Posted on: EauClaire Co. Wi Query Forum Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Wi/EauClaire/10692 Surname: ------------------------- Eau Claire had a very famous hotel named "Kneer House" the following is from "History of Eau Claire County" written in 1914. "The Kneer House was erected by Mathias Kneer, the first German settler in Eau Claire, where he located in 1856. The following year -1857- removing his family from Water town Wis. He first erected a small frame building on the present site of the Kneer house in 1861 and called it the Chippewa House. Four years later he erected a brick buiiliding next to the hotel..." page 543. The following is found on page 761 of the same book. "Mathias Kneer, deceased, a German pioneer of Eau Claire, was born in Wurtenburg, Germany, March 4, 1831, a son of Joseph and Anna (Kneisle) Kneer, and his ancestors for many generations were millers by trade. ...On April 29, 1855, he married Miss Barbara (Betz), who died in Eau Claire, in 1864, leaving four children, viz: Louise, wife of J.J. Auer; Julia, wife of Teto Buebeler; Anna, wife of J. Derge, and Frank, deceased. Mr. Kneer later married Louise Hoeffner and three children were born, viz: Emma, wife of Fred Raddatz; Dora, wife of Emil Rick, and Herman." If you would like me to send you the entire biography, which talks about business interests etc. Send me your e-mail address and I would be happy to do so. Also the Chippewa Valley Museum would have pictures of Kneer House. You can contact them at: Chippewa Valley Museum P.O. Box 1204, Carson Park Dr. Eau Claire, WI 54701.