THEN & NOW: Duffenbach's Meat Market in Eau Claire
let's dive into a former Wisconsin Street staple, with the help of our friends at the Chippewa Valley Museum
Evelyn Nelson, photos by Andrea Paulseth
Picture this scene, as we step back into the mid 1900s. Chippewa Valley locals enter the neighborhood grocer and meat market, ready to select the finest cuts for their next family dinner.
Within it, they find barrels of lutefisk, boxes of cake mix – held for the next birthday celebration – and jars of pickled goods stacked high from floor to ceiling. Sawdust covers the floor and big glass meat cases stand at eye level for the kiddos – who might, if they were lucky, score a sample or a sweet treat.
These happenings were all too familiar at the former Duffenbach’s Meat Market, located at 407 Wisconsin St. in downtown Eau Claire. Five decades have passed since the longtime meat market closed in the 1960s and yet, the Chippewa Valley Museum (CVM) intends to keep Duffenbach’s memory alive through its recurring “Then and Now” series.
Carrie Ronnander, the executive director for CVM, said this multimedia effort brings light to the stories of Chippewa Valley places which have evolved over generations – or, conversely, have disappeared from the public eye.
The series owes its existence to former museum archivists, who first launched it on the museum’s Facebook page in 2018, she added. Their efforts brought “Then and Now” to a wider audience on social media, as another tool to showcase the museum’s vast archive collection and interesting local photos.
“Sometimes I pick a category – say, gas stations – and see what we have and save photos to work on down the road,” Ronnander said. “ ‘Interesting’ is generally defined as showing a place that hasn’t been featured very often, or at all, or a photograph that shows a different perspective of a familiar landmark.
“I try to move around the city so that different neighborhoods are featured,” she continued.
Whether it be Duffenbach’s Meat Market or other memorable locations around the Valley, Ronnander and her team – much like ours, here at Volume One – find historical context through hours of research and conversations with area sources, to accurately confirm the images’ contents.
But, back to the meat of the matter! Ronnander shared that Christian “Chris” Duffenbach opened his grocery and meat market back in 1918. In the decades which followed, it was passed down to Chris’s eldest son, Russell Duffenbach.
“Russell modernized the small butcher shop and ran it until the mid-1960s,” CVM published online. “After selling the business, Russell Duffenbach took his butchering skills and went to work for Peters Meats.”
Users online can view the comments from Chippewa Vallians and other patrons who frequented Duffenbach’s in its near 50 years on Wisconsin Street.
Memories of the meat market on Wisconsin Street, which served the community for almost 50 years, have been shared by many online. These anecdotes come from locals, former patrons and even the Duffenbach grandchildren.
“The store was long gone when I was around,” Adam Duffenbach, now based in Chippewa Falls, said. “I like the history stuff (and) it is good to keep it going.”
MPIRE Exclusive, a hemp and cannabis retailer, now occupies this address's building in downtown Eau Claire. The historic downtown storefront, which continues to house different goods and services, still holds the stories of its past within the floorboards.
It’s truly a special experience, when communities and families gather to exchange stories of these local hubs – past, present and future – even if it begins with a generous pot of sauerkraut or a hearty beef steak.
Follow along with the Chippewa Valley Museum’s Facebook page online (@chippewavalleymuseum) for ongoing updates to the “Then and Now” photo series. Do you have an archival photo of Eau Claire history to share? Contact Carrie Ronnander at c.ronnander@cvmuseum.com to learn more.