Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
Recollections of logging the Chippewa Valley, 1844-1916.
Lumbering in Chippewa Valley
At the begining of February 1916, the editor of the Eau Claire Telegram invited aging lumberjacks to tell their stories in his paper: "there are scores still in our midst whose lives have practically all been spent in this occupation... May we not gather your experiences before it is too late, and preserve them for future generations?" The result was dozens of reminiscences by everyone from wealthy lumber barons to humble cooks, covering the history of Chippewa Valley logging from 1844 on.
More than 50 pages of memoirs, photographs, old letters, account books, and other documents were printed in the paper in the months that followed; these are brought together in the collection of newspaper clippings linked below. On pages 48-52 are Paul Bunyan stories collected in the field by K. Bernice Stewart, as well as a photo of the mysterious Hodag and, at the end of the series, slightly later articles reprinting lumber camp songs.
| Related Topics: |
Mining, Logging, and Agriculture Logging and Forest Products |
| Creator: | Multiple authors |
| Pub Data: | A series of articles published in the Eau Claire Telegram after February 2, 1916, preserved in a scrapbook in the Wisconsin Historical Society Library. |
| Citation: | Cite the author, title, and publication date of the original article followed by, "Preserved in a scrapbook in the Wisconsin Historical Society Library; Online facsimile at: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1367; Visited on: 5/6/2024 |
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