Mineral Point, Wisconsin

By: Herbert Beall and Barbara Apelian Beall

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Synopsis: Mineral Point, Wisconsin, recounts the changing fortunes of a once rough-and-ready mining town of the 1820s. Featuring historic photographs from the collection of the Mineral Point Historical Society and Pendarvis-Wisconsin State Historic Site-an exciting history unfolds in these pages, with the arrival of miners from the fledgling United States in the 1820s in search of lead. When the demand for lead collapsed, Mineral Point shifted its focus to the mining of zinc, only to have that market drop after World War I. Mineral Point was reawakened in the 1930s with the influx of artists and others, like Edgar Hellum and Robert Neal, who were interested in historic preservation. The town has transformed itself once again, becoming a vibrant artistic, historic, and architectural center. In 1971, it became the first Wisconsin community to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, with 514 contributing buildings. This fascinating pictorial history celebrates the people of Mineral Point-the early American settlers from Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky, and the Cornish, German, Irish, and Italian immigrants. Mineral Point, Wisconsin, also features their legacy-their homes, businesses, schools, and organizations. These historic photos provide glimpses of the extensive zinc works that no longer exist, as well as many of the buildings still standing in the town today.