Here is one person's view of Eau Claire in 1857. It comes from the book "Sawdust City" by Lois Barland and is used here by permission: An interesting article descriptive of West Eau Claire as it as in May 1857. Eau Claire City Our city is situated on the west side of the Chippewa River, and lies in Latitude 45 20 North, Longiture 90 30 West -- being 2 North and 2 West of Milwaukee. It is properly the head of navigation on the Chippewa, although we understand that steam-boats, in time of high water, sometimes ascend the river twelve miles above this place. The climate, like most of our northern latitudes, is very healthy. In consequence of there being no swamps or marsh lands along the Chippewa River we are wholly exempt from fevers and other diseases incident to the districts where such lands exist. North and South we are blessed with the very finest agricultural districts in the state. The lands are mostly prairie, slightly rolling, and interspaced with an abundance of fine timber. As an evidence of the purity of the water, we have only to say that an abundance of brook trout are to be found in all the tributaries emptying into the Chippewa, and this fish is only to be found in the purest water. The farming lands are being fast bought up and settled by industrious and persevering men, many of them bringing wealth and commencing operations on an extensive scale. The season for getting in crops commences in the early part of May, and they are ready for harvest in the latter part of August. Every variety of fruits, excepting peach, can be grown here in abundance. As an indication of this strength of soil, we have only to allude to the facts that as high as forty bushels of wheat have been raised to the acre on land which in point of quality, was considered quite indifferent. We are located within fifteen miles of two inexhaustible pineries -- one lying on the Chippewa River, the other on the Eau Claire River although an immense quantity of lumber is yearly manufactured at the mills located on these rivers, yet this must ultimately be the point where the principle manufacture of lumber will be carried on. The owners of those mills are subjected to great damage and loss in times of heavy freshets, which usually occur semi-annually. At these times immense quantities of drift wood and other refuse matter, is carried down by the current, and its weight is such as to carry away their strongest built booms -- thus leaving their logs at the mercy of the rapid current, which carried them beyond the hope of ever being recovered by their owners -- and so the wealth and toil of whole seasons are swept away in a few hours. Here the above difficulty is wholly obviated -- Half Moon Lake, about two miles in length, lies directly between the river and main land west of the city. Messrs. A. Randall, Shaw and Company, the proprietors, have excavated a canal 1200 feet long, connecting the lake and the river; a sheer boom is thrown out some distance above the mouth of the canal, in the river, securely attached to a strong pier, and logs coming down from above the pier, are thrown directly into a current which carries them to the canal, and from thence they go into the lake, whence, if they were not used, they might remain for all time as no rise in the river can ever disturb them. The lake is quite broad and capable of holding a sufficient number of logs to supply half the United States with lumber. Adin Randall, Esquire, our enterprising fellow citizen, has about completed an extensive planing mill near the mouth of the canal, and by the first of June will have it in active operation. The following gentlemen have completed their arrangements for the erection of mills in the vicinity of Half Moon Lake this summer; Messrs. Mead, Kelly and Co., Messrs. Dole, Kennedy and Co., Messrs. Ball & Co. and Messrs. Shaw and Co. All the mills will be of the largest class, and will afford numbers of mechanics, artisans and laboring men employment. Here they can command the highest wages, and live as cheaply as in other places where they fail to procure an adequate compensation for their labors. Unlike most of our neighbors, we have not attempted to embellish this article, but have confined ourselves to strict and undeniable truths. Ours is a plain, unvarnished statement, and can be relied upon as being correct to the letter. In concluding, we would say by way of notice to our City Site, that it is decidedly the fairest in the State. The bank of the Chippewa fronting our city, rises gradually until it attains a height of about twenty feet when it runs off in a beautiful table land, embracing in area of territory about two miles in width by five miles in length. Our accomplished citizens, Messrs. French and Moore have shown their superior judgment and taste in laying out the city plat. it is laid out in perfect squares, the main streets running parallel with the river. All the streets are eighty feet wide, and it is being covered with dwellings, stores. etc. ++++++++++++++++++ Next time, A Visitor's View. -- Nance mailto:nsampson@spacestar.net