Why We're the Badger State

View from the Merry Christmas Mine

Lead was discovered in the early 19th Century in southwest Wisconsin, attracting settlers and hundreds seeking their fortune.

A hill named the Merry Christmas Mine offers glimpses into a miner's life.  It's a park with a walking trail through history across Shake Rag Street from the Pendarvis Historic site.

The hill was home to more than 100 holes.

Miners dug them out, then covered with sod, brush, or logs to serve as temporary shelters not far below the surface.

The Badger Hole is the dark dip
in center of photo

When the dirty miners came out of their holes observers said they looked like Badgers.  It's why Wisconsin is the Badger State.   When we lived up north, there was a time I saw an actual Badger crossing the road... I think I'd rather to tangle with a miner.

Zinc Mining Ore Can

When the lead ore was dug up, it was separated from rock, washed, and then smelted.  The lead was poured into ingots of 70 pounds each.

Zinc was also removed from the earth and processed into zinc oxide and sulphuric acid.

The beauty of the Merry Christmas Hill Mine is the sense I had walking the mile long path over the hill and down the other side.

Made in 1905, this air compressor supplied
air for drills below ground

Lead and Zinc ore was mined in Wisconsin until 1980, falling victim to low prices and the expense of keeping up with government regulations.

The minerals were a big part in developing Wisconsin, but removing from the earth left its mark.  The State Conservation Corps began restoring native grasses to the site in the late 1980s.

The swaying grass and vaulted views of Mineral Point add to the experience of exploring the grounds.  It's years removed from the rough and tumble days of mining and smelting, but the stroll over history got me in touch with the beginning of the Badgers of Wisconsin.