Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Book excerpt: Long before Jacob Leinenkugel, Edward Rutledge, and William Irvine were associated with Chippewa Falls, Native American people hunted, fished, and gathered the abundant food supplies of the Chippewa area. Through the medium of historic photographs, this book captures the cultural, economic, political, and social history of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, from the mid-1800s to the present day. These pages bring to life the people, events, and industries which helped to shape and transform Chippewa Falls. With more than 200 vintage images, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin includes the largest sawmill in the world under one roof, some of the earliest residents of the community, along with century-old nationally renowned businesses. There was rarely a dull moment in the development of this communitys downtown. The Chippewa Falls Main Street program, operating since 1989, has created a grass roots volunteer driven movement to revitalize downtown Chippewa Falls. Over the years, the downtown has undergone renovation projects and investments totaling more than $57 million.