Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-07-27

Hollow lead mines from the Dubuque
mines in 1885 and first located in Van
Buren,. He did not follow mining to
any great extent and devoted his time
to other pursuits. He was an early
Justice Of the Peace and Constable
filing each Office with credit. He
planted a small cottonwood tree in
front of DR.. Hills office in Van Buren,
in 1886. This tree grew to an enorm-
Gus size and stood for upwards Of
eighty years. 1t began to decay few
years ago and for fear that it would
fall and injure property, it was cut
dawn and removed by the Brewing
company two or three years ago.
About the year 1848 Mr.. Morris re-
moved to Cassville and opened sa-
loon and billiard hall in the basement
of the Dennison house then well
patronized hotel He returned to Po-
tosi with his family in 1863 and con-
tinued to live here 10 the time of his
death in 1891
Henry B. Coons came to Lafayette
from Gratiots Grove with his parents,
Major John r. Coons and wife in 1885.
He attended the first school taught
in these regions, the school house
was a small log structure and was
located up the hollow north from the
business center of Lafayette, Cornell
las Kennedy, a Revolutionary soldier
was the first teacher of this school,
Among Mr.. COOn's school mates, Mr.
Samuel B. Coons, John Coons, Mary
Coons, George Langley, Amanda Bus
bee, Mrs. j. w. Seaton", Elizabeth
Oldham Mrs. Joseph Wooley, later
Mrs James Voolfolk, Susan Oldham,
William Forbes, Harriet Forbes and
John Long. Mr.. Coons also attended
school in Van Buren, in 1843, Miss
Emeline Fisher a teacher of much
ability was in charge of this school.
After Major Coons failure in business
in Lafayette and in about 1849 he
purchased Clark and Woods saloon in
Potosi. The Major died in 1853 and
his sons Henry B. and Samuel B.
CoOns succeeded their father in the
business and conducted the same for
a number Of years. Henry B. Coons
was married in 1857 to Miss Clara
Phoebe White, sister to James White
who came here in 1888. In 1856 Mr..
Coons and Joshua Bidwell opened a
saloon in Lacrosse and in 1859 they
sold their business there and returned
to Potosi. Mr. COOns was elected
town clerk of Potosi in 1860 and serv-
ed four years, he was reelected in
1864 but resigned and with many
others from this locality he went to
the gold fields of Idaho and Montana.
He returned in 1866 and was again
elected town clerk in 1867, 1868 and
IN,
81, '82, '83 and "a. In all he served
as town clerk for II years and was
a Justice of the Peace II years and
for several years represented the viii
lage on the county board He was a
member of the Wisconsin Assembly
Session of 1871. He afterward became
bOokkeeper for George Kinney and
later for several years was book
keeper for w H. Hunt. He was we'll
known in the southern part of the
state Born at Gratiots Grove, Wis.
and was a small boy at the time of
the Blackhawk war, he could relate
many "reminiscences of those eventful
days. He died in Potosi in June 1908
after 70 years of eventful life in PO-
tosi at the advanced age of 81 years.
Mrs. Coons did not long survive him,
and died in April 1909. The surviving
members of the family now living in
POtOsi are James H. COOns, Hyman
E. Coons and Mrs. T. H. Runkel.
u x
Brayton Bushee was another early
settler in what is now known as Po-
tOsi. He came with a family in 1887,
and started a store in Lafayette, other
stores in this thriving village were
conducted by Coons, Wooley e Co.,
David 7. Anderson and H. c. Greene
were lawyers at this point and c. D.
Crockwell and Allen Hill were the
doctors In 1887 large commercial
buildings were built by the merchants
above named, Snaer and Long built
hotel and JOhnathan Craig a large
warehouse, Major CoOns, Brayton
Bushee and others built residences, all
of these buildings have long since
been removed. Mr. Bushee like many
others went down in the financial
craze of 1888 He then moved up the
hollow to Potosi but never again
entered into active business. He
owned a tract of timber land a few
miles east of Lafayette and in 1856
his son William Bushee established
wood camp, and many wood choppers
were employed, lot of shanties were
erected to house the men and the
camp became known as baskerville.
The choppers came from all parts of
the country and as is usual in such
camps there were rough chars cters
among the choppers. A Frenchman
named John Baptise conducted q.
boarding house at the camp. His wife
was a handsome young French wo-
man who was admired and respected
by the better class of men in the camp.
One day, however, man of the lower
class made an indecent assault on the
woman and her cries brought her
husband to her rescue and Selling an
AK he proceeded to defend his wife's
honor and no doubt would of killed
the brute had others not interfered
to prevent a justifiable murder. The
husband, however, did succeed in in