A Field Guide to Mineral Point: The Buildings, Past and Present, of a Historic Wisconsin Town

Mineral Point started as a wild and wooly frontier town. The discovery of lead in 1828 attracted dirt-poor hard scrabble diggers, educated second sons, land speculators, lawyers, and lawless desperadoes, all of them looking to get rich, quick. Although now known for its Cornish roots, Mineral Point also attracted Yankees from the east coast, Southerners from Kentucky and Tennessee, "suckers" from Illinois, and lead miners from Missouri as well as Swiss, Germans, Irish, Norwegians, and Italians. These early folks left a lasting imprint in the buildings they constructed, used, and left behind. A Field Guide to Mineral Point documents these buildings, drawing on the rich collection of photographs held by the Mineral Point Historical Society and the Mineral Point Library Archive. Supplemented with excerpts from local newspapers and local histories, the Field Guide provides a unique look into what is today a quintessentially American town.