I thought a few of you perhaps might find this information interesting if you have any roots tied to Weston - a little burg west of Elizabeth. Cheryl: perhaps you would want to add it to the Jo Daviess webpage under town/Elizabeth which references Weston? Weston In 1842 and 1843 the lead mines west of Elizabeth gained considerable notoriety and a large number of miners came here. Much mineral was found, and in the early "forties" Weston was a thriving mining town of between one and two thousand population. Cabins were built in rapid succession and in 1844 Green, Goldthorpe and Co. started a store and post office. In 1847 the village of Weston was laid out and platted. Thee were many pool halls and gambling shops and about 14 saloons. There was a "Headquarters Tavern" which stood on the rocky bluff on the hill known now as Kaul's Hill. A basement pit still remains as proof of where it stood. The first smelting furnace was started in 1843 by Green, Tart, Hughlett and Estey. The molds were constructed in a V shape and filled with lead. When the lead came out of the furnace it was a V shaped block weighing approximately 100 pounds. Later Mr. Henry Green had a smelting furnace between Elizabeth and Weston and he owned most of the surrounding land. He lived on his farm near Elizabeth and was a United States Senator. He is buried in the Weston cemetery. There was no resident minister but a Methodist minister came to the church there. At one time the church was where the cemetery is now, but later another church was erected beside the rock school, which was always known as Weston school. This school burned but was replaced, and is now the residence of the James Kristin family. A Mr. A. B. Lewis started a school in the church building, and it continued there until the schoolhouse was built in 1862. The pockets of the earth were soon exhausted and the miners moved on to "greener fields." When news of the California gold rush came to Weston everyone packed up and left. The store was closed and by 1859 the post office was discontinued. Today all that is left is the school and a few farmhouses. From: Past to Present, Elizabeth Illinois 1968