Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-03-18

Crawford at Pra du Chen, and after
wards in the old block house at Cass-
Vile. Soon after the close of the out
break they returned to Lancaster.
Miss Bushnell married Chas. c. Whip
pie and according to our best author
ity died in California.
Indians Forever Routed
After the defeat of Blackhawk and
his band in 1882 had forever settled
the question of supremacy in this Sec
ton, immigration again set In, herce
and strong, as the spring torrent OBJ
structed, for the time being, by an un-
expected barrier, by its chafings and
surging tears aside the obstacle ana
rushes onward with a victorious roar.
New Diggings Opened
New Diggings we're opened up, and
these. with ranges already discovered,
placed the county for the time being
at the flood tide of prosperity. Min
! ing was then the principal, and indeed
almost the only employment. Inc
man with a prospect" was for the
time being. the coming man, too often
alas! to degenerate by future devel-
opments into the disappointed advent
urer.
Hunters Locate Snake Hollow Lode
/ Mineral was discovered in what was
| afterwards known as the SNAKE Hol-
! low" mines by hunters in 1927, on the
! bluff opposite to where the Catholic
/ church in Potosi now stands. No de-
yelopments were made at that time.
Willis st. John and Isaac Whitaker
/ two adventures, came to this section
in 1882. They were among the first
! to reach Snake Hollow, as the Potosl
mines were then called. Whitaker
was accompanied by his wife, the first
white woman in what became the
town of Potosi They discovered the
large mineral cave near the summit or
the bluff opposite the present Catho-
lie church They made this discovery
! by seeing snakes in great number
craving into cracks and creVlces IN
/ the face of the rocky bluff They IN
vestigated and with little work opened
,Ip the cave that was literally lined
with great chunks of mineral. The
cave extended several hundred feet
into the bluff and, it is said, yielded
a million pounds of mineral. On the
opposite side of the Indian trail or
road. they built what was known as
an lash furnace" and did their own
smelling. The cave is yet known as
est. Johns Cave"
How Name, "Snale Hollow" Came
Snake Hollow derived it's name
from the innumerable snakes that
abounded on the bluffs and hollows.
1t should, however, be observed, that
mineral had been discovered by hunt
ers in 1927, when "float" was found in
the roots of a tree that had been
blown down by the wind on the hill
near where the cave was discovered.
Also, that a hut had been erected
years previously at the mouth of the
hollow by Thomas Hymer, a great I'M
Gle of our present tOwnsman, Wesley
C. Hymer But owing to Indian wars
and other eXigencies, no permanent
establishments were known in the vi
cinity of what is now called "Potos1"
until the advent of st. John and Whit
aker in 1882. Whitaker and his wife
lived in a cabin he built at the head of
the hollow near where Yves Hymer
now lives. There was no Potosi then.
The only objective point to specula-
tors and the Spring Rum" was Gee
ola, a few miles distant from Snake
Hollow. The discovery of the cave
it might be said indeed soon peopled
the ridges and hollows with miners
intent upon their search for the prec-
ious ore. Many were successful, fort
unes were made and spent in days
race with time. And the town sue
ceeding weeks gave birth to, were
builded by the magic of the mines. -
nj