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Claire County Historical Accounts
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"Eau Claire County History, 1949"
The Town of Clear Creek Gold Strike
by Eleanor Rosenberg
One day, in about 1884, as two of the Putz brothers were breaking a piece of land on their father's farm, the plow struck something solid. They passed over it, but stopped the horses and went back to investigate and found to their surprise a large piece of yellow metal. As they thought it was pure gold, great excitement grew.
"Eau Claire County History, 1949"
The Town of Clear Creek Gold Strike
by Eleanor Rosenberg
One day, in about 1884, as two of the Putz brothers were breaking a piece of land on their father's farm, the plow struck something solid. They passed over it, but stopped the horses and went back to investigate and found to their surprise a large piece of yellow metal. As they thought it was pure gold, great excitement grew.
It proved to be solid copper and weighed about 700 pounds and was sold to a junk dealer in Eau Claire for about $36. It was also thought to have been a meteor.
Thus ended the Gold Rush in the town of Clear Creek.