by Diana Peterson (Author), Jodi Kiffmeyer (Author)
A colorful Midwestern city with a colorful past
Eau Claire's history is a rich tapestry of tragedy, mystery, and everything in between. Time after time, a round-faced man with a bristly mustache appeared amongst loggers in late nineteenth-century photos, but who was this man? In 1903, residents were left stumped when a mysterious body arrived by train from Chicago. Thirty years later, Hollywood came to Eau Claire with a world premiere of Out All Night, a comedy starring Zasu Pitts and Slim Summerville. Facing a labor shortage during World War II, the city welcomed German POWs and often worked side by side with them in the corn and pea fields.
Local authors Jodi Kiffmeyer and Diana Peterson collect the humorous, heart-breaking, and utterly befuddling stories of the city's past.
Author Biography
Jodi Kiffmeyer is an archivist at the Chippewa Valley Museum and a lifelong student of history. She grew up in Chetek, Wisconsin, and lived in the Chippewa Valley for most of her life. Diana Peterson arrived at UWEC in 1984 and never left. She is an editor/assistant curator at the Chippewa Valley Museum, where she discovers and shares Eau Claire's stories.