Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-08-21
Brief Review of
Grant County.

girl in the county.
In 1927 mineral was found in pay
ing quantities at Platteville, after
which the settlement grew quite
rapidly. The same year j. IL.
Rountree explored the country
north, through Wingville, Fenni-
more and Mt Hope.
j In 1923 several crops were raised,
thus Introducing agriculture in the
new settlements.
On account of the Winnebago In
dian scare in 1927 the mines we're
deserted and the settlers all went to
the forts at Galena, Gratiot and New
Diggings.
Alex Ramsey started a farm in
Cassville in 1927, and engaged in
mining at BeetOwn.
Also the same year Dick Palmer
and others started developing the
mines at Wingville.
Jas. Meredith, G. Caldwell, Thos.
Croker and Cyrus Alexander de-
veloped the Bee Lead" at Beetown
at the same time. Orris Mccartney
and Solomon Arthur came to Bee
town at this time, the former short
ly after starting a farm near Glass;
| Vile. Also Henry Bushnell was an
arrival this year, moving the next
year to Bushnell Hollow, near Lam
caster. His wife was with him, and
their daughter Dorothy was the
first child born in the county.
In 1923 Asa Hough started furn-
ace and sawmill near Platteville, at
a settlement called Gibraltar.
| The first postoffice was at Platte
vile in 1929. j. III. Rountree was
postmaster.
| The early miners had many trou-
bles over their mining rights and
titles with both the Indians and the
government, but eventually every
thing became Strengthened out.
Developments were interrupted
in 1882 by the Black Hawk war,
many of the settlers having gone to
the forts at Prairie du Chen and
Galena. After the brief Interrupt
ton the development of mining and
agriculture received new impetus,
and from this time forward the pop
ulation increased very rapidly. AL
ready number of towns were laid
out, and the community was getting
quite important.
Grant county was a part of Iowa
county in 1929, Wisconsin then be-
ing joined to Michigan territory
The legislature of 1886 created her
a separate county.
The first school in the county was
at Platteville in 1884. Sam Hunt
ington was teacher.
The county seat was established
on Glendower M. Prices farm in
1887. Mr.. Price having donated the
land and 81, 600 in money. The new
seat of justice was called Lancaster.
The population of the county at this
time was 1853
! The first execution was in 1888.
Edward Oliver was hanged for kill
ing John Russell at Cassville.
The population of the county had
grown to be 3, 926 in 1910. During
this year 6,02O,35O pounds of lead
were produced.
There was a little excitement in
1916 over the Mexican war, quite a
number from here having enlisted.
The population of the county in
1848 was 14,031. In this year Wis
cOnsin became a state.
The western gold fever occurred
in 1849 and 1850. Hundreds of set
tiers left the county at this time for
the journey across the plains.
The cholera epidemic occurred in
1860 Beetown was the worst suf-
ferer, the loss of life having been
appalling there. Fennimore and
Wingville experienced considerable
sickness from the scourge.
About 1852 the county took on a
boom, immigration having increased
and many of the gold seekers hav-
ing returned from California. Min
ing was no longer the chief industry,
agriculture having taken it's place to
a great extent, giving stability to
the country. So rapidly had the
population increased that in 1856
there were %, ITO people in the
county and in 1860 the number had
run up to 81, 189.
The winter of 1867 is remem-
bered as the winter of the deep
snow. The snow was several feet i
deep and covered by a hard crust. ;
The new railroad across the eastern
end of the county was SO badly
blocked that traffic was given up
until Sp1iOO