Native copper, in small quantities, has been found on Muddy river, in Jackson county, and back of Harrisonville, in the bluffs of Monroe county. Crystallized gypsum has been found in small quantities in St. Clair county. Quartz crystals exist in Gallatin county.
Silver is supposed to exist in St. Clair county, two miles from Rock Spring, from whence Silver creek derives its name. In early times, a shaft was sunk here, by the French, and tradition tells of large quantities of the precious metals being obtained.
In the southern part of the State, several sections of land have been reserved from sale, on account of the silver ore they are supposed to contain.
Lead is found in vast quantities in the northern part of Illinois, and the adjacent territory. Here are the richest lead mines hitherto discovered on the globe. This portion of country lies principally north of Rock river and south of the Wisconsin. Dubuque's, and other rich mines, are west of the Mississippi.
Native copper, in large quantities, exists in this region, especially at the mouth of Plum creek, and on the Peek-a-ton-o-kee, a branch of Rock river.
The following is a list of the principal diggings in that portion of the lead mine region that lies between Rock river and the Wisconsin, embracing portions of Illinois State, and Wisconsin Territory. Some of these diggings are, probably, relinquished, and many new ones commenced.
| Apple Creek, | Plattsville, |
| Galena and vicinity, | Cassville and vicinity, |
| Cave Diggins, | Madden's, |
| Buncombe, | Mineral Point, |
| Natchez, | Dodgeville, |
| Hardscrabble, | Worke's Diggings, |
| New Diggings, | Brisbo's, |
| Gratiot's Grove, | Blue Mounds, |
| Spulburg, | Prairie Springs, |
| W. S. Hamilton's, | Hammett & Campbell's, |
| Cottle's, | Morrison's, |
| McNutt's, | and many others. |
| Menomonee Creek, |
Amount of Lead Manufactured. For many years the Indians, and some of the French hunters and traders, had been accustomed to dig lead in these regions. They never penetrated much below the surface, but obtained considerable quantities of the ore which they sold to the traders.
In 1823, the late Col. James Johnson, of Great Crossings, Ky., and brother to the Hon. R. M. Johnson, obtained a lease of the United States government, and made arrangements to prosecute the business of smelting, with considerable force, which he did the following season. This attracted the attention of enterprising men in Illinois, Missouri, and other States. Some went on in 1826, more followed in 1827, and in 1828 the country was almost literally filled with miners, smelters, merchants, speculators, gamblers, and every description of character. Intelligence, enterprise, and virtue, were thrown in the midst of dissipation, gaming, and every species of vice. Such was the crowd of adventurers in 1829, to this hitherto almost unknown and desolate region, that the lead business was greatly overdone, and the market for awhile nearly destroyed. Fortunes were made almost upon a turn of the spade, and lost with equal facility. The business has revived and is profitable. Exhaustless quantities of mineral exist here, over a tract of country two hundred miles in extent.
The following table shows the amount of lead made annually at these diggings, from 1821, to Sept, 30, 1835: