As you may have heard – especially if you picked up the March 12 of Volume One – the City of Eau Claire just turned 150. The official birthday was Saturday, March 19, 2022; that was the day in 1872 that three small villages on the banks of two rivers were incorporated into one city. A roomful of Eau Clairians gathered at the Chippewa Valley Museum that day to toast the city’s big birthday. 

Interim City Manager Dave Solberg, dressed in the finery of a 19th-century gentleman, complete with a top hat, read a proclamation that was passed by the City Council on March 8, declaring the day “Eau Claire Day.” Attendees swapped stories, shared memories, enjoyed a slideshow that contrasted historic images with contemporary ones, and enjoyed a giant Eau Claire-themed cake.

Learn more about the city’s ongoing sesquicentennial celebration at visiteauclaire.com/150th.