click zoom to display a high-res image
Summary
Dells of the Eau Claire County Park
P2150 County Highway Y, Town of Plover, Marathon County
Landscape Architect: Charles H. Ramsdell and Ingwal S. Horgen
Established: 1923
The Dells of the Eau Claire County Park was established in 1923 as the fourth park in the Marathon County system. The area has long been admired for the massive cliffs and outcroppings surrounding the river, its scenic views, and its wooded character. Landscape architect Charles H. Ramsdell of Minneapolis prepared the first plan for the park, and Ingwal S. Horgen directed the subsequent improvements of the Dells of the Eau Claire Park until his retirement in 1965.
The landscape design is naturalistic in style, placing a strong emphasis on preserving scenic views and natural landscape features. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, the Marathon County Park Commission made regular improvements to the park to make it better suited to public recreational use. In 1927, the Wisconsin Highway Commission replaced the original Eau Claire Dells Bridge, a metal overhead truss structure that carried County Y across the Eau Claire River. Although metal truss bridges were standard for public highways in Wisconsin at the time, the WHC felt that a stone-veneered, reinforced concrete arch span bridge was better suited to the park and its rustic setting. The Park Commission called the new bridge a “piece of art of which everyone can be proud,” and it was subsequently recorded in the Historic American Engineering Record.
Some of the most significant development at the park took place during the Great Depression with the help of Civilian Conservation Corps Company 3649 from Camp Rib Mountain SP-15. This was the first CCC camp in Marathon County, and one of four CCC camps to be assigned to Wisconsin state and county parks. Between 1935 and 1940, they constructed the Combination Building, trail shelters, stone steps, the foot-bridge, pump house, and north park entrance sign. These structures were built in the Rustic style which was the preferred architectural style in national, state, and county parks at the time.
The Dells of the Eau Claire County Park has grown in size from 60 acres in 1923 to roughly 190 acres today. Many of the historic buildings and much of the original landscape design remain intact, and visitors continue to enjoy the natural and man-made features in what is considered by many to be one of the most outstanding parks in Marathon County.
Property Details
Resources Within The Property
Designations
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
Questions?
Wondering about if your property is eligible or have other questions about the registers, reach out today!
Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
