John Rountree (1805-1890) is considered one of the founders of Platteville. He arrived early and spent the rest of his long life here in Platteville. A very successful business man, he was involved in mining, farming, commerical enterprises, and land speculation. He also served in local and state government positions.

   In 1828 he and Mary were married, and they moved into their log cabin. She died in 1837. He married Lydia in 1839. Rountree was the father of six sons and four daughters.

   These remembrances were hand written in ink on ten sheets of paper.  We've kept the original spelling and punctuation. At that time, spelling, capitalization and punctuation weren't as standardized as they are today. It is also possible that in a few places, his penmanship has been misread.

    Early Remembrances of J.H. Rountree Lead mines
       & Platteville written 1870

 On the 24th of May 1827 J.H. Rountree reached the
 Lead Region in company with Honorables Horace
 McCartney, John B. Terry (who are now both
 Dead and several other persons by
 Ox Teames having Started from Hillsboro
 Montgomery County Ill. in April crossing the
 Illinois River at Beards Ferry   Soon
 after crossing that River.  Left the settled portion
 of the Country north of that River.  and trav
 eled over an unsettled Country.  Fording
 the Rock River.  Some where between where
 Dickson is Located and Rock Island
 until we arrived at a Point some where
 between the White Oak Springs and New
 Diggings.     After travelling on foot
 with Alexander Gray, who was one of my
 travelling companions from Montgomery
 County Illinois, and Occassionally
 Digging what was then Called a Sucker
 hole in search for Lead ore.   over the
 Country about New Diggings Gratiats
 Grove, Shullsburgh,  & Elk Grove.   we
 concluded on the morning of without
 finding any. mineral for the balance of the month
 of May, and all of June and the three first
 days of  July.  on the morning of the
 4th of July 1827, we concluded to visit
 the mounds (since called the Platte Mounds)
 and as it was a Beautiful clear