Stanton — The Lead Region of ^Yisconsin. 199 



and Paris/ The twelve towns of Lafayette county are Darling- 

 ton, Shiillsbiirg, Benton, Kendall, ^ew Diggings, Gratiot, Elk 

 Grove, Belmont, Willow Springs, White Oak Springs, and Mon- 

 ticello. - 



In order to make such a study it is necessary to divide each 

 county into sections so that comparisons can be made. In this 

 division each county is taken separately. The following di- 

 visions have been made : 



Gron^D I. An area having the greatest number of lead mines. 

 Por Grant county, Platteville; for Lafayette county, Benton 

 and ]^ew Diggings. 



Group 11. The general lead area consisting of the towns al- 

 ready named. For Grant county, seven townships ; for Lafay- 

 ette county, twelve townships. 



Group III. A non-lead area, consisting of all the remaining 

 townships in each county.^ 



It is necessary before going further to speak briefly of the 

 geology and topography of this region. * It comprises the lead 

 mining district of southwestern Wisconsin and is marked by no 

 such irregularities of surface as are generally found in mineral 

 districts. The important watei'shed commences at Madison 

 and runs due west for twenty miles, southward for fifteen miles 

 and then resuming its westerly course, terminates in the bluffs 

 at the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. The 

 most noticeable thing about this watershed is its parallelism with 

 the Wisconsin river so long as it holds a westerly course. The 

 main western division of the watershed separates the waters flow- 

 ing into the Platte and Pever rivers from those flowing into the 

 Pecatonica. The waters of the Sugar and Pecatonica rivers are 

 separated by the eastern division. The slope toward the south 

 is very gradual and here the streams have eroded the country 

 into undulating slopes where abrupt cliffs and ravines are the 



^ The area of this section is 265 square miles ; the area of Grant County is 1,164 square 

 miles. 



2 The area of this section is 431 square miles ; the area of Lafayette County is 630 square- 

 miles. 



^ These townships are not entirely without lead ; there are several having important 

 lead mines in them ; such townships are Lima, Beetown, Clifton, Wingville and Ellen- 

 fcorough. 



< The material that fellows was taken from Geology of Wisconsin, Vol. II., Part IV, 

 1873-77. 



