Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1924-08-13
GRANT COUNTY
UNDERLAD BY
ORE DEPOSITS
GeOlogist Pays Tribute to
'Driftless Area" Part
of Rich Section.
(From the Chicago Tribune

southwestern Wisconsin lies the par
adiSe" of the geologiSt and mineralo-
gist, according to H. B. Morrow, direc-
tor of the Wisconsin Mining School of
Platteville, visiting here. That portion
of the state embracing the counties of
Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, he says,
is one of the oldest, richest and yet,
the least known, to the people of THE
state.
1.-THE traveller in this section" says
Mr. Morrow, viewing the scenes for
the first time, cannot but feel the per-
feet content, the complete tranquility
that pervades the atmosphere and
overSpreads the entire country around
these hills.
CAS- one descends from these ridges
and hills to the valleys below, Mag
ara limestone first is seen. Further
descent along the nearly f1at-lying
shale, the Galena and Platteville
finally, the Magnetism limestone"
Extent of Mineral Area
The mineral area, according to the
director, is about 70 miles long and
40 miles wide 1t includes a portion
of 10 Daviess county, ILL.,, and of Du-
buque county, Iowa, and lies wholly
within what is known as the non
glaciated area of the upper MISSISSIPPI
pi valley. Surface ores consisting of
lead and zinc were early discovered
and were known to early Settlers and
explorers. The country was first OPP
ened up as a lead producer in 1922.
Mr. Morrow explains that in early
days lead was hauled by OK team from
Mineral Point and other places to the
old shot tower near Helena, on the
Wisconsin river, and there made into
shot. The construction of this shot
tower was begun by Daniel Whitney,
a Green Bay merchant, in 1881, and
finished in 1888 A small village had
been laid out there by Gen. Dodge, a
territorial governor, and others, and
this was expected to rival the town of
Galena, Ill, settled a few years be-
fore.
First Sent Down River
Previous to this time, all of the lead
mined in southwestern Wisconsin, had
been sold at Galena and st. Louis, Mo.
1t was then taken down the river to
the gulf, and thence to Boston and
New York.
After the shot tower was completed,
shot was hauled to Milwaukee as the
market, but this was a journey re-
curing from ten days to two weeks
and the trips were subsequently aban-
doned and the shipping was started to
Galena. The names of the operating
company was the Wisconsin Shot Co.,
becoming known in 1886 as the Wis
conSin Mineral and Transportation Co.
The old shot tower now is state
park known as Tower Hill, located on
S. T. L. Al, near Spring Green. Much
interesting history has been recorded
relative to it and the village of Hell
ena.
The first zinc ores were mined in
the region about 1862. This, the re-
cords show, was zinc sulphate. Very
little zinc sulphide was mined there
previous to 1875.
Deeper Ores Discovered
Mr.. Morrow adds that the depper
ores which form the basis of the mod
ern mining industry of this area are
the sulphide ores. Their discovery
and subsequent development, he says,
has been made possible largely thru
the surface exposure of ores or other
troyed or deeply buried in drift had
the area been glaciated. Discovery
has shown zinc ores usually occur in
the base of Galena limestone and vary
in width from Is to more than 100
feet; in height from three to so feet;
and in length from several hundred
feet to more than a mile.
Previous to 1906 nearly all pros
io+ hu
shaft sinking and nearly all of the
lead and zinc mines before that time
were found by sinking and drifting
on crevices and outcrops. Under
such conditions the level of the
ground water marked the limits to
which these operations extended.
Diamond drilling has been tried with
little success. According to Mr.. Nor
row the best method yet discovered is
the process of churn drilling used ex-
clusively for the past 16 to Is years.
Acid is made near Platteville as by
product.