Platteville Started Here

In the fall of 1827, John H. Rountree and his partner purchased a mineral prospect after small pieces of lead mineral were found in dirt scratched out by badgers on a bluff at the east end of the old Rountree lead. In November of 1827, John Rountree and his partner, Major J. B. Campbell, bought the mineral claim from Emanuel Metcalf for $3,600. The Rountree Lead was the first mine developed in what became the city of Platteville, and with the start of this mine, Platteville's further development began as a lead smelting furnace, a store, and a Post Office followed to serve the increasing numbers of settlers arriving in the area.

Platteville, Wisconsin · United States