Eau Claire High School - Kodak Yearbook (Eau Claire, WI)

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he claims is very rapid and much faster than the steam engine. I-Ie knocked the ashes from his pipe, looked around to be sure that everything was safe for the night, and went inside. Charlie, with his chin cupped in his hands, sat dream- ing of a future time when everyone would have neighbors and swift means of transportation. His grand- father's voice calling, Come, boy, it's getting late, let's take ourselves to bed, aroused him from his rev- erie. We too, my readers, will take our selves over the ensuing years that saw young Charlie take up his resi- dence in Eau Claire and live here for the rest of his life. Upon his death one of our prominent citizens of today found a book he had start- ed to write on the history of Eau EAU CLAIREIS FIRST STREET CAR LAST STAGE CoAcH TO APPEAR IN EAU CLAIRE, ABOUT 1868 This picture was taken at Black River Falls. Claire. With this book as an au- thority he says: In 1879 the first street car or horse car made its ap- pearance in Eau Claire. The line ran from Shawtown to the Omaha depot, and followed the same street as it does today, except for a few months when the bridge over the Chippewa was being constructed. During this time it ran up the West Side and over the Madison St. bridge. lt also ran up Galloway Street. ln 1887 the electric system was installed and the horse cars done away with. This was one of the pioneer railways in the United States. The Hadley Ferry, which was the only means of getting across the riv- er, was just a short distance - not more than a few rods - from the site of our present Shawtown bridge. -Phyllis-Kelley, '29 r Y, u THE I-IADLEY FERRY, 1880

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A XMANIGAN SHOOTING THE RAPIDS OF THE FLAMBEAU RIVER ABOUT 1895 sledges or toboggans themselves, but dogs pulled .the larger ones which were about ten feet long and fifteen inches wide. But how, questioned the lad, did they get supplies during the winter before the roads were opened? For this, Charlie my boy, they had the bateau. lt was a large boat with high pointed ends and used in all logging operations. The keel boat, too, was used. It was per- haps sixty feet long, ten feet wide, and propelled by poles which re- quired the undivided strength of twelve to twenty men to keep it in motion. Often they were poled up the river, loaded, and then floated down again. On the keel boat one man acted as pilot and the others were equally divided on either side of the boat. Placing their poles, which were steel tipped, on the bottom of the river they could walk ripidly in a stooping position to',the stern, and then quickly run back to their former places on the side of the boat and repeat the action. The Sioux Indians and lumbermen used the wooden ol' the canoe because it was more practical and substan- tial. It was made of a large hollowed-out log and pro- pelled by poles which were wielded by four men. 'AAs it was necessary to have a means of carrying supplies from one place to another down the river dur- ing the log drives, a Hat boat with a house on it was made and called the wanigan. ln this all the camp sup- plies were carried. Of various sizes and shapes were the logging sleds used in the camps. Some were pulled by oxen, some by horses and some by both. On the top of the high load ol' logs was 'perched the driver. dug-out to carry their supplies in place : 'T , ' A f g 'l..5FV I b fr .. - ., I if ' ' ' A Doc SLED What is the name of that thing they hauled logs to the river on? That's the 'go-devilf Everyone wanted to settle as near as possilbe to the lands bordering A COVERED WAGON ON BARSTOW STREET ABOUT 1865 river banks because of the great haul- ing expense done away with. These were known as 'go-devil' chances. Like a wish bone 'the 'go-devil' was shaped, and the log was fastened by a chain un- derneathf' Aw, I've heard enough about logging. Tell me about how people come here now, and about that stage coach you said that a man who came to visit us last week rode on. ln Charles' voice was a hint of restlessness, which made old Charlie wonder if the boy yearn- ed to move farther down the valley where he would not be so completely isolated from the rest of the world. Well, he said, the stage was very uncomfortable and slow, and it took a long time to get here, but it is far more comfortable than the covered wagon in which the old pioneers came. At night our friend stopped at an inn to change horses. 'He also described a journey he took on a steamboat,which

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L I i -1 7' -Y Wesr EAU CLAIRE ABOUT 1870 fNotice the steamboat on the riverj A Eau Claire in 1872 By something of a coincidence the bird's eye view map of Eau Claire was made the same ear that the state legislature granted the charter forming the city. This charter was granted in Eed- ruary, 1872. The city was made up of the former town of Eau Claire Kon the East SideJ,North Eau Claire Con the North Sidej, and Oak Grove Kon the West Sidel, The last two towns extended from the Chippewa River west to the Dunn County line, about eight miles, with the dividingline A LUMBER RAFT Belonging to the Daniel Shaw Lumber TRAIN LOAD OF Locis Company, about 1890. between them about on the line of the present Grand Avenue West. The parts of these towns west of the city limits were after some controversy, given the name of the Town of Union. The first railroad had reached Eau Claire about a year before the city was incorporated, the first bridge arcoss the Chippewa river had been built. and the Court House erected less than three years earlier. Steamboating and the rafting of lumber were at their height. THE New Ain Pom' APRIL 22, 1929 The Eau Claire Airways, Inc., was organized recently by a group of seven Eau Claire men to pioneer aviation on a commercial basis in the Chippewa Valley. A three-seat Travel Air bi- plane, purchased by the corporation is pictured above, and is piloted by an expert pilot. The old hangar, when remodeled will accomodate four biplanes, and the field will be equipped to service planes. There are 280 acres of land involved in the lease for the landing field. The purpose of the corporation is to operate an airport, conduct a sales agency, school for student instruction and flying, aerial photography, and advertising, conduct sight-seeing flights, and aerial taxi service to other cities.