Industry
Tower Hill State Park preserves the reconstructed Helena Shot Tower on the Wisconsin River, where an unusual lead-shot works operated from 1832 to 1860. Sparked by Daniel Whitney’s recognition of the bluff’s potential, Thomas B. Shaunce and Malcom Smith cut a deep shaft and tunnel through sandstone to create the drop needed for molten lead to form pellets. Later improvements increased production, and the enterprise contributed to southwestern Wisconsin’s settlement and transportation development. After Helena declined, Jenkin Lloyd Jones turned the site into a retreat, and the land became a state park in 1922. Its industrial, recreational, and regional history give the small site lasting significance.
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Wyoming, Wisconsin · United States
