Beetown, Wisconsin

This town dates back in antiquity to a date when the Indians and their French allies roamed through this southwestern region. That mineral had been found on the bluffs of Grant River at an extremely early date is proven by the remains of their rude smelting works that were plainly visible up to a date within the memory of the present generation. The first knowledge of Beetown as a fixed place of abode for any number of people was in the early part of 1827, when James Meredith, Curtis Caldwell, Thomas Crocker and Cyrus Alexander stumbled across evidences of mineral at the foot of a large, hollow bee-tree that had been blown down by some of the storms passing over that section. Upon closer examination a nugget of mineral weighing 425 pounds is said to have been discovered. However this may be, the lead thus discovered was known from this time forth as the "bee lead," and proved among the richest of the many rich discoveries in this section. " During the early attempts at mining, this lead caved in and killed a workman by the name of Jack Dowling. His body was dug out and buried on the ridge west of the diggings. His coifin was split "puncheons," laid in the grave. The grave was discovered accidentally in 1852, but all that could then be seen was the fast decaying "puncheons" and moldering bones.

Passage source: History of Grant County, Wisconsin, published 1881.

During the "Winnebago fuss" the mines were deserted and left to care for themselves; as the excitement died away greed for gain proved stronger than fears of " Injun," and parties began to straggle back. During the fall of 1827, Henry C. Bushnell settled at Muscalunge with his newly married bride. Mr. Bushnell had been in that section earlier in the year, and, having become impressed with the beauty and richness of the country, married and immediately returned to begin his new home in the wilderness. Here he erected a log cabin, the threshold of which - a broad flat stone - can still be seen imbedded in the soil a few feet above the gate leading to the residence of Hon. 0. C. Hathaway. A short distance away, Mr. Bushnell erected a log blacksmith-shop, which is still standing, though exhibiting the marks of time on its rude walls. To Mr. and Mrs. Bushnell was born the succeeding year the first white child born in the county - Dorothy J. Bushnell. This same year George Hacket built a furnace near Muscalunge .and commenced smelting. He also had diggings on the stream known as Hacket's Branch. In 1828, Mr. Bushnell removed with his family to Lancaster, and settled at what has since been known as " Bushnell Hollow." In the same year, Mr. Solomon Arthur and wife came to Beetown from Vermont and located there, the first actual settlers Beetown had known. Mr. Arthur had reached Chicago in the fall of the preceding year ; but meeting Gen. Cass at that point, who was advising people to put themselves under the protection of the fort, remained there until spring. In three days after his arrival he had his log cabin rolled up, and here he lived until his death, which occurred in 1846 or 1847. For five years, Mrs. Arthur was the only white woman in Beetown, her nearest neighbor being six or seven miles distant. She was often compelled to subsist on parched corn, and would spend many days and nights alone, with no companion but the house-dog.

Passage source: History of Grant County, Wisconsin, published 1881.

Quite a number of adventurers came in the spring of 1828, with them Mr. A. L. Johnson, from Baltimore. He brought in a stock of goods, opened a store, and, in company with Mr. Arthur, built a log smelting furnace. At the same time came Capt. Robert Reed and Dr. Hill, afterward residents of Lancaster; Messrs. Snyder, Fuller and Robert Dougherty, from

Passage source: History of Grant County, Wisconsin, published 1881.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Beetown Town - it names this place 27 more 27 times.