Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-07-05
mtth thr pntnat ptnnrrra
(By Judge Wilmott)

I high ground in Potosi could look to
the northeast, to the northwest and
! east and see great volumes of black
smoke arising from the smoke stacks
OF mines and mills in operation First
at the Red Dog mine near Rockville,
and another in British Hollow. Then
the Potosi Mining & Milling Co., sit
uated within the limits of the village
of Potosi, then looking eastward to
the Preston Point mines in Dutch
! Hollow. Everything looked then as
though the PotOsi mining region was
to be important and the country was
in jubilant frame of mind. Hun
dredS Of men were employed at big
wages and business was in flourish
ing condition. The miners spent their
money freely and stores and saloons
did a thriving business. However,
this bright outlook was of short dura-
ton. One by one the mines ceased
operations and the close down and
burning OF the Wilson mill ended the
mining industry in the Potosi district.
Mysterious BOrning of Large Store
In 18- Chas. Dickinson, a former
county official, opened store on
Bunker Hill in Dutch Hollow. 1t was
on the order of department store
and Charley did a thriving business.
Shortly after coming to Dutch Hollow
he and FIR Pape, then the resident
priest, conceived the idea of changing
the name of the place, and to that end
a meeting that very few had heard of
was held and several appropriate
names proposed and voted down. Fin
ally the name of Tennyson was pro-
posed and carried by wild fire. l
much doubt if there were more than
two at that meeting that had ever
heard of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the
English nobleman and poet. The
name didn't sound very pleasant to
the old-timers and they still cling to
Dutch Hollow, and Dutch Hollow it is
still to those who are yet living. Mr.
Dickinson did IA large business but
was too liberal for his own benefit and
trusted to q large extent, losing out
when wholesalers began crowding
him, and Charley was unable to meet
the demands. One night an alarm of
fire rang out and Dickinson's big
store was a blaze of fire. Most every
thing in the store was consumed. The
fire was a mystery. A couple of small
fires had previously been discovered
in the building and put out They
were on an incendiary order. A short
time after the fire and Charley had
quit business in what | must now deS-
! ignate as "Tennyson," John P. Better
came here from Faribault, Mimi, and
/ built large twO-StOry frame building
on the principal street of the little
burg and opened up a large general
store. He did a good business but in
few years he tired of it and disposed
OF the business and property to Jos.
F. Walsh of Chicago. Mr.. Better re-
turned to Faribault.
TennySOn is Beautiful Village
Dutch Hollow, or Tennyson, is a
pleasant little place containing some
neat residences and business houses.
1t is yet composed of Germans and is
the scene of no inconsiderable thrift
/ peculiar to the character of the in
habitants and is pleasing spot for
! business or residence purposes. The
residents take pride in keeping their
dwellings and other buildings in neat
order. This little hamlet contains
| one of the largest churches in the
| county with beautiful buildings ad-
Joining it. 1t has large parochial
school and neat public school. A
large general store is conducted by
J. F. Walsh, who has a large and
munificent trade. His business grew
so rapidly that two or three years ago
he was compelled to build an addition
to his already large store room. The
Farmers Cooperative and Square
Zeal creamery is located here with
| 90 patrons. 1t is doing an immense
business. John J. Stelpf1ug conducts
a grocery store and soft drink parlor.
VIM. Pluemer is the village smith and
is kept busy at the anvil. Muller
Bros. have large garage and auto
repair shop and enjoy lucrative
trade. A feed mill is another enter
prise in the burg. 1t is owned and
operated by Pluemer & Pluemer who
enjoy a large trade. Nick Wagner
with the paint and brush knows how
tc adorn the houses in the village and
surrounding countryside. Judge Will
mott, author of the pioneer notes, is
a resident of this small but beautiful
village.
This closes my last chapter on the
history of Dutch Hollow. The next
will be devoted to w.