Re: Mining in Clayton Co.
HOLMES
Posted By: Clayton co. Coordinator (email) In Response To: Mining in Clayton Co. (Loanne Livesay Rebuck)
Date: 4/25/2004 at 16:16:19
I searched the Clayton co. IAGenWeb site and did a google search. Here is a bit of what I found:
-There were lead mines in Buena Vista twp.:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~iaclayto/1882/buenavista_twp.htm-I also found some interesting early history on zinc & lead mining
"....colorful mining history of Iowa's portion of the Upper Mississippi Valley Zinc-Lead District. The mining district, a major producer of zinc and lead ores throughout much of this country's history, covers portions of northeast Iowa, southwest Wisconsin, and northwest Illinois. Commercial mining ventures in Iowa have taken place in Dubuque, Clayton, Allamakee, Jackson, Clinton, and Jones counties...."
for more:
http://www.igsb.uiowa.edu/browse/leadzinc/leadzinc.htm-And this 1838 letter from Clayton co. talks about the lead mines "...it is in the vicinity of the lead mines, where there are a great many persons engaged in mining, which makes a good market for everything which the farmer can raise so long as there is a market on the Mississippi River. I suppose it is as good a farming country as it is farther south, and the lead mines are said to be richer than the gold mines of Mexico, that is, there is more profit in working them."...
read entire letter:
http://iagenweb.org/history/annals/apr1908.htm-A HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY LEAD ZINC DISTRICT
http://www.uwplatt.edu/~geography/mines/history.html
Clayton Queries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen