Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-05-19

many of those who joined this church
were from the Primitive Methodist
church, but it was thought we'll not
to have too many churches. For years
this was a prosperous society, and
now the pulpit is occupied by the
pastor of the Potosi Congregational
church.
BRITISH HOLLOW AND ROCKVILLE.
OF all the settlements in the south
western section of the county, pro-
badly British Hollow is the Oldest.
Thomas Hymer built a cabin there as
early as 1927, and began to mine
lead ore. There was much ore on
the surface, and the bluffs showed
great quantities Of it exposed. I'm
doubtedly, Hymer saw this ore, and
knew it's value. At first the village,
or beginnings of the village, was
called Pleasant Valley, but when the
inhabitants wanted to have a post
office they found their name had been
e-empted by another community in
Wisconsin. So it was -christened,
and as the English were in a strong
majority, they dominated at the
christening and gave to the husky
child its name, British Hollow, and
so it is to this day. Only it has lost
its identity as postoffice; has yielded
to the inevitable, and become in fact
suburb of PoUosi.
At times British Hollow has ex-
perienced great prosperity. When
the shot towers We're in operation,
and the market for lead was good
then were the times good. William
| Webb says he can recall we'll when
there were FIVE general stores in the
Hollow, and as many as three black
smith shops. One of these shops
was given over to the repairing Of
miners tools. A shot tower was
then making shot at Dubuque and
there was good market for the
products of the mines.
Since there is so little demand for
Ieaden shot and bullets, the products
of these mines has not found sale,
except on extraordinary occasions.
But at that, the mines have had
periodic spells of working. until the
last few years. Now there is q
little activity in that vicinity,
although there is small certainty of
the stability of the market. Zinc has
ready sale, but the grade of British
Hollow ores in this metal has been
low, so it is uncertain, under present
conditions, if zinc can be mined pro-
ftably at British Hollow.
So it was at Rockville, the early
settlers were miners. And many of
them were of English birth, although
it seems as if the center of the
British colony was at British Hollow.
The postoffice was established at
Rockville as early as 1850, being
moved from commercial center,
known to history and fame as 'Pin
Hook Like British Hollow, Rock
vile has not thrived commercially
for a number of years. 1t has now
one good general store. By the way,
British Hollow has one general store,
owned by J. P. Blindert, and this oc-
cupies the building given up by Ivey
| q Webb, when they brought their
business to Lancaster, about the year
1880.
British Hol ow has always bad
good school. The old rock building
occupies a romantic location at the
south side of the old town. This
was built, in part at least, as early
as 1862, and that part of the edlfice
still does service, although it has
been many times repaired and almost
rebuilt. The Rockville school house
was built for future generations, in
that it was made larger than the
present needs of the village. But it
! does valiant service as a social center
| for the community.
If there ever were any Indian
| stories that centered around Potosi,
or its three suburbs, Dutch Hollow,
British Hollow and Rockville, history
has not disclosed them to the editor
of this column. There are some good
Indian stories that hinge on Cass-
ville,-but we shall hear more about
them another time, perhaps next
week.