Potosi Badger Huts Site

On a ridge above Potosi, Wisconsin, this archaeological site preserves traces of the region’s early lead-mining era. Spread across about 10 acres, it contains the remains of two structures and roughly 100 diggings, shafts, and a possible adit. The site appears to date to the early 1830s and was likely abandoned by the late 1840s as the first lead-mining boom ended. Its connection to early miners rests on circumstantial evidence rather than artifacts, including old-looking rock walls long regarded by local residents as the remains of “badger” huts. It is significant for its potential to reveal more about that early mining period.

Potosi, Wisconsin · United States