Back to Wisconsin

On Monday, we headed west from New Glarus to Mineral Point, a town with a population of 2617, according to Wikipedia, in the 2000 census. While big city people might think 2000?, I have to say that's it is a town and has quite a bit of character. Barb and Steve, owners of Hoch Haus, where we stayed in August, highly recommended visiting the place, so we set aside the afternoon to explore a little.

The weather was gorgeous again, 50s and sunny, and travel took less than what I thought. In a little more than a half-hour, we were parked on High Street, which is one of the main roads in Mineral Point.



A Sidewalk Along High

Originally founded in 1827 by Cornish miners, Mineral Point attracted quite a bit of attention. It became county seat to Iowa County, home to 5,234 inhabitants in 1836; the number of residents might not seem like a lot, but that figure made it the most populous county in the Wisconsin Territory east of the Mississippi River. The town took a large hit, when gold was discovered in California in 1848. To miners, lead might make a living, but it doesn't have quite the luster of gold.

Later in the 1800s, zinc was discovered locally. This led to Mineral Point being a sustained center for commerce in the region. The surviving architecture bears testament to the town's prominence. One is these local attractions is The Pointer Canine, which has adorned the front of a building for over 130 years. The building originally housed the large department store of Gundry and Gray. The business founders were both from Cornwall and it was a British custom to help identify stores by using animal statutes.



Marking

For more information and to see a larger photo, check out The Pointer Canine Landmark page at MineralPoint.com
Much of the local architecture dates from the mid to late 1800s. Here's an image of one from 1892:


Yes, 1892

Built in 1914 (a young one compared to some of the others), the Opera House Building was dedicated as a "Theater for All the People" and is once again trying to live up to that motto. Nearing the end of a restoration project, the building will soon be home to various performances.



Opera and More

Sandra and I enjoyed the bright sunshine and the walk down High, which is appropriately named, to Commerce Street. Here's a good view, looking down towards Commerce (in the photo, where the stop sign is):



Guiding the Path

If you want to know more about Mineral Point, the Chamber of Commerce maintains an informative web site.

Many more photos are waiting...stay tuned...