Mine Au Breton on the south side of Breton Creek was discovered by Francis Azor, aka "The Breton" a retired soldier from Ft. DeChartres, Illinois.  He was called "The Breton" because of his birthplace in Brittany, France.  According to an old legend while Azor & his guide were tracking a bear along a creek in what would later become Washington County, Missouri Azor stumbled over an outcropping of lead. (The street along Breton Creek, Jefferson Street, is called "Bearfoot" by the locals because of this legend.)  Another version of the story says that he built his campfire next to what he thought was a tree root.  When the tree root melted he realized it was lead. 

Azor, "the Breton" received a grant for four arpents of land.  Crude stone furnaces were built & a  primitive mining village quickly sprang up which was called Mine Au Breton or Mine of the Breton. The date of this event was between 1760 - 1780.   Mine Au Breton became the most intensely worked lead mine & some French miners used black slave labor.

After hearing about the rich lead mines of southeast Missouri Territory (at that time called Upper Louisiana) Moses Austin, a wealthy, ambitious businessman, set out from Virginia in 1796 to investigate them.  In 1797 Austin stated about the mine, "Without doubt, Mine Au Breton is richer than any in the known world." Austin received a grant for 7, 153 arpents of land & transformed lead mining & smelting into Missouri's first major industry. He sank the first mine shaft in Missouri & built the first reverbatory furnace west of the Mississippi River. As a condition of Austin's grant Austin provided many improvements for this area.  He & his 40 to 50 slaves & employees built bridges,  roads, a store, a blacksmith shop, a flour mill, a saw mill, a shot tower, and turned out the first sheet lead & cannonballs made in Missouri. In 1798 he moved his wife & family here where they resided in beautiful Durham Hall which Austin built & named after his birthplace in Durham, Connecticut.    Austin also had a home in Ste. Genevieve.

In 1807 the village of Mine Au Breton had about 40 houses.  From the time of the discovery of lead a continuous settlement has existed here.

Washington County was organized 21 August 1813.  The influential Moses Austin donated 40 acres of land on the north side of Breton Creek for establishment of a county seat. John Rice Jones donated 10 acres. Lots and a public square were laid out and a new town evolved around Durham Hall.  The town was named "Potosi" in honor of a silver mining town in Bolivia.  Potosi acquired a post-office & since the distillation of whiskey from rye and corn was a large industry the town eventually accommodated two distilleries.  In 1814-15 the first courthouse was constructed & in 1815 a one room 13x13 ft. hewed log jail was built near the public square.     For all of his improvements of the area & his donation of the land for the county seat Moses Austin is credited with being the founding father of Potosi. Mine Au Breton on the south side of the creek & Potosi on the north side consolidated in 1826 under the sole name of "Potosi".  The name "Potosi" comes from a south American Indian word which means "place of much noise."

Moses Austin is not only credited with being the founding father of Potosi but also "The Grandfather of Texas."   In 1821 Moses Austin traveled to San Antonio where he received the first American grant for a colony in Texas.  Upon his return he was exposed to severe hardships & became ill.  He died 10 June 1821 in St. Francois County & was originally buried at Hazel Run.  In 1828 his body was disintered & reburied in the Potosi City Cemetery.  A very unusual occurance was discovered at this time as John S. Brickey tells the story:

"There is one other circumstance which may be thought worthy of remark.   A gentleman with whom I was well acquainted died in 1821, & was buried in the usual way at Hazel Run Mines, in St. Genevieve County, on Big River.  In 1828, his friends thought proper to disinter his remains at Hazel Run & bury him at Potosi.   When the coffin was taken up it was found to be rotten, but to the utter astonishment of all present the body of the deceased was in a state of perfect soundness, except the nose & some of the fingers, all the features, except as above, remaining perfect & entire & having every appearance of petrification.  Though not one present did anything mroe to the body than press it with their hands, several who saw it have affirmed that it was as hard as wood, if not stone.  I simply mention the fact as being out of the ordinary course of nature.  The body was accordingly brought to Potosi & buried.  There are several persons now living here who were ety-witnesses to the fact above related.  The body appeared of a dark or black color.   The gentleman I knew well.  He had lived an abstemious life, & was inclined to corpulence & died suddenly.  I could give you his name necessary.   The gentleman with whom I was well acquainted was Moses Austin. What is more the petrification story got abroad after the reinterment, & the grave .............   was opened by parties who were curious to learn if it was true, & the coffin found open, as if the vandals had been interrupted in their work.  The body, however, was not disturbed, & the grave has not been molested again to this date."  From: Wetmore's Gazeteer of Missouri

After Moses' death his son Stephen took over the project of moving 300 families from Potosi to Texas thereby making Stephen "The Father of Texas."  Austin, the capitol of Texas, is named for Stephen Austin.

Moses Austin and the Development of the Missouri Lead Industry
OZARKS WATCH ~ Vol. VI, No. 1, Summer 1992 / No. 2, Fall 1992