Dodgeville, fourth-class city in and county seat of Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States
Dodgeville is a small city in Iowa County, Wisconsin, serving as the county seat and center of local government. The town features stone and wood buildings including the oldest continuously operating courthouse in Wisconsin, which has been in use since 1859.
Dodgeville was founded in the 1820s as a mining center when lead ore was extracted from the region. The oldest surviving structure is the Dodge Mining Camp Cabin from 1827, which shows how early miners lived and worked in those early days.
Dodgeville takes its name from Henry Dodge, an early settler and lead mining pioneer who shaped the region's development. The name reflects the town's deep connection to its mining heritage, a story that remains visible in how residents talk about their past and in the structures that still stand around them.
The city is easy to walk through with shops and cafes located close together, making it simple to explore on foot. Parking is straightforward and main roads are well-maintained, connecting visitor amenities like restaurants and overnight lodging throughout the town.
The Slag Furnace, a stone structure built in 1876, was used to melt leftover slag from iron production to extract additional metal. This industrial relic reveals a lesser-known chapter of the region's economic past beyond lead mining.
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