Perhaps you have read previous posts of long ago, where I visited Mineral Point with Ed by my side. Or, you are from Wisconsin and you've heard about, or visited this small town (pop 2 600) yourself. It is about 50 miles to the south and west of Madison. Keep on going past Mineral Point and in an hour you're in Dubuque Iowa.
Mineral Point began as a lead mining town back in the 1820s. Settled by Cornish immigrants, it boomed. (Did you know that in the 1830s, it surpassed even the population of Chicago and Milwaukee?) More mining took place in the 1870s, this time for zinc.
How important was this city back then? You could say that it is where Wisconsin began. This is where our first governor (Henry Dodge) was inaugurated. Big time events happened here. Construction of homes exploded. (The town retains the mid 19th century architecture.)But by the turn of the century, the focus shifted to agriculture. And the town shrank. And then the focus switched again -- the town reinvented itself as one that drew in artists and crafts people. As early as 1935, a couple of enterprising dudes began the preservation of historic Cornish mining houses here. This alone is why many want to visit Mineral Point.
* * *
I wake up early. I want to do morning chores and be ready with breakfast by the time Diane wakes. I don't quite succeed, but she is a patient house guest.
(morning walk to feed the animals)
Breakfast (finally!) is just for the two of us. Ed is not an early morning riser!
And not too long after, Diane and I set out to pick up Barbara. We grocery shop, eat lunch and I point Alpine Blue southwest toward Mineral Point.
* * *
We have come here for three nights. None of my previous visits to Mineral Point were inspiring in terms of rentals, so I'm trying a new place -- an AirBnB right on the main High Street.
The rental is big: an entire house of some historical significance. It's called the Jones House. I've seen a photo of it from 1895, with two gents standing in three piece suits in front of it. Right now, it is a beautifully restored home and some would say it has a modern Scandinavian aesthetic. Not being a fan of antique-laden rentals, I am thrilled with the looks of the interior.
Of the days we are here, today offers the best weather, tomorrow brings a day of medium okay weather, and Tuesday offers the most miserable weather you can imagine for a May day in southern Wisconsin. It is imperative to explore now, while we're still on the dry side of things. Two of us set out, one stays home and puts her feet up.
Mineral Point is pretty. It is also geared toward weekend traffic. Most places are closed on weekdays and certainly on late afternoons Sunday.
We check out the cafes and lunch spots for future reference, and we do go into the one shop that is still inviting visitors. Pottery, done by a very chatty potter.
We learn a lot about porcelain and stoneware.
Our dinner destination tonight? Popolo's. And Italian place serving pizza. It's open only on weekends so it's our one chance to eat at a restaurant in town.
Well that was nice! Three pizzas and three salads later we go home.
* * *
We're at the Jones House now, deeply satisfied. Sure, I wish we were having a string of warm days -- like last week! There's a porch here, the walks in the area are lovely. Not for us this time: we are likely to spend a lot of hours inside, with the furnace running. But of course, we're together -- the rare gathering of all three. Not yet stuck in the past (dont old friends reminisce during their meetups?), we talk about the present. And yet, sometimes I feel like we are back in the days where our kids are just tots, and we are still law students trying to manage little ones and school in one big exhausting breath. I could not have imagined then where I'd be right now. I'm sure this is true for my friends as well. We've had a lot of good things come together in our lives. Drama too, but good things stand out. I am grateful. We are grateful.
with so much love...
