Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-06-29

Was ii The Fox village on tho size t
the pres nj Museoda and through
the deser.od Indian village near
where Bridgeport now is. He heard
much about the lead and other min
erals of the country aad carried the
news to all the old world. La 1916
there are said to have been twenty
furnaces, of the Indian pattern, near
Galena. In 1919 Maj. Thomas For
syth, an Indian agent, was sent on
an expedition up the Mississippi to
deliver $4,000 worth of goods to tho
Souix Indians above Prairie du Chen.
Forsyth was very worthy man,
and it is said of him that had he been
continued agent for the Sauks and
Foxes that the Sank or Blackhawk
war of 1882 would never have occur
rcd. He was born in Detroit in 1771
and died in ST. Louis in 1888. In his
diary under date of June 30, 1919,
he notes a lead mine on creek
called by the Indians Sa-se-ne-way-
way -nong, four or five miles from
the mouth OF the crock. This creek !,
he says was six miles above Fcver
(Gslsns) river. Another lead mine
he mentions as on Meohant Hstohe
crock east side of the Mississippi
about six miles above the Little
Macouttcly," which is west of the
Mississippi The Little Mscouttely
is tho Littls Maquoketa, and the
Mochant Hatche appears to have
heen Grant river. Forsythe says !:
"There are many other lead mines
Oh the Ouisconsin wisconsin, river,
but my informant says he never YVES
at any of them and therefore cannot
give any account Of thom." His in
formant was a Canadian named G..
Luoie, who had been for twenty-five
years among the mines, generally in
the employ OF Mr.. Dubuque.
Dubuque had purchased the privi-
lege of mining in the district to which
his name was given in 1888, of the
Indians. A treaty was made with
the Sauks and Foxes in 1904 and
confirmed by the Winnebagos In
1916, under which it was claimed by
he United States that the indians
relinquishcd their right TO the lead
district cast of the Mississippi. The
Indians claimed otherwise. Many
miners came TO Galena and vicinity
but few ventured farther north.
These few were at DodgeviIle and
Mineral Point. All were regarded
by the Indians as trespassers. The
savages became angered and sought
occasion to do injury to the whites.
Their known hostility prevented the
ingress of the white miners. In the
Fall of 1924, miner ct Galena named
| John Bonner went out to wheIo Ha-
Eel Green now il, in search of old
Indian diggings. He found good
prospect, dug down four and half
feet, where he struck q large body of
mineral, and made steps out of 1T so
that he could operate alone. The
next day he took out seventeen
thousand pounds of lead ore. He
| took out one hundred thousand
pounds before he abandoned it. This
was the first mining in Grant Coun-
ty by white man. The next year
DR.. Moses Walker laid a Govern
ment survey to include those dig
gngs. IIe raised one hundred and
fifty thousand pounds out of
the Bonner discovery. After he
abandoned it Jefferson Crawford,
/ whose widow still lives at Hazel
Green, realized handsome fortuIe
ont of it. The Indians continued 10
depredate where they could safely do
SO and there were not many new
| miners came into the lead region that
wear and the next. In 1926 there
| was a rush of miners to Galena' AT
other points the Indians became
moro and more hostile. There hos
tility eliminated in the Winnebago
war. This closed in September, 1927
with the capture of Red Bird and
few others, associates. The miners
Joined in this so-eailod war. Ii af>
forded them an opportunity to feel
the strength of their foemen and they
became less afraid. Instead of intim.
dating those who wanted to open up
new mines there now began general
rush for new discoveries. The Hard
Scrabble, Fairplay, Potosi, Plattvilie,
Muskelunge, Beetown, Wingville, and
other diggings soon became famous
and swarmed with the men whose
bee-like industry honey-combed the
grounds which bear these names.
Thus is briefly outlined the discov-
cries down to 1923, that induced the
settlement eff Grant County, which in
1910 had but one rowing white iuhab-
liant and now has over 40, 900 intelli-
gent and industrious citizens.
EDw'D Pollock.
/ TUE nomination OF Governor