Post by Larry Koschkee on Feb 26, 2006 16:16:36 GMT -5
Snake Hollow was a short-lived name for the Wisconsin Territory lead mines located near the confluence of the Grant and Mississippi Rivers. The early settlement latter became known as Potosi.
There is mention of a blockhouse built in this hollow during the Black Hawk War found in a Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol. XXIII, No. 1, September, 1939. The article was authored by Elda. O. Baumann, titled " The History of Potosi"
..."In 1829, also float was found in what is now Potosi, and a cabin, the first in that vicinity, was built by Thomas Hymer. Because of Indian troubles, however, he did not stay; and the development of thes rich deposits did not really begin until the end of the Black Hawk war in 1832, with the discovery of the famous Potosi cave by Willis St. John and Isaac Whitaker, the first permanent settlers of the town. Very shortly thereafter, in the same year, a group of English miners from Galena, about sixty in number, came and formed a camp in the Hollow. To guard against possible Indian troubles, they built a blockhouse in which they all gathered at night, after the day's mining."
This information was not annotated so provenance remains a mystery. Perhaps someone can shed some light on it.
Larry
There is mention of a blockhouse built in this hollow during the Black Hawk War found in a Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol. XXIII, No. 1, September, 1939. The article was authored by Elda. O. Baumann, titled " The History of Potosi"
..."In 1829, also float was found in what is now Potosi, and a cabin, the first in that vicinity, was built by Thomas Hymer. Because of Indian troubles, however, he did not stay; and the development of thes rich deposits did not really begin until the end of the Black Hawk war in 1832, with the discovery of the famous Potosi cave by Willis St. John and Isaac Whitaker, the first permanent settlers of the town. Very shortly thereafter, in the same year, a group of English miners from Galena, about sixty in number, came and formed a camp in the Hollow. To guard against possible Indian troubles, they built a blockhouse in which they all gathered at night, after the day's mining."
This information was not annotated so provenance remains a mystery. Perhaps someone can shed some light on it.
Larry