Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-02-14
rHERALD Correspondence.l
NORTHERN WISCONSIN,.
The Chippewa Vaiiey-Productiye soiI-Im-
provements West Wisconsin II. r.
Laundering iuserests--Enn Claire.


EDITOR HERALD lit is notieea-
bic fact that many persons in the
West know less of their own State
than they do of many others. Hav-
ing been born and raised within the
limits Of old Grant, with only the
faintest idea of the character, re.
sources, and development of North
ern Wisconsin, | am naturally led to
the belief that there are others ia
your county whose ideas Of this sec
ton are eqdally vague, and who
might read with some degree Of in
terest, few lines from the Chippewa
Valley. With this in view, | lay
aside for a few moments the aecus-
toned tasks of the winter evening.
and play the pleasant role of Herald
correspondent.
Only few years ago this was an
unsettled wilderness. The land on
both sides of the Chippewa for sew
eral milos back, did not look very in
viting to settlers. The soil sandy
and much of it unpr0ductive, with
here and there a knob of sandstone
covered with dwarfish, crsggy pines,
subject to long and severe winters,
peopled by wandering tribes Of In
dams, it IL no strange thing that the
first settlers Of the State made their
homes in other parts in preference TO
this. However, the time soon came
when the valley was better known.
The large prairies lying just a few
miles back from the river, and the
still larger forests of white and Nor
way pine on tho Chippewa, Menom-
noee, and Eau Claire rivers, were
more fully discovered, and there was
soon "a great inducement held out to
rich and poor to settle here.
The West Wisconsin r. r., al
though built without any great stir
or excitement, had a great influence
over the emigration. This ROAD has
been completed to Menomonee, one
hundred and thirteen miles from To.
nah, where il makes a junction with
the Milwaukee and ST. Paul Road
and lively little villages have sprung
up all along the line. Most of these
places are settled by emigrants from
other States, and from the southern
part of this State.
Augusta and Menomonee seem tC
be located in the midst of the fines
tracts of farm land in the valley
Wheat and oats raised here will com
pare favorably with those raised il
any other part of the State, both in
quantity and quality.
Eau Claire is our largest city and
has nearly six thousand inhabitants
1t is decidedly numbering town, anc
depends on the immense pine woods
up the Chippewa and its branches
for its trade. There are a great
many mills hero, which furnish EN-
ployment for great many men, es
pecially in summer, and make every
thing lively. A large share of th'
laboring men are in the woods now
which makes business little dull
but just wait until the logs come
down in the spring, and everything
will be on the move again.
My next-door neighbor has con
tracted to put ten million feet of log
into the Eau Claire river before tn
ice goes out. To do this will requir,
the services of about one hundred
and fifty men all winter. Qrite al
undertaking. you think, but there
are many more who have as much
TO do, and all put together is a mere
trifle compared with the amount
handled by such firms as Chapman
& Thorpe of Eau Claire, or Knapp
Stout & Co. of Menomonee.
At present, the pineries are GU
greatest source of wealth but
think that the time is not far distant
when the agricultural productions @
this and adjoining counties, with th'
exception Of fruit, shall DO equal t.
any in the State.
have travelled over the proposed
line Of the Northern Pacific Railway
from ST. Paul to Helena City, Mon
tana. and | would rather to-day hav,
a quarter section of average land il
the Chippewa Valley, than the bes
square mile / have ever seen il
North Dacotah. Yours always.
Augusta Wis., Feb. O. 1871. BADGER BOY.