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46-719: Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County, Wisconsin , United States. The population was 14,731 in the 2020 census . Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County. The city's name originated from its location on the Chippewa River, which is named after the Ojibwe . It is a principal city of the Eau Claire–Chippewa Falls metropolitan area . Chippewa Falls

92-445: A logging camp . In the winter when things froze, a larger crew moved into the camp and proceeded to cut trees, cutting the trunks into 5-metre (16 ft) lengths, and hauling the logs with oxen or horses over iced trails to the riverbank. There the logs were decked onto "rollways." In spring when snow thawed and water levels rose, the logs were rolled into the river, and the drive commenced. To ensure that logs drifted freely along

138-526: A huge amount of valuable timber - more than the Wisconsin River , and before railroad and roads, the only way to transport much of it out was down the river, through what would become Chippewa Falls. When the 1837 Treaty of St. Peters opened this part of northern Wisconsin to logging, Jean Brunett led a team up the Chippewa River to build a sawmill at the Falls. With great effort and expense, they managed to build

184-508: A male householder with no wife present, and 44.5% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 38 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

230-433: A partial dam which could raise the water level. Millions of board feet of lumber could back up for miles upriver, requiring weeks to break up, with some timber lost if it was shoved far enough into the shallows. When the jam crew saw a jam begin, they rushed to it and tried to break it up, using peaveys and possibly dynamite . This job required some understanding of physics, strong muscles, and extreme agility. The jam crew

276-496: Is a means of moving logs (sawn tree trunks ) from a forest to sawmills and pulp mills downstream using the current of a river. It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America . When the first sawmills were established, they were usually small water-powered facilities located near the source of timber, which might be converted to grist mills after farming became established when

322-534: Is a popular destination for recreational kayakers and canoers. Paddlers experience a variety of conditions on the river, from calm, slow-moving water to small rapids and whitewater. Fishing is a popular activity: the river is known for musky , smallmouth bass , walleye , and northern pike . [REDACTED] Media related to Chippewa River (Wisconsin) at Wikimedia Commons 44°24′33″N 92°05′03″W  /  44.4091°N 92.0841°W  / 44.4091; -92.0841 Log driving Log driving

368-585: Is at Lake Chippewa , a reservoir in central Sawyer County , which is the official "beginning" of the Chippewa River. The river flows from Sawyer County through Rusk , Chippewa , Eau Claire , Dunn , Pepin and Buffalo Counties, in Wisconsin, before emptying out into the Mississippi River. Sediment build-up at the river's mouth forms a delta that protrudes into the Mississippi, creating Lake Pepin in

414-706: Is the birthplace of Seymour Cray , known as the "father of supercomputing ", and the headquarters for the original Cray Research . It is also the home of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company , the Heyde Center for the Arts , a showcase venue for artists and performers; Irvine Park , and the annual Northern Wisconsin State Fair . Chippewa Falls is 15 miles (24 km) from the annual four-day music festivals Country Fest and Rock Fest . For thousands of years

460-597: The Couderay , Thornapple , Flambeau , Brunet , Jump , Fisher , Yellow , Eau Claire , Red Cedar and Eau Galle Rivers. The river's confluence with the Red Cedar is just north of the Driftless Zone , at which point its floodplain widens out considerably, and includes numerous riverine islands. The primary settlements along the river's course include Cornell , Chippewa Falls , Eau Claire , and Durand . Historically,

506-475: The 16th century, and 17th century in Finland ( tukinuitto ). The total length of timber-floating routes in Finland was 40,000km. The log drive was one step in a larger process of lumber-making in remote places. In a location with snowy winters, the yearly process typically began in autumn when a small team of men hauled tools upstream into the timbered area, chopped out a clearing, and constructed crude buildings for

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552-554: The 1870s boardwalks were added along Bridge Street, gas streetlights were installed, and a telephone line was run up from Eau Claire. Railroads also arrived in the 1870s. In 1870, the West Wisconsin Railway had built a line from St. Paul, Minnesota , to Milwaukee , running ten miles to the south through Eau Claire. In 1875 the Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls Railway connected that line from Eau Claire to Chippewa Falls. In 1880,

598-631: The CF&;W was joined by the Wisconsin and Minnesota Railway pushing its way west from Abbotsford . This was followed in 1881 by the Chippewa Falls & Northern Railroad, which built a line north from Chippewa Falls to Bloomer , eventually extending it to Superior . Lumbering continued to grow. By the 1880s the Chippewa valley held the best stand of white pine left in the Midwest. The sawmill at Chippewa Falls

644-460: The Chippewa River was a water highway through a wilderness of forests and swamps, travelled by Ojibwe people , Lakota and others. More recently, Native Americans guided European explorers up the river and around the Falls. Pierre LeSueur "discovered" the Chippewa Spring in 1700 when this area was part of New France . Jonathan Carver traveled up the river with his party in 1768 when the area

690-496: The Chippewa River was important as a float way for lumbering and papermaking . The river has a deep, wide canyon, likely due to larger water discharges during Laurentide Ice Sheet retreat. Chippewa River Bottoms is located along the river. The 1742, Carte de la Louisiane et du Cours du Mississipi as " Rivière de bon Secours ou Hahatonouadeba ", and then in the 1757 edition of the Mitchell Map as " Hahatonadeba River ",

736-492: The Chippewa Springs Health Club, and at one point oversaw the company that bottled the spring water for sale. A Spring House was built over the original spring in 1893. It remains today, across from the modern water bottling plant on Park Ave. Other industries started in the 1880s and 1890s: flour mills, a brewery, a woolen mill, cigar factories, a shoe factory, and a broom factory. By 1902 it had become clear that

782-796: The Chippewa Valley Cultural Association and converted into the Heyde Center for the Arts in 2000. Chippewa River (Wisconsin) The river is formed by the confluence of the West Fork Chippewa River, which rises at Chippewa Lake in southeastern Bayfield County , and the East Fork Chippewa River, which rises in the swamps of the southern part of the Town of Knight in Iron County, Wisconsin . The rivers' confluence

828-491: The Chippewa Valley was probably functioning at what would become Menomonie around 1831. By 1840, Jean Brunet and associates were sawing wood at Chippewa Falls . Floods destroyed these early mills, and the lumbermen rebuilt them. In the late 1800s, Chippewa Falls was said to have the largest sawmill under one roof in the world. By the 1850s, the loggers were binding the sawed pine lumber into rafts which were guided down

874-607: The Chippewa system drained 34% of Wisconsin's pineries, as compared to 21% for the Wisconsin, 14% for the St. Croix, and 7% for the Black. Before logging, the Chippewa Valley probably held about 46,000,000,000 board feet of lumber. Frederick Weyerhaeuser described it as "a logger's paradise, a very large part of its area being heavily forested with the finest quality of white pine timber, while rivers, streams, and lakes offered an excellent network of transportation facilities." The first sawmill in

920-525: The McDonell Area Catholic Schools (MACS). The original McDonell High School building, constructed at a prominent location above downtown Chippewa Falls, is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places . The structure was built in 1907. After the high school was relocated to a new building in a more suburban location, this structure was vacant for several years. It was taken over by

966-505: The US and Canada ended with changes in environmental legislation in the 1970s. Some places, like the Catalan Pyrenees , still retain the practice as a popular holiday celebration once a year. In Sweden legal exemptions for log driving were eliminated in 1983. "The last float in southern Sweden was in the 1960s, with the floating era in the rest of the country ending completely with the last of

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1012-401: The average family size was 2.89. Age distribution was 24.2% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males. The median household income was $ 32,744, and the median family income

1058-466: The bank, pushing logs away with pike poles . Others worked with horses and oxen to pull in the logs that had strayed furthest out into the flats. Bateaux ferried log drivers using pike poles to dislodge stranded logs while maneuvering with the log drive. A wannigan was a kitchen built on a raft which followed the drivers down the river. The wannigan served four meals a day to fuel the men working in cold water. It also provided tents and blankets for

1104-525: The city of Chippewa Falls. It has two high schools: Chippewa Falls Senior High and Chippewa Falls Alternate High School; two middle schools: Chippewa Falls Middle School, and Chippewa Falls Alternate Middle School; and six elementary schools: Parkview, Hillcrest, Southview, Stillson, Halmstad, and Jim Falls Elementary. In addition there are several parochial schools: McDonell Central Catholic High School , Notre Dame Middle School, Holy Ghost, St. Charles, and St. Peter Elementary Schools, all of which are part of

1150-553: The city was 50.7% male and 49.3% female. At the 2000 census , there were 12,925 people, 5,638 households and 3,247 families living in the city. The population density was 1,191.2 per square mile (459.9/km). There were 5,905 housing units at an average density of 544.2 per square mile (210.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 97.62% White , 0.30% African American , 0.46% Native American , 0.67% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.16% from other races , and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of

1196-532: The city was 90.1% White , 1.9% Black or African American , 1.3% Asian , 0.7% Native American , 0.7% from other races , and 5.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the census of 2010, there were 13,661 people, 5,896 households, and 3,275 families living in the city. The population density was 1,201.5 inhabitants per square mile (463.9/km). There were 6,304 housing units at an average density of 554.4 per square mile (214.1/km). The racial makeup of

1242-420: The city was 95.1% White , 1.7% African American , 0.7% Native American , 0.9% Asian , 0.2% from other races , and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. There were 5,896 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had

1288-464: The first mill there. It survived until June 1846, when a storm flooded the river and destroyed most of the millworks. The mill was rebuilt quickly and sawing resumed. A settlement grew around the sawmill at the Falls, and in 1854 Chippewa Falls was chosen to be the seat of Chippewa County. A school, a post office, a mercantile store, the first churches, and the first newspaper had all opened by 1857. The city incorporated in 1869 with about 2,500 people. In

1334-528: The forests had been cleared. Later, bigger circular sawmills were developed in the lower reaches of a river, with the logs floated down to them by log drivers. In the broader, slower stretches of a river, the logs might be bound together into timber rafts . In the smaller, wilder stretches of a river where rafts couldn't get through, masses of individual logs were driven down the river like huge herds of cattle. "Log floating" in Sweden ( timmerflottning ) had begun by

1380-451: The ideal river would have been straight and uniform, with sharp banks and a predictable flow of water. Wild rivers were not that, so men cut away the fallen trees that would snag logs, dynamited troublesome rocks, and built up the banks in places. To control the flow of water, they built "flash dams" or "driving dams" on smaller streams, so they could release water to push the logs down when they wanted. Each timber firm had its own mark which

1426-421: The lower Chippewa to markets on the Mississippi. Above Chippewa Falls, though, the river was too rough and rocky for large rafts. Masses of individual logs were driven down by log drivers , sometimes called "river pigs." To make the drives more efficient and reliable, the loggers changed the river somewhat, dynamiting troublesome rocks, cutting trees that would snag logs, building up the banks in places, and damming

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1472-511: The maps show the transliteration of the Dakota language name for the river Ḣaḣatuŋ[waŋ W]atpa . The word "Chippewa" is a rendering of "Ojibwe." The Ojibwe people controlled most of the upper Chippewa Valley and its tributaries until the Treaty of St. Peters in 1837. Of the pine forests in Wisconsin in the 1800s, the Chippewa River system held more than even the Wisconsin River . It is estimated that

1518-423: The most desirable pine timber, because it floated well. But hardwoods were more dense, and weren't buoyant enough to be easily driven, and some pines weren't near drivable streams. Log driving became increasingly unnecessary with the development of railroads and the use of trucks on logging roads . However, the practice survived in some remote locations where such infrastructure did not exist. Most log driving in

1564-434: The night if no better accommodations were available. A commissary wagon carrying clothing, plug tobacco and patent medicines for purchase by the log drivers was also called a wangan. The logging company wangan train, called a Mary Anne , was a caravan of wagons pulled by four- or six-horse teams where roads followed the river to transport the tents, blankets, food, stoves, and tools needed by the log drivers. For log drives,

1610-613: The north bank of the Chippewa River approximately three miles west of Lake Wissota . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 11.86 square miles (30.7 km), of which 11.32 square miles (29.3 km) is land and 0.54 square miles (1.4 km) is water. As of the census of 2020 , the population was 14,731. The population density was 1,301.7 inhabitants per square mile (502.6/km). There were 6,772 housing units at an average density of 598.4 per square mile (231.0/km). The racial makeup of

1656-412: The pineries were not as inexhaustible as many had thought, and a group of business leaders began to promote more diverse industries. They succeeded in starting more shoe factories, a sugar beet factory, and a glove factory. The big sawmill closed in 1911, but the other industries kept the community going. By 1920 the city had fifty manufacturers who employed 3,000 workers. Chippewa Falls is located along

1702-405: The population. There were 5,638 households, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and

1748-544: The process. Along the last 15 miles (24 km) of its course, the main channel forms the county boundary between Pepin and Buffalo Counties. Major lakes along the river's route include the Radisson and Holcombe Flowages, Lake Wissota and Dell's Pond , all of which are reservoirs. The largest reservoir by far is the Chippewa Flowage, which is the 3rd largest lake in Wisconsin. The river's primary tributaries include

1794-440: The river and its tributaries. Around 1876, a dam and log-sorting works were built between Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls. In 1878 a large splash dam was built at Little Falls (modern Holcombe ), with so much capacity that when fully opened, it could raise the Chippewa three feet 100 miles downstream. Over the Chippewa and its tributaries, the loggers built at least 148 logging dams of various sizes and purposes. The Chippewa River

1840-432: The river, men called "log drivers" or "river pigs" were needed to guide the logs. The drivers typically divided into two groups. The more experienced and nimble men comprised the "jam" crew or "beat" crew. They watched the spots where logs were likely to jam, and when a jam started, tried to get to it quickly and dislodge the key logs before many logs stacked up. If they didn't, the river would keep piling on more logs, forming

1886-420: The various teams to keep logs moving past problem spots. Stalling a drive near a saloon often created a cascade of drunken personnel problems. A larger group of less experienced men brought up the rear, pushing along the straggler logs that were stuck on the banks and in trees. They spent more time wading in icy water than balancing on moving logs. They were called the "rear crew." Other men worked with them from

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1932-673: Was $ 43,519. Males had a median income of $ 32,016 versus $ 22,655 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,366. About 8.7% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over. As of 2011, the largest employers in the city were: Chippewa Falls is along U.S. Highway 53 , Wisconsin Highways 124 and 178 , and Bus. WIS 29 . Other routes include Wisconsin Highway 29 ; and County Highways J, Q, S, and X. The Chippewa Falls Area School District (CFSD) serves

1978-432: Was an exceedingly dangerous occupation, with the drivers standing on the moving logs and running from one to another. Many drivers lost their lives by falling and being crushed by the logs. Each crew was accompanied by an experienced boss often selected for his fighting skills to control the strong and reckless men of his team. The overall drive was controlled by the "walking boss" who moved from place to place to coordinate

2024-571: Was claimed by Britain. White settlement of the Chippewa Falls area began in 1838, when Lyman Warren and his mostly- Chippewa wife started a farm and blacksmith shop five miles above the Falls. As agreed at the 1825 treaty of Prairie du Chien , Warren was to act as a sub-agent for the U.S. government to the Chippewas. Intertwined with that, Warren's farm served as a trading post for the American Fur Company . The Chippewa River's watershed held

2070-402: Was placed on the logs, called an "end mark". Obliterating or altering a timber mark was a crime. At the mill the logs were captured by a log boom , and the logs were sorted for ownership before being sawn. Log drives were often in conflict with navigation , as logs would sometimes fill the entire river and make boat travel dangerous or impossible. Floating logs down a river worked well for

2116-467: Was run by the Chippewa Lumber and Boom Company, and the company's logging crews cut trees on their lands upstream in winter and drove logs down to the sawmill at the Falls each spring. The company employed 400 people and the mill at Chippewa was said to be "the largest sawmill under one roof in the world." The Chippewa Spring gained renewed attention in 1887 when politician Thaddeus C. Pound founded

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