Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-11-10
LOOKING BACKWARD
ABOUT FIFTY YEARS
MIR. Buchner Continues His In
teresting "reminiscences.
Seventy Years Ago Old Potosi Was the
Most Important Market Town
In Grant County.
Continued from last week.

Pctosi has a history. Seventy
years ago it was the greatest market
in Grant county; its business extended
all through the central part of Grant
county, even as far north as Wing
Vile and Highland, where the product
of the mines furnished lead to reload
the teams that brought provisions and
other supplies. A regular daily line
of steamers landed where bridge now
spans Grant river. The town Of
Lafayette was laid out at the mouth
of the hollow. George Kinney built
his saw mill. To avoid the difficulty
for steamers to back down Grant river
and for RATS of logs coming from the
north to be compelled to 20 around
the southern point of the island the
canal was built. To aid this i'm
provement the government contribut-
I'd a section of land and conveyed it
TO Fl. L. Massey as d trustee, who
decided the land to the squatters that
had built cabins on the tract. To
John R Stuntz was awarded the job to
survey the squatters' possession. Ee
made bad job of it.
1t is said that he was cut down in
his price. He made the survey, but
the records show that the boundary
lines of but few of the tracts close
up. He kept the correct plat of the
survey and told the people that if
they wanted to know where their
boundaries were to pay him and he
would tell them.
The Catholic church was built
about the year 1886. 1t is said that
it was the first church OF any kind
built in the county. l have been
unable to ascertain when and for what
purpose the Henderson block was
built. 1t is the only three story
building in PotOsi. About the year
1o4S J.. w. Seaton and one Leach
published in that building the
fPotosi Republican. There was no
Republican party then. if there had
been the name would not have been
chosen. 1t suspended publication
within seven years. OIsaman Cole.
Biddle came and l think Henry L.
Eastman about that time practiced
law in Potosi. Orsaman Cole was
elected as one of the justices to the
Supreme court in the year 1856.
A baker wagon brought fresh bread
to your house every morning. There
were two candy shops Some whole
sale and a number of retail stores.
A telegraph line. of course there were
saloons. The game wherein one
man would call "Keno" and all the
others "Oh futch" was the principal
amusement of the miners. 1t was
mining town with all its novelties
Celestine Kaltenbach kept hotel in
the Wisconsin House. But finally
the mines gave out. the California
fever took hold and the miners
emigrated The baker and candy
shops were closed. stocks of goods
were removed, steamboats, failed to
come up Grant river and then l found
Potosi in 1860 One does not feel in
clined to relate a story on himself.
But again it is said no good story
should bs concealed for relations
sake. This is one on me- Perhaps
few people will remember that at one
time there was boiling spring in
Potosi and that 1 discovered it. 1t
was in the latter part of April 1874
or 1875, while on a visit to Mr.. Geo.
Kinney at Potosi. It was the time
when General Pleasanton was exploI-
ing the western states. The Inter.
Ocean, at that time the most popular
paper in Chicago, gave daily graphic
accounts of General Pleasanton' 8 trip.
It was on Sunday morning, l had
been reading to Mr.. Kinney
General Pleasanton's vivid de-
scriptIon- of the boiling springs,
mud springs, and geysers, and all the
newly discovered beautiful scenery of
the western states. After dinner
Mr.. Kinney suggested walk to the
mill. l consented and we started.
discussing on the way Pleasanton s
discoveries. Although the sun was
shining it was rather chilly. The
winter had been cold, snow banks as
high as the worm fences were still in
the fields. The culvert running
through the streets of Potosi was full
of ice. | distinctly remember / wore
a pair of mittens. Passing down the
road when opposite Mrs. Grogan's
old field Mr.. Kinney suddenly stopped
before me. pointing across the road
he said "Busch do you know that we
have boiling spring in Potosi, yes