Jamison Museum Association Annual Meeting to feature Stephanie Saager-Bourret as Speaker

The Jamison Museum Association Annual Meeting will be Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at the First English Lutheran Church, 215 W. Pine St in Platteville.  A Pasty Dinner fundraiser will be at 6:00 pm, followed by the meeting at 6:45 pm.  At 7:30 pm curator Stephanie Saager-Bourret will present on Survey in an Instant: Autumn Ramblings of David Dale Owen, 1839.

Survey in an Instant: Autumn Ramblings of David Dale Owen, 1839

This presentation explores the impact the 1839 geological survey of over 11,000 square miles of land in the upper Mississippi River Valley lead mining district that took place over a mere four months in 1839 led by David Dale Owen.

Before this survey any lands that might contain lead mines or salt springs were removed from general sale and were instead administered by the Ordinance Bureau of the War Department. The land could not be developed, sold, or legally farmed unless the potential buyers could swear an oath that the land they were purchasing contained no mineral deposits. There was no reliable information for the government officials to use to verify claims, which led to a good deal of strife in the region as well as loss of potential income for the government.

The survey allowed the mining industry to expand exponentially and attracted many people to the region. This also allowed the land to be permanently settled and farmed, leading to the establishment of industries that used and processed the lead found in our region.

Tickets for the Pasty Dinner are $20 each or $35 for a couple and are available ahead of time at mining.jamison.museum or at the Mining and Rollo Jamison Museums at 405 E. Main St in Platteville.  Stephanie Saager-Bourret’s presentation is free and open to the public.