A Weekend in Wisconsin - Day 3

We will start our third day, of traveling the highways and byways of Southwest Wisconsin, in Lancaster. If you spent the night in **Cassville, take Highway 81 to Highway 35 south.

Lancaster is best known for the dome of the County Courthouse. The courthouse is Neoclassical, brick and brownstone with an octagonal copper and glass dome that is visible for some distance around the town. Patterned after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Grant County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first Civil War monument (1867) ever erected in Wisconsin stands on the northeast corner of the courthouse square.

The Cunningham Museum in Lancaster includes displays and artifacts from Pleasant Ridge, a rare African-American community that boasted the first integrated public school. The Pleasant Ridge Cemetery is located on Slabtown road 5 miles west of Lancaster. Tombstones of the Shepard and Green families can be seen in this scenic ridge top cemetery located near their former farmland. There is a Historical marker.

You can pick up brochures for a Walking Tour of Lancaster, Wisconsin. This self-guided tour of the courthouse Square historic district features many buildings built from 1860 to 1900. Most of the structures were evaluated as being eligible for nomination to the national Register of Historic Places. You will see a mix of styles, including; Greek Revival, Italianate, Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, and Prairie style.

Take Highway 61 south from Lancaster heading toward Potosi-Tennyson. Turn east (left) on Hippy Hollow Road one mile north of Potosi. The British Hollow Smelting Furnace has a 200 foot underground chimney. It stands as the last of its kind in the lead region.

The two towns of Potosi and Tennyson have combined to form one town, Potosi-Tennyson, Wisconsin's Catfish Capital. One of the main attractions is the St. John Mine. Despite the name this mine was originally a cave filled with veins of rich lead ore. You can put on a hard hat and tour the mine for a unique experience discovering what mining life was like a century ago.

The Passage Thru Time Museum contains models, exhibits and displays containing historical views of the Potosi Brewery, early mining, agricultural achievements, and Indian arrowheads.

The Potosi Brewery is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The original building dates to 1852, with additions being made up until 1933, at which time it was one of 79 breweries operating in Wisconsin. Beer was made here until 1972 and was a popular, well-known brand.

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