From its beginning as three villages separated by a pair of rivers to a modern city connected by 150 years of history, Eau Claire is no stranger to change. Nowhere is this plainer than in the structures created by people who built their lives in the city. Reflections of Eau Claire: A Photo History of the City, 1873-1998 invites readers to look back on landmarks from Eau Claire’s history.
Arranged in chronological order, these images are snapshots of the growth of a city. “Yankee” settlers from the eastern United States erected early buildings. Later photos reflect more diverse contributions by German, Irish, Scandinavian, and Chinese immigrants. Many landmarks are familiar, like Woo’s Pagoda and Hotel Eau Claire. Less known are places such as the Wayside Lunch Car and Union College. Reflections of Eau Claire embraces the past of an ever-changing city.
Authors: Jodi Erb Kiffmeyer & Diana L. Peterson
Chippewa Valley Museum Press, 2023
87 pages
