mounds. The term
"dog-houses' was not used as applied
to the places where the miners or
,hcir families lived, but "dug-outs'
was; and they were made IN the
same manner that "root-houses
were made in this country for many
years afterwards.
Solomon Francis built the first log
house in Mineral Point, late in the
tall of 1928. "Old Uncle Billy Rob
erts," as he was Familiarity called,
built the other.
These houses were built near what
has always been called Jerusalem
Spring, and it may not be uninter.
csting to tell at this time what gave
rise to the name OF this spring as
well as the street which runs by it.
These people (father-in-law and
son-in-law) were very pious. "Uncle
Billy" was an old hard-shell Baptist
preacher, and preached to the miners
and Others who chose to come and
hear him, on the Sabbath day. He
had one hymn which he invariably
sung on these occasions, and as he
was quite an illiterate man, it may
have been the only one that he could
use. 1t was:
Jerusalem, my happy home,
how long for thee"
Hence, the place, spring and street
were called Jerusalem.
XII John Hood did not settle in Mine
raj Point until the spring of 1929
My father, d. NJ. Parkinson, built
the third log house in the place, and
willie we were working on the build
ing, we boarded portion of the time
with Uncle Billy Roberts, who was
a neighbor of my father in Illinois.
The national anniversary celebra-
ted at my fathers house, spoken Of
by Mr.. Strong, was on July 18th, 1929
Instead of 1898. AS this was the
first 4th of July celebration even
held in this section, it may be OF
some interest to speak about it. The
officers were, Gen. Henry Dodge
President; DR.. Adam Snyder, OF
Bellcvilie H., Orator; Col. John c
Scott, of Missouri, Marshal--dressed