Chippewa Valley Museum

Chippewa Valley Museum Looking for things to do in Eau Claire? Not just your every day attraction. Jack Arnold, president of the L.G.

Explore the history and culture of the Chippewa Valley through exhibits, events, and our research library at Chippewa Valley Museum. The Chippewa Valley Historical Society, founded in 1952, began to build support for opening a museum with a display in Eau Claire’s Public Library, followed by two “History on Display” exhibits in 1964 and 1965, and a display in the Barstow School in 1965.

1966 the

Chippewa Valley Museum opens its doors in the former Meader Candy Factory just north of downtown Eau Claire. Arnold Construction Company, housed upstairs, donates space on the first floor of the building for use by the museum.

1967 the building is sold, and the museum is without a home.

1968 – 1974 UWEC houses the Chippewa Valley Museum at 129 Chippewa Street in a house they had purchased for future development. While the museum had the use of three rooms they could only accommodate the displays and a total of 10 people at a time.

1972 ground was broken for the museum’s present location in Eau Claire’s Carson Park

1974 the Chippewa Valley Museum opens its doors to the public in its present location.

1976 the Anderson Log Home is donated to the museum

1977 the Schlegelmilch House, an example of an early 20th century merchant’s home in downtown Eau Claire, is donated to the museum

Today the Chippewa Valley Museum continues to gather memories, save ideas, and share stories to create a community that connects diverse audiences with all facets of the culture and history of the Chippewa Valley.

George Arthur Linton ("Arthur") was born in Eau Claire in 1883. His father manufactured sewing machines. Arthur had the ...
05/26/2026

George Arthur Linton ("Arthur") was born in Eau Claire in 1883. His father manufactured sewing machines. Arthur had the largest paper route in Eau Claire, getting up at 4 am to deliver the morning paper before school and delivering the evening paper after school.

After high school, he enrolled in the Page Davis School of Advertising in Chicago. He couldn’t find an advertising job in Eau Claire, so he began delivering groceries. By the time he earned $12 a week as a clerk, he was married to Matie Truax and expecting his first child.

Arthur saved $500 during this time which funded a trip with his father-in-law JP Truax to Canada. They founded The Town of Bladsworth in Saskatchewan. When they were tired of the weather and wild animals, they returned to Eau Claire. He had a career in real estate before founding the Business Mens’ Credit Exchange.

In 1925 he was appointed president of the newly formed Citizen’s Loan and Investment Co. He would stay there till he retired in 1958. In addition, he belonged to the Kiwanis club, and spent his free time hunting, fishing, and golfing.

His wife passed away in 1949 from a long illness, and Linton wed Roscelia Hagen in 1950.

Arthur also had some luck in his life. In 1905 he and his wife were at a cottage at Long Lake. They had just gone to bed about 8 pm when a storm hit. Luckily, they got out of bed because as they were standing in the room, a bolt of lightning hit between them and then demolished the bed they had been sleeping in. The family also had a close call in 1939. A man named Don Cameron tried to borrow $2000 from Citizen’s but was denied. A couple days later the man went on a crime spree that ended up with six people dead and his su***de. In his pocket, police found a ransom note to Linton. The man planned on kidnapping Linton’s grandson the next day, demanding $40,000.

The Linton family lived on Park Avenue, where Hibbard Hall now stands, and Linton passed away there in 1962. He is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Eau Claire. Diana, Editor

📷CVM #375905-0015-001 G. Arthur's high school graduation photo, 1902. Linton is in the bottom row, second from the left.

For 162 years, Arlington National Cemetery has been the final resting place for soldiers who gave their lives defending ...
05/25/2026

For 162 years, Arlington National Cemetery has been the final resting place for soldiers who gave their lives defending the self‑evident truths set forth in the Declaration of Independence — “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

On this Memorial Day, we pause in solemn remembrance. May we honor these soldiers not only with our gratitude, but with our continued commitment to the ideals they died to protect — a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

📷: Arlington National Cemetery, 1867. Bell & Bro., photographers. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Chippewa Valley Museum's new exhibit, The U.S. at 250: From the Collections 1876-1926, opened last week. “This is US a...
05/23/2026

Chippewa Valley Museum's new exhibit, The U.S. at 250: From the Collections 1876-1926, opened last week. “This is US at 250” social media series continues the exhibit theme. We will be looking at museum artifacts through the end of the year, and our first artifact is a Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine from 1857.

Born in New York in 1823, Allen B. Wilson was an innovative guy. He apprenticed to a cabinet maker at age 16, but he became interested in sewing machines. After meeting Nathaniel Wheeler, the two men went into business in the early 1850s. The company manufactured 2,000,000 sewing machines during its existence. Both Wheeler and Wilson died in the late 1800s and in 1905 Singer took over the corporation. They continued to produce the No. 9 model until 1913 when the product line ended.

This machine was brought to the Chippewa Valley when Lucy Willard Kidder and Alberoni Kidder moved here. Alberoni was a traveling minister and later founded a brickyard. Diana, Editor

Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine, CVM #0033-0002, 1857
@250

05/21/2026

We're looking for volunteers from all walks of life to help out at the Chippewa Valley Museum. And although we're not looking for lumberjacks (at the moment), we're still trying to find great people to staff the front desk and offer tours to students, clubs, and more. Email AmeriCorps Member Declan at [email protected] or visit the Chippewa Valley Museum website for more information.

Joseph Peloquin lived a typical life growing up in Chippewa Falls. His parents were born in Canada where Joseph was born...
05/19/2026

Joseph Peloquin lived a typical life growing up in Chippewa Falls. His parents were born in Canada where Joseph was born in 1881. The family moved from Quebec to the Town of Arthur near Drywood in Chippewa County in 1883.

By the 1900 census, their mother had passed away. Joseph had six siblings and needed to work to help the family.

Lumbering was a popular industry, and in July of 1905, Joseph was a log driver for the Chippewa Lumber and Boom Company. Being a log driver was one of the most dangerous positions in a logging company.

After being notified that there was a log jam near the Holcombe Dam, sixteen men set out in a bateau to break up the pile. As they approached the jam, the current from the rapids destroyed the boat. Five men jumped safely, but the rest of the crew was sucked into the current and thrown against the logs and rocks. A search party was sent out to recover the bodies.

Louis Cokey was one of the men who died that day; he was the fifth member of his family to drown. Sadly, Joseph did not make it. His funeral was held at Notre Dame Church in Chippewa Falls. We think he is buried in St. Anthony’s Cemetery at Cadott, where most of the family members are.

There is a Holcombe Logging Disaster marker at the Holcombe, Wisconsin Town Hall Park which was erected by the Chippewa County Historical Society.

Log jams were the cause of loss of life to many loggers during the peak of logging in Wisconsin. Jams could be more than a mile long. One of the largest jams happened on the Wolf River near Neenah. The jam created a 60-foot pileup, and it took two weeks to break up. Diana, Editor

📷log jam in Wisconsin, CVM # 553336.00005.001


When Half Moon Lake is too far from the nest you find a nearby puddle and have your mate stand guard
05/18/2026

When Half Moon Lake is too far from the nest you find a nearby puddle and have your mate stand guard

Yes, it's Monday, but it's also International Museum Day. The International Council of Museums includes 139 countries. T...
05/18/2026

Yes, it's Monday, but it's also International Museum Day. The International Council of Museums includes 139 countries. The Council recognizes that museums are places of learning that contribute to peaceful coexistence and mutual respect. Museums are trusted public spaces where people encounter stories, objects, and one another.

The Chippewa Valley Museum looks forward to meeting and getting to know our neighbors from around the world, whether it's a group of Chinese students studying in UW-Eau Claire, an adult bus trip from Canada, or international visitors passing through the Chippewa Valley.

The 80th Celebration of the ICM's International Museum Day highlights the potential of museums to act as bridges across cultural, social, and geopolitical divides, fostering dialogue, understanding, and peace within and between communities worldwide.
📷Vitaly Garievin, unsplash.com

Then and Now: 400 block Water Street, 1973/2026Water Street has been buzzing with small businesses since the mid‑1800s. ...
05/17/2026

Then and Now: 400 block Water Street, 1973/2026

Water Street has been buzzing with small businesses since the mid‑1800s. The 400 block’s oldest buildings? Mid‑1880s—because the whole block literally went up in smoke in the great fire of April 1882 and came roaring back within the year.

To all UW–Eau Claire and CVTC grads: huge congrats. May your Eau Claire memories always include good friends and your favorite Water Street stops. -- Carrie, Director

📷400 block, north side Water Street, 1973 (Chippewa Valley Museum 200105-0022-003)
📷 400 block, Water Street, 16 May 2026. Staff photo

Our new exhibit, The U.S. at 250: From the Collections 1876-1926, opens to the public today. It’s been 250 years since ...
05/16/2026

Our new exhibit, The U.S. at 250: From the Collections 1876-1926, opens to the public today. It’s been 250 years since colonists declared their independence, and the system they designed still stands. How has this ongoing experiment shaped the Chippewa Valley?

The Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire, Menomonie’s Russell J. Rassbach Heritage Museum, and the Chippewa Area History Center in Chippewa Falls, are partnering to share our local history beginning in May.

Through some moments — small within the national story — and through a handful of objects that people here used and preserved, we can catch a glimpse into the lives of the local folks who brought us to this moment.

We are also beginning our new social media campaign, This is US at 250. For the next 32 weeks, we’ll feature an artifact from our collection. While these objects were used in the Chippewa Valley, they connected us to the national experiences of US citizens living in other parts of the country. Keep an eye out for these posts on the weekend; they can also be searched by using @250. Diana, Editor

Hey! Look what we found sitting outside the museum — a sculpture from the 2026 Sculpture Tour Eau Claire Yay! And we can...
05/15/2026

Hey! Look what we found sitting outside the museum — a sculpture from the 2026 Sculpture Tour Eau Claire Yay! And we can't resist saying it's out of this world.

Mae Kelley was born in Lake Crystal, Minnesota in 1875. The family moved to Eau Claire, and Mae spent most of her life t...
05/12/2026

Mae Kelley was born in Lake Crystal, Minnesota in 1875. The family moved to Eau Claire, and Mae spent most of her life there. Let's save her a seat at the dinner table.

Mae began her retail career at Kahn’s Chicago Store in the late 1890s. She worked in the furniture department and was later the ad writer for the store. She received a lot of compliments about her interesting ads from The Leader Telegram. She ended her time at the store as head of the millinery department. That became her passion.

In 1914 she opened her store, Mae E. Kelley Millinery and Novelties at 318 S. Barstow. Mae died at her home in 1946 two days after having a heart attack. She is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery. The millinery store was closed from June until October for remodeling, but it continued under her name until it ended in 1959.

Mae sustained a few injuries during her life that luckily didn’t interfere with her design work. In 1940 her brother Will was driving Mae and her maid to their cottage when they skidded on blacktop in the rain. Will was uninjured, but Mae suffered from a broken collar bone and her maid broke her wrist. Three years later, Mae fell outside The Palmer House in Chicago and was taken by ambulance to Rochester to have surgery for a broken arm and shoulder.

This is one of my favorite photos of Mae. She just seems to have a bit of mischievousness in her personality. Diana, Editor

📷1898, Mae Kelley CVM #311111.0001

Address

1204 East Half Moon Drive
Eau Claire, WI
54703

Opening Hours

Tuesday 5pm - 8pm
Wednesday 12pm - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

(715) 834-7871

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