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Resources & Links

Eau Claire City Directories: The directories for Eau Claire are now available online. Made available online by the ResCarta Foundation, the directories go from 1880 to 1923. All the directories can be searched at one time or choose which one you want to look at. You can browse the titles going forward and back page by page or search by subject, name of person, business or name of Street. By using the arrows at the top of the page you can see all the hits your search found. You can enlarge and reduce the size of the picture. Highlighted in yellow on the page will be your search terms making them easier to find. At the top of the page you will always see the directory you are in and the hit you are looking at. The Search buttons are always at the top of the screen so you can change your search without going back to the beginning.


ACCESS Newspaper Archive - Contains millions of searchable newspaper pages, dating back to the 1700's. The database uses a PDF format to preserve the original context and format of the newspapers. Several Wisconsin papers are available using this database.

Digital Sanborn Maps - Internet Explorer Users - Please Read!
These Wisconsin fire insurance maps give a wealth of historical information; locations of buildings, owners names, type and purpose of structures, often the date the building was built, building capacity etc. in a large -scale map format.

The Virtual Museum of the Chippewa Valley
1400+ photographs and captions tied into a powerful search engine.

Local History Database 
The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library also provides access to the Local History Database through its computers at the library. The Local History Database contains information garnered from the notes of local historian, Lois Barland. If you have questions about this database, please feel free to stop by the Reference and Information Center at the library, call 715-839-5004, or e-mail librarian@eauclaire.lib.wi.us

Hmong in Eau Claire:  Finding Their Way
Nearly a quarter century ago, the first Hmong family arrived in the Chippewa Valley with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Little did they know they would represent the start of an immigrant influx that would change the face of Eau Claire. In early March 2002, the Leader-Telegram published an eight-part series that explored how the Hmong have fared since Houa and Yong Kay Moua's arrival. The series examines the status of the Hmong in a variety of areas, including schools, business and politics. The Hmong are a vital part of Eau Claire, and this series provides the first thorough appraisal of how well the Laotian immigrants and their families have adjusted to life in their new land.

Chippewa Valley Museum
The Chippewa Valley Museum is acknowledged as one of the finest local museums in Wisconsin and the nation.  Be sure to peruse their online exhibits.

Turning Points in Wisconsin History
Here are hundreds of authentic documents, pictures, and artifacts from Wisconsin's past--creation stories, archaeological relics, reports by explorers, pictures of fur trade goods, memoirs by Indian elders, diaries of pioneer teenagers, paintings by immigrant artists, speeches of famous Wisconsin men and women, photos of historic places, and more--from the collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Wisconsin Electronic Reader
Stories, essays, letters, poems, biographies, journals and tidbits from Wisconsin history.  Many first-hand accounts - profusely illustrated. 

Early Lumbering on the Chippewa and Old Abe from the Wisconsin Electronic Reader.

Wisconsin Historical Society
Links to exhibits, historic state sites, to the Society's collections and more.  Check out the Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles, where you'll find thousands of historical newspaper articles on Wisconsin people and communities from 1870-1940.

Wisconsin National Register of Historic Places
Will allow you to learn basic information about State Register and National Register listed resources in Wisconsin. Examples of listed properties include historic districts, individual buildings, parks, bridges, locomotives and archaeological sites.

Wisconsin History Explorer
Uses National Register properties to tell stories about Wisconsin people and communities. Explore the amazing historical legacy of our state.

The Eau Claire Area Research Center, part of the Special Collections Department of UW-Eau Claire’s McIntyre Library, founded in 1962 through a cooperative agreement with the Society, provides students, faculty and the general public with easy access to historical records about the Chippewa Valley.

L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library History

Questions?  Call the Information & Reference Center at 715-839-5004 or e-mail us at librarian@eauclaire.lib.wi.us