Well, no baby yet! But they're working on it! :~) So I thought I'd type up this last segment of the chapter "Beginnings" and have that completed anyway. This is from the book "Sawdust City" by Lois Barland and used with permission only. Richard F. Wilson The "Daily Wisconsin," in its July 11, 1867 issue described Mr. Wilson's arrival thus: "Tin the spring of '54 a small sized pale faced, curly haired, sharp looking young man who had figured as a sergeant-at-arms in Madison was appointed to select State and University lands. He came up the Chippewa and forsaw the possibilities of a city here. That year he went on with his land hunting. The spring following he was joined by Henry Gleason, an enthusiast like himself. They bought out the half interest of Gage and Reed and laid out the plot of the village of Eau Claire. All the old politicians of the state recollect the winter of '55-'56 when Dick Wilson and Gleason figured so extensively in the legislature. About every other bill concerned Eau Claire. An 'Improvement Company' bill, a ferry charter, University, county seat, eight different state roads and six railroad charters, all made to center and radiate from Eau Claire. The governor, state officials, together with leaders in the legislature were provided with town lots or had streets named after them." He was born in Maryland in 1825. His first business in Eau Claire was banking as he was the senior member of Wilson, Gray and Bellinger banking house. He secured the location of the Land Office here in 1856. Two years later he opened a brick yard on the west side. Just before the Civil War he tried farming and built a house on the west bank of the Chippewa just below the Dells. After that he went into a lumber yard business with E. R. Foster and their yard was located in the rear of the "Free Press" office. By 1866, the lumber yard had been burned out three times in three years. Mr. Wilson and his wife, Martha, lived for many years on the south west corner of Farwell and Gray. The house still stands behind the Christian Science church (1960) which wasn't built at the time. The partnership with Mr. Foster was dissolved in 1868 and sometime after that he and his son E. N. Wilson lived near Brechenridge on the St. Paul and Pacific railroad. In 1878 Mr. Wilson was tearing down his old boarding house and barns on the west side and shipping them to Manston, Minnesota. By 1882, he was back in Eau Claire and associated with the Pioneer Company. The next year, with his son, E. N., and others, he incorporated with LaFayette mills. This same son graduated from Rush Medical school in 1887. Together with Captain Wilson of Menomonie and W. T. Price of Black River Falls, R. F. Wilson secured the location of the West Wisconsin and the Milwaukee and St. Paul railroads here. He was also the father of the Dells Improvement Company. He gave Wilson and University parks to the city. Dick and his wife who was described as a "big, good-looking woman" had other children. Nellie and Katherine, who was described as a "beautiful blond who had all the boys crazy about her" married D. Sale in 1897 and moved to Los Angeles. The Williams House mentioned by Mr. Leavens was built in 1870 by George W. Williams, who converted his livery barn into the hotel. It was on River Street (Graham Avenue) on the southwest corner of the intersection with Gibson. It sat back along the river and had a "grand promanade balcony extending around three sides almost reaching the river." It contained 52 sleeping rooms all with spring mattresses and the dining room seated 140. Mr. S. P. Greenman, host of the House constructed a skating rink 50 feet by 124 feet next to the hotel. When the hotel had been opened less than a month it was threatened by a fire which broke out near the Grand Avenue bridge. It was conducted for a while by Chauncey Chandler and sold in 1874 to Mr. Peabody and the name changed to Peabody House. Mr. Peabody made extensive repairs, bricked the outside and put in a furnace made by Noah Shaw's foundry. By 1898, it was known as the Windsor House and its destruction by fire on September 23, 1898 was spectacular. It burned during the night and the inmates jumped from windows in their night clothes. Mrs. Jule Churchill fell four stories with her clothes on fire. She was the wife of a former fire chief. She was taken to the Charles Lange house across the street. Mrs. Robert McLeod threw her baby out the window and J. M. Charles caught it unhurt. Mrs. McLeod jumped and was also caught. The hotel was a total wreck. There was not enough water pressure for the fire department to save it. It was then owned by J. R. Campbell and his loss was over $6000. William H. Gleason who platted the east side with Dick Wilson was born June 28, 1829 and admitted tot he bar in 1856. His father and mother were Enoch and Elizabeth Gleason and Charles R. was his brother. In 1857 he was surveyor of Eau Claire County, President of the bank of Eau Claire, Land Agent and Notary Public. The next year he sold his warehouse and levee on t he river to J. S. Morrison a nd bought an interest in the New York Store conducted by Welles Cook. Foster, Hones, Cook and Gleason built a three story brick store on Barstow Street in 1870, which burned in 1873. He also owned Mt. Simon. He moved to Florida for his health about 1870. Charles Gleason came to Eau Claire in 1860 and built a residence at the northeast corner of Seaver and Farwell. He was elected a village trustee in 1869 and city clerk three years later. He was born in Tomphins County, New York, in 1831 and held office at the capitol in Madison from 1856 to 1860, the last two years as chief clerk of the state land department. He represented Eau Claire County in the State Legislature in 1879 and was city Clerk from '72-'79. ++++++++++++++++++++ So that's the end of the chapter titled "Beginnings." When we get back together, we will be reading about "Lumbering" which will include information about the various lumber mills in the Eau Claire area. I hope it won't be too long before I can get started on this, but feel it would be unfair to you all to do it in jumps and spurts. But don't worry, I'll be back soon! :~) I will also be checking my mail regularly so if anyone needs a lookup in any of the resources that I have, I'll still be able to do those. Now I'm gonna go and see if we have a baby yet. Oh, it's gonna be fun being a grandma! :~) -- Nance mailto:nsampson@spacestar.net