In the early 1690s, Native Americans and French arrived in what is now Potosi and Tennyson, Wisconsin. The history from that time until the 1800s is mostly a mystery. The towns of Potosi and Tennyson began as rival mining villages in their early years.
Potosi, which is known as “Wisconsin's Catfish Capital” and for its longest main street, began as a town in 1829. Early settlers stayed here because of lead ore found in St. Johns Mine. At this time, it was not called Potosi, but instead consisted of three settlements: Snake Hollow, Van Buren, and La Fayette. When these settlements combined, they became Potosi. The name Potosi is believed to have come from the Spanish word for lead, “potosi”, a corruption of the Native American name Potosa, or from miners who made their way to Wisconsin from Potosi, Missouri.
In 1836, Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, a Dominican priest from Italy, arrived in Potosi to meet the town's spiritual needs. He formed St. Thomas Parish, which was first built as a log cabin church. The Potosi Post Office was opened in 1837 and moved around a few times before finally being placed at the center of Potosi. Potosi started as a shipping port for lead ore, as it is right along the Mississippi.
In 1843, Father Causse built the first school. Potosi was one of the largest communities in Wisconsin at the time, until the shipping for lead ore was filled with river silt, making it unusable. Many were also driven toward the California gold rush, so many people left Potosi and went West. In the late 1840s and early 1850s, cholera became a widespread illness and wiped out a quarter of the Potosi population. In 1870, Saint Johns Mine closed due to depleted ore.
The first brewery was built in the 1850s, and it served the farmers, miners, and residents. In 1886, the brewery was purchased by Adam Schumacher, and the Potosi Brewing Company was formed. The Brewery survived prohibition, and at the time, was the fifth largest brewery in the state. However, in 1972, the Brewery had to shut down because of financial issues, causing the building to sit vacant. The brewery was bought by Gary David and his cousin, who reestablished it and held a grand reopening in 2008. The brewery continues to serve the town today by bringing the community together, boosting local businesses, and attracting tourists from all over.
Tennyson’s earliest settlers arrived in 1836; many were German immigrants. Tennyson was a small village and a mining camp called Dutch Hollow. Tennyson had over 10,000 mines dug in the hills and valleys of the town. In the mid-1840s, German immigrants established the St. Andrew Catholic Church. In 1847, the first St. Andrew's school was built.
Some of the earliest settlers were Henry and Godfrey Freizer. Henry Freizer was a butcher and sold meat to miners in the village. Frank Mueller, another resident, built a large rock home in 1848 for his family. This home was also a large part of many residents' social lives as it was known for its general store on the first floor and its saloon and dance hall on the second floor. The third floor of the home was the living quarters for the parents and their eleven children. The Muellers also owned a log cabin, which was located across from Haverland's Bar; it is now an apartment building. It is believed that John Wilkes Booth, a ventriloquist known for assassinating President Lincoln, performed for the community while staying at the Muellers' log cabin. In 1913, the town was renamed Tennyson in honor of the famous poet Alfred Lord Tennyson. In 1921, St. Andrew High School was formed and lasted 40 years.
Potosi and Tennyson are no longer rival mining villages; rather, they are two towns that have found success together. The two churches have since combined, and in 1964, the two parishes jointly built SS. Andrew Thomas School next to Highway 61.
Despite the two communities having separate and distinct town boards, the community members of both Potosi and Tennyson support businesses, community events, and school-related activities. We are now essentially one united community: Potosi-Tennyson.