A Field Guide to Mineral Point

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.\nAlthough 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.\nThese early folks left a lasting imprint in the buildings they constructed, used, and left behind.\nA 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.