Beetown (community), Wisconsin

Beetown, Wisconsin
Unincorporated community
Looking north at Beetown from WIS 81
Beetown Show map of Wisconsin Beetown Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 42°47′42″N90°53′07″W / 42.79500°N 90.88528°W / 42.79500; -90.88528
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Grant
Town	Beetown
Elevation	250 m (810 ft)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	608
GNIS feature ID	1561503 [1]

Beetown is an unincorporated community in the town of Beetown, Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. ^[1] Wisconsin Highway 81 passes through the community.

History

The settlement was first surveyed in 1847 or 1848. The community had become prosperous by 1850, boasting three hotels, but a combination of the Gold Rush and an outbreak of cholera nearly depopulated the community. ^[2]

The community got its name from settler Cyrus Alexander, who discovered a 425 pounds (193 kg) block of lead under a bee tree in 1827. He named his find bee lead, which eventually became Beetown's name as well. ^[3]

Notes

1. "Beetown (community), Wisconsin". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles; "Village of Beetown Legally Surveyed and Laid Off in 1848"; Wisconsin State Journal; Madison, Wisconsin; Aug. 15, 1926; viewed online at https://www.wisconsinhistory.org on Feb. 19, 2023. Internally inconsistent on year of survey and form of government.
3. Gard, Robert (2015). The Romance of Wisconsin Place Names (2nd ed.). Madison, WI: Wisconsin Historical Society Press. p. 25. ISBN   978-0-87020-707-5.