Ebenezer Brigham (1789-1861), the first permanent white settler of Dane County, came here as a prospector in 1828. The inn he built for his miners became popular with travelers on the old Military Road, and Blue Mounds became a well-known landmark. Ebenezer Brigham was a colonel in the Black Hawk War and was prominent in Wisconsin's territorial affairs and early statehood. Charles Brigham came to Blue Mounds in 1886. He became a leader in dairying and soil conservation, and in the religious, cultural and political activities of the area.