A decade before the City of Eau Claire was formed, there were 2274 people living in the three communities of West Eau Claire, North Eau Claire, and the Village of Eau Claire. By the time of the Civil War, the area could boast of four schools, ten dry goods stores, four grocery stores, four saloons, one newspaper, six doctors, seven attorneys, and eight lawyers. The three communities decided to merge as The City of Eau Claire, and a charter was passed March 19, 1872. Since that time, Eau Claire has continued to transform itself from a city focused on logging to industry to professional services.
“We cannot imagine what the community will look like 150 years from now, or if any of the landmarks we admire today will still be present, but with confidence we can know that images from the past 150 years, and next 150 years, will be available to guide us through the story…”
-Greg Kocken, Archivist, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
These transformations are captured in Reflections of Eau Claire: 1873-1998 by Jodi Kiffmeyer and Diana Peterson (CVM’s archivist and editor/assistant curator, respectively). Arranged in chronological order, these images mirror the changes that occurred in the city. Growth began around the rivers and continued to expand outward. In the late 1800s, several waves of immigrants arrived, and photos reveal the contributions made by German, Irish, and Scandinavian immigrants. Readers will enjoy learning about iconic structures such as Woo’s Pagoda Restaurant and Hotel Eau Claire as well as lesser-known stories about people and places from the city’s past.
Greg Kocken, Archivist, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, reminds us that “we cannot imagine what the community will look like 150 years from now, or if any of the landmarks we admire today will still be present, but with confidence we can know that images from the past 150 years, and next 150 years, will be available to guide us through the story. Future generations will consume this book as a resource to help us understand our past, and to see it in a way that is only possible through the power of the photographs and images we leave behind to tell that story.”
Located in the heart of Eau Claire’s Carson Park, the Chippewa Valley Museum inspires curiosity and connects people with the region’s deep history. Among the many amazing collections available at the Chippewa Valley Museum is its photograph collection. The thousands of photographs in the museum’s collection provide us with a glimpse into the Eau Claire community’s past. The images show us how the community has evolved over the course of 150 years. Reflections of Eau Claire: 1873-1998, carefully curates Eau Claire’s story using some of the most iconic and important images found in the museum’s collections.
Reflections of Eau Claire: 1873-1998 was made possible by a grant from the Eau Claire Community Foundation. It is available for sale on the Chippewa Valley Museum online store, at the Chippewa Valley Museum gift shop, and at The Local Store.
