Eau Claire Co. WIGenWeb what's new tools photos histories databases home
Histories >  Eau Claire County Historical Accounts >

"History of Eau Claire County Wisconsin, 1914, Past and Present"


Chapter  7  - Townships

by Frank L. Clark


Brunswick Township

(-As transcribed from pages 38 - 39)


Brunswick Township, which contains about thirty-six square miles, was formed in 1857, and is bounded irregularly on the north by the Chippewa river, which divides it from the town of Union; on the south by the town of Drammen, on the east by the towns of Washington and Pleasant Valley, and on the west by Dunn county.  Besides being abundantly watered by the Chippewa river at its northern extremity, the town is intercepted by Taylor's, West and Coon creeks.  It had a population according to the census returns of 1910 of 706. Porter's Mills were the only manufacturing industries of this township.  This was formerly called Porterville and was surveyed and platted with that name in the fall of 1883.  It had a station on the Chippewa Valley division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway, described as "Porter's Mills." Among the early settlers in close proximity to it were Nelson Cooley, in 1855, and Washington Churchill, in 1856.  This location was selected as the site for a sawmill in 1863 by Charles Warner, who began the erection of a structure of this description.  It was completed in the following year by Messrs. Porter, Brown and Meredith.  The capacity of the mill was then 20,000 feet a day of twelve hours.  It was burned down in October, 1866, and rebuilt by Gilbert E. Porter and D. R. Moon during the following winter, and its capacity increased to 40,000 feet.  The business was carried on under the firm name of Porter & Moon, and in 1869 the capacity of the mill was again increased with an output of 60,000 feet per day.  When the first mill was started in 1865 there was only one house at this place.  It was occupied by the few men then required to run the business.  According to the census returns for 1890 the population of the village was 1,194.  There was no industry here other than those controlled by this company.  A Scandinavian Lutheran frame church was erected and dedicated in 1889, and a fine school house was built.

Please use this form to search this site:
  Help
Site Search by PicoSearch pico