Eau Claire's 150th Sesquicentennial Birthday
After a century and a half, we gather where the rivers meet to celebrate our city’s heritage.
Sesquicentennial Stories: The Sailstad Scandal
a juicy tale of a missing phonograph maker, a burned body, and a lot of insurance money
Rear View Mirror: Looking Back at Some Scenes from the City’s History
get revved up with these photos from the Chippewa Valley Museum
This Just In: A Brief History of Broadcasting in the Chippewa Valley
tuning in to the nearly century-long history and radio and TV in E.C.
STAFF NOTE: The City Starts Its Celebration
kicking off Eau Claire’s 150th birthday year
Getting up to Date: Author’s Epic Effort to Chronicle Eau Claire History Reaches Its Conclusion
historian Brian Blakeley publishes third volume of city’s story
Get Ready to Party Like It’s 1872
Saturday, March 19, is Eau Claire’s big birthday
From the Beginning
A timeline of Eau Claire history for the past 150+ years
How Did Eau Claire Get Its Name?
It’s not as clear as the story you’ve heard
So What Exactly Happened in 1872?
Why March 19 is Eau Claire’s official birthday
Deep Roots: Council Oak Connects Community to Original Inhabitants
tree on UW-Eau Claire had historical, cultural significance
Standing Tall: Logging Industry Key to E.C.’s Early Days
the reason it’s called ‘Sawdust City’
UWEC: Historical [and] Important
From a one-building college for teachers, the university has become vital to city’s success
Big Names in Eau Claire’s History
meet a few of the people who helped make Eau Claire what it is today
Lumbering’s Legacy: Sawmills May Be Long Gone, But Impact Remains
the Valley’s lumber heyday lasted just a few decades
School Days: A Primer on Education in Eau Claire
from the first school to today, enrollment has grown from 15 to 11,000
Eau Claire’s Lifelines
the story of the city’s hospitals stretches back to its earliest days
Chugging Ahead: Trains Helped City Grow
Eau Claire’s passenger rail era began in 1870
It Never Tired: E.C. Plant Was Where Rubber Met the Road
whether they called it Gillette, U.S. Rubber, or Uniroyal, massive factory was crucial for the city
Wind and Rain Wreak Historic Devastation
1980, 1884 brought memorable natural disasters
Old Abe’s High-Flying History
Legendary ‘War Eagle’ joined E.C. troops in battle
Eau Claire 150th is presented by:
Market & Johnson
EST. 1948
2350 Galloway St.
Eau Claire, WI
Founding Stories
Founding Stories
Celebrating the respected and long-running local businesses that grew with this community through our 150 years
Founding Stories - Masonic Temple - EST. 1859
Ready to welcome you back in time
Founding Stories - Amber Inn Bar & Grill - EST. 1881
Once a bar, always a bar
Founding Stories - McDonough Manufacturing Co. - EST. 1888
Sawmill equipment maker has been based in Eau Claire for all of its 134 years
Founding Stories - Huebsch - EST. 1891
Four generations of lightening local loads
Founding Stories - Stokes, Prock & Mundt - EST. 1904
Serving families with compassion for more than a century
Founding Stories - Bartingale Mechanical - EST. 1910
Providing quality service to exceed the customer’s expectations
Founding Stories – Chippewa Valley Technical College - EST. 1912
Educating and training workers to help the Chippewa Valley thrive
Founding Stories - Banbury Place - EST. 1917
Cultural center of the Chippewa Valley for 105 years
Founding Stories - Hovland’s Inc. - EST. 1922
A Century of Service
Founding Stories - Xcel Energy - EST. 1924
Building a clean energy future
Founding Stories - Lasker Jewelers - EST. 1928
Bringing new jewelry with the same tried and true experience
Founding Stories - Silver Spring Foods - EST. 1929
Adding zing to your life for generations
Founding Stories - Benedict Sales & Service - EST. 1938
Treating their customers and employees like family
Founding Stories - Market & Johnson - EST. 1948
Building Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley, project by project
Founding Stories - Donnellan Real Estate - EST. 1948
Roots extend to city’s earliest days
Founding Stories - Trubilt Collision Center - EST. 1949
Trained & certified in excellence
Founding Stories - Muldoon’s Men’s Wear - EST. 1950
A one-stop-shop for gentlemen wear
Founding Stories - Higgins Travel Leaders - EST. 1953
Making your vacation dreams a reality
Founding Stories - Sammy’s Pizza Restaurant & Pub - EST. 1957
Where family, friends, and traditions meet
Founding Stories - Stucky Chiropractic Center - EST. 1959
Your health is their mission
Founding Stories - Kristo Orthodontics - EST. 1959
Creating beautiful smiles in the Chippewa Valley
Founding Stories - Ayres Associates - EST. 1959
Tackling engineering challenges with creativity and integrity
Founding Stories - Royal Credit Union - EST. 1964
Creating a positive impact in our community
Founding Stories - Erv Smith Services Inc. - EST. 1964
Their past shapes their future
Founding Stories - Westgate Animal Hospital - EST. 1968
Keeping tails wagging for decades
Founding Stories - Wiersgalla Co. Plumbing & Heating - EST. 1969
Friendly and competent service
This special issue of Volume One: Eau Claire Sesquicentennial Celebration is produced by
Presented by Market & Johnson
Photos courtesy of
Chippewa Valley Museum
(unless otherwise noted)
We'll continue to share these Founding Stories online and through social media throughout 2022, so if you have a business that would still like to take part, reach out to us:
Call: (715) 552-0457
Email: advertising @ volumeone.org ( advertising (at) volumeone [d0t] org, )