Spensley Farm

As previously shown, under the old system, which generally prevailed until 1836, diggers were permitted to sell their mineral only to licensed smelters, and the Government collected the rents (10 per cent until 1830, and 6^ per cent subsequently, delivered at the United States warehouse, in Galena) of the smelters. The prices paid to miners were made with that fact in view. In 1827, as clearly indicated by the letter from Lieut. Thomas to E. Ferguson, and subsequent orders, the diggers and some of the smelters were operating on lands not owned or controlled by the United States, in some instances, having the permission of the Indians and paying them for the privilege, and in more cases, probably, trespassing on their domain. It had begun to dawn upon the people that five leagues square comprised only a very small portion of the lands rich in mineral wealth, and it was not possible for the Government agents to prevent digging for mineral outside the limits of the reservation, over which, only, could the United States exercise control. The Superintendent of the United States Mines had no authority to grant permits on Indian territory. He could forbid such tresspass, but it would require a military force to prevent mining beyond the limits of the reservation, provided the diggers obtained the consent of the native owners. It was plain tiiat the Government could rightfully collect rent only of those who obtained their mineral within the recognized limits of the " five league square." The agent could not fully demand any of the lead obtained beyond the limits of the reservation, and this led to difficulty. It was unjust to pay rent to the Indians and to pay it again to the United States, nor could the agent collect rent even if it had been surreptitiously obtained. Some of the smelters, and especially those operating on Indian lands, either with or without the permission of the natives, or buying mineral from diggers operating beyond the jurisdiction of the agent, began to refuse to pay rent, alleging that, as they obtained lead from Indian lands and were not protected by the Government, they were under no obligation to pay. The agent was placed in an embarrassing position. They were obtaining mineral on the public lands, but they were also obtaining it on lands over which the United States e.xercise no control, he had no means of determining the amount actually due the Government, and therefore could not enforce payment of any. This refusal became more general until the unauthorized sale of the mineral lands in Wisconsin, in 1831, and subsequently by the Register of the Land Office at Mineral Point (called Shake-rag " in early mining days), who, in violation of his express instructions, permitted a large number of the diggmgs actually worked to be entered. Many miners were thus outrageously defrauded, and their rights were disregarded. From that time they declined taking leases, and the lead office gradually fell into practical disuse. Capt. Weber remained as agent until about 1840, but his iigency was purely nominal. The regulations were not enforced, smelters paid no rent, and there was a season of freedom from Governmental supervision. In 1840, however, an attempt was made to revive the office. H. King, special agent, was sent to the mines, probably to investigate Weber's loose manner of doing business, nr rather his neglect of business. -'With Mr. King," says Mr Houghton, "or very nearly the same time, came John Flanagan."

Passage source: History of Iowa County, Wisconsin, Containing an Account of Its Settlement, Growth, Development and Resources...biographical Sketches.., published 1881.

Mineral Point of to-day necessarily enjoys a place in the annals of Wisconsin as distinctive as it is prominent, with relation to the first settlement of the State not only, but in consideration of the various mineral resources of this locality, from which the name was derived, and which were the primary forces that attracted the first white men hither, and that still constitute a large part of the wealth of this community.

Passage source: History of Iowa County, Wisconsin, Containing an Account of Its Settlement, Growth, Development and Resources...biographical Sketches.., 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 Mineral Point Town - 40,686 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.