Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-05-11

nG 1OI1OWIIS Is ldhEu from butter
fields history of Grant county relat-
ing to railroad propositions in Potosi.
In 1843-44 the subject of road from
Grant county to the lake was warmly
agitated, the object being to afford the
means OF transit for the vast guam
titles of lead then being mined in this
section. Galena, however, was OPP
posed to the road thinking it would
interfere with her jobbing trade. Po-
tosi was anxious for the road A
committee was appointed of which
Maj. G. M. Price of Cassville was
chairman, to report to the house of
representatives the practicability and
expediency of constructing of road
from PotOsi to Lake Michigan The
road was projected on two routes, one
to run up the hollow at Potosi and
pass near Lancaster and Fennimore
The other route went near Platteyille
In l845 continuous line of road from
Maine to the Mississippi was talked of
and in that connection road from
Chicago to Galena was proposed of
which POtOsi was to have a branch
The outcome of this effort was the
"Galena and Chicago" railroad but it
did not enter Grant county. The same
year a project was formed for an i'm
mense system OF railroads to be con-
centrated at Pensacola, Fla, of which
the Illinois Central (as now built) was
to be part, and it was to be extended
north through Potosi. The Milwau-
kee and Waukesha company was au-
torized III 1848 to extend its road to
the Mississippi in Grant county. In
1850 it's name was changed to the
Milwaukee and Mississippi and en-
thusiasm ran high. 1t was to run
through Dodgeville and under that ex-
pectation the "Potosi and Dodgeville"
road was chartered intending to form
connection with the road at Dodge
vile. The Grant County Herald of
March 81, 1851, announced that books
of subscription to the capital stock of
the Potosi and Dodgeville railroad
would be opened at Potosi, Platte
vile and Lancaster, April "a The Po-
tosi Republican stated that 400 shares
had been taken in Potosi and other
places up to that time. Many meet
ings were held at Potosi and other
places to awaken popular interest and
nearly 1000 shares of stock in this
road were taken. The road, however,
never proceeded further than this
owing to change of route of the Mil
waukee and Mississippi railroad by
which it terminated at Pra. du Chen
instead of in Grant county, as called
for in the charter. Potosi was again
long distance from the pathway OF
the iron horse.
In 1870 the Dubuque, Platteville &
Milwaukee company was authorized
to extend it's road to the mouth of
Platte river, thence to Cassville, via
Potosi, to connect with the military
ridge road. October 20, 1871 an ell
ection was held in Potosi on the ques-
ton of voting aid to the Dubuque,
Platteville & Milwaukee railroad, the
vote standing 81 majority in favor of
aid to the extent of $4,000. This
road never materialiZed and POtosl
was again left in the cold for a road.
1t was not until 1888 when the Chi
cago, Burlington & Northern Co. be-
gan the construction of a road on the
east side of the river that PotOsi fin
ally got railroad within its bOundar-
les This road is now known as the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. 1t is
on a direct line to Chicago and has an
enormous freight and passenger traf-
fic.
In early days street fights were not
uncommon. 1t was not unusual to see
fistic encounters almost daily. Law
and order were unknown. Saloons and
gambling houses were wide open sew
en- DAYS in the week. Some were new
er closed, were open night and day and
the keys in the locks were never with
drawn The writer though a small
boy can remember a street fight OF no
small magnitude that occurred on the
presidential election day OF lS56.The
igth started at the City Hotel, where
the polls were being held, and soon
fighting was going on all over the
street. Rocks, brickbats, billiard cues
clubs, ak handles, and in fact every
conceivable thing except guns and
knives were brought into use to bat
ter each other with and many were the
sore heads and bodies and much
blood was split. Some men took an
active interest in the fight for the fun
were rushed to the street to fgth 1t
a similar nature it was political one
between democrats and wings. Many
other fistic encounters took place on
the streets of Potosi. Ii broll orig
mated in a saloon the combatants
were rushed to the street TO hgnth II
out in the open and amidst large
crowd surrounding them, the battle
would go OH ultII OuS III tAAS JIM
was whipped and cried enough.
Conrad Kaltenbach was another pi-
oneer business man OF Potosl. lie
came from Germany and Joined his
brother, Celestin, here in about 1912.
He was a tinker by trade and found
employment with Levi Brown who
was conducting a hardware store and
tinshop in the Groshong building. Mr..
Kaltenbach in after years succeeded
Mr.. Brown in the business ana con-
tinued in the same building until 1862
or Whereabouts when he purchased the
Jonathan Huey saloon building across
the street from the estate OF Samuel
Wilson. To this building, after en-
Iarging same, he moved his shop ana
hardware stock and continued IN the
business until 1898 when he sofa the
property to H. E. Coons and retired to
a life of ease (This building and its
contents were destroyed in the fire OF