Northwestern Wisconsin is known for its parks, but the historic city of Chippewa Falls also has plenty of other interesting attractions to check out.
By Grace Grogan, F476047
April 2024
Where do you go for a mixture of small-town living, historical sites, haunted dining, outdoor activities, and bragging rights to industries impacting the world? Incorporated in 1869 and located on the Chippewa River, Chippewa Falls in northwestern Wisconsin offers all this and more.
The 1887 Cook-Rutledge Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Begin your day of exploration with breakfast at the Chippewa Family Restaurant. The owner, John, will likely be the one who seats you and brings your coffee. The traditional American dishes are delicious, and the service is quick, efficient, and friendly. This is a great all-around eatery for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
A visit to the Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology provides insight into the unique accomplishments of this town. Stefan Geisinger, the museum coordinator, offered me and other visitors a free tour. Stefan’s knowledge about the exhibits expands on the information available in the seven industry areas. After the tour, you can wander around at your leisure. The museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and by appointment (cfmit.org; 715-720-9206).
One of the people on our tour once worked for Seymour Cray, adding a unique perspective to Stefan’s information about the exhibit that focuses on Cray and his contributions. Born in Chippewa Falls, Cray is called the father of supercomputing. He founded Control Data Corporation and designed the first supercomputer — the fastest computer in the world at the time — in 1964. Walk through one of Cray’s supercomputers at the museum to view its inner workings. Over 500 supercomputers are currently in use worldwide. Users in the United States include NASA, the U.S. military, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.
The museum also spotlights Mason Companies Inc., the largest footwear cataloger in the world. You can shop at the world’s only Mason Companies Shoes & Clothing Outlet in Chippewa Falls. If they don’t have your size, ask. The store contains only about 10 percent of the available stock; the other 90 percent is in the company’s 425,000-square-foot warehouse. My partner, Paul, put in an order, and they arrived the next day. The company started manufacturing logging boots for rivermen and lumberjacks in 1904 and printed its first catalog in 1906. Shoes initially were peddled door-to-door, but the company began selling by mail order in the 1980s and online in 1999. Still a family-owned business, Mason employs hundreds of people and sells apparel, accessories, and footwear through catalogs, online, and in its outlet store.
Kell Container Corporation began in 1964 and today produces over 1 billion square feet of high-quality corrugated cardboard containers each year. The company’s museum exhibit includes everything from food and cleaning supply containers to store displays. Great Northern Corporation acquired Kell Container in 2004. Today, the 412,150-square-foot design, manufacturing, and warehouse facility in Chippewa Falls employs 260-plus full-time employees.
If craft beers tempt your taste buds, you’ll enjoy the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company exhibit. The museum displays a private collection of steins, neon lights, advertising signs, record-keeping books, and more. Don’t miss visiting Leinenkugel’s Brewing Company for a guided tour to learn more about this company, which began in 1867, survived Prohibition, and still brews beer today.
I selected the “behind the scenes” tour at the brewery. Matt Leinenkugel, one of the founder’s descendants, was our guide. We learned about the brewing process, the company’s history, and his memories of growing up in a brewing family. After the tour, Matt took us into the pilot brewery, where we enjoyed casual conversation while sampling brews — Berry Weiss is my favorite. Before leaving, check out the gift shop for Leinenkugel’s T-shirts, glasses, books, and more. Grab a 32-ounce Crowler of your best-loved beer on tap or create a six-pack flavor assortment to take home.
In the W.S. Darley area of the Museum of Industry and Technology, you learn about the company’s contributions to world fire and emergency services. Established in 1908, the company manufactures firefighting equipment, emergency response equipment, fire pumps, and fire trucks. You can view a W.S. Darley fire truck in the Chippewa Area History Center in town.
Lake Wissota State Park
The History Center opened in January 2023. Three floors and two mezzanine levels of the museum offer insight into the diverse residents throughout the area’s history, including the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Ho-Chunk nations; fur traders; European immigrants; and builders of this unique town. Explore the lumberjack industry and the role of the Chippewa River in carrying logs from the Chippewa Lumber & Boom Sawmill #18. The world’s largest sawmill under one roof, it shut down on August 2, 1911, and was sold for scrap.
TIME OUTDOORS
Nature lovers can hike the paths in Lake Wissota State Park. When we visited, we saw turtles basking in the sun on a log while a gathering of frogs along the shore shared their music.
If you enjoy disc golf, play a round on the 18-hole championship Leinenkugel’s Disc Golf Course at Casper Park. A six-hole course is available for beginners and those with accessibility needs.
In 1906, William Irvine envisioned a reserve to protect the local environment. Irvine left his land and trust to the city, stipulating that the funds be used to maintain the area and prohibiting the sale of goods for profit on the grounds. The 318-acre Irvine Park and Zoo includes a band shell, hiking trails, the Red Barn Petting Zoo, large animal displays, and the Glen Loch Dam overlook. There are also two historical sites: the Norwegian Log Home and the Sunny Valley School House.
FOOD, DRINK, AND MORE
After all that outdoor activity, treat yourself to a cone or sundae at Olson’s Ice Cream. Still in the same building they opened in 1944, their neon sign says ice cream is “Homaid,” and it is delicious! After your cold refreshment, stroll to the Chippewa Candy Shop to stock up on some sweet treats.
The Cook-Rutledge Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home is a prime example of High Victorian Italianate architecture, originally built in 1873 by James Monroe Bingham and his wife, Justine. In 1887, now widowed, Justine sold the home to lumber baron Edward Rutledge. Following the deaths of Hannah and Edward Rutledge in 1910 and 1911, respectively, attorney Dayton Cook purchased the house in 1915. The Cook family retained possession until 1973 when their daughter sold it to the Chippewa County Historical Society. If you enjoy stained-glass windows, carved woodwork, and unusual fireplaces, don’t miss this home!
Experience haunted dining at the historic Sheeley House Saloon, today listed on the Wisconsin Historical Society registry. Built before the Civil War, it initially contained a livery on the main level, with family living quarters on the second floor and boarding rooms on the third. The Sheeley family bought the property in 1905 and converted the main level into a saloon. Seven ghosts are said to haunt the building. Don’t worry; the current owner, Jes, started talking to the spirits after experiencing ghostly activities, including lights turning off and on, doors opening and closing, items flying off shelves, a radio turning itself on, and thumps and footsteps being heard. Jes asked the spirits for permission to stay, inviting them to share the saloon with her. Paranormal activity calmed down, but ghosts periodically make their presence known. For several months, a face appeared on a freshly painted wall. Jes took a picture of the face, which is displayed in the restaurant. I asked her if anyone plays the small piano on the second floor. Jes said no, but she added that a ghost does play it occasionally.
River Bend Winery & Distillery
Chippewa Falls is home to two wineries. Dixon’s Autumn Harvest Winery and Orchard uses produce from their orchards in their apple wines. They offer tastings for $10, which gets you a flight of four wines to sample, equivalent to two glasses of wine. There is seating inside or on a large outdoor patio, where a food truck is stationed. Those with children will appreciate the playground. If you’re visiting in the fall, the Apple Hangar and Bar offers freshly pressed cider and apples for sale.
The River Bend Winery & Distillery has six acres of vineyard with various grapes used to craft its wines. Enjoy a complimentary tasting flight of four wines — about two swallows of each selection. The distillery crafts whiskey, bourbon, gin, and vodka. Whatever your pleasure, you can purchase it by the glass or bottle. Enjoy conversation while sipping beverages on an outside patio overlooking the vineyard.
Stop at Loopy’s Grill & Saloon between Chippewa Falls and the winery for a drink, dinner, or outdoor fun. The riverfront tavern features a tiki bar, pub fare, volleyball, darts, and billiards. For a wetter experience, visitors can rent tubes, kayaks, or canoes and travel down the river. Loopy’s will shuttle you and your equipment upriver. You’ll spend two to three hours floating on the river before disembarking at Loopy’s dock. If visiting in June, you can participate in FATFAR (Frenchtown Annual Tube Float And Regatta), touted as the world’s largest one-day tubing event.
Birthplace of author Laura Ingalls Wilder
We enjoy side trips with our Jeep when visiting an area. Round out your Chippewa Falls trip by visiting Pepin and the birthplace of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. The community of Jim Falls is home to the Midwest’s largest hydropower-producing facility in terms of generating capacity, as well as the Old Abe Wisconsin’s War Eagle memorial, which commemorates Wisconsin’s feathered Civil War hero, a bald eagle. And in Cornell is Pulpwood Stacker #40 in Mill Yard Park. Constructed between 1911 and 1912, it is the last of its kind, standing 175 feet high. It is on the state and national registers of historic places.
Chippewa County’s dairy farms include Marieke Gouda.
Wisconsin has a grand total of 16,917 dairy farms, 655 of them in Chippewa County. Learn about dairy farming and cheese production at the Marieke Gouda dairy farm in nearby Thorp. Marieke Penterman returned to the Netherlands to learn her homeland’s gouda cheese-making process before opening her business. Marieke’s cheese is not pasteurized or processed. It is made within five hours of milking the calves and then aged at least 60 days. Enjoy lunch at Café Dutchess, pick up a variety of cheeses at the Marieke Gouda store, and peer through the viewing windows to watch the cheese-making process. Walk to the barn to see the “Cow Spa” accommodations, including back-scratcher brushes, overhead fans, a cooling sprinkler system, and soft sand beds. Every cow wears a fitness tracker that monitors their health and ensures they get sufficient exercise. Children enjoy walking along kennels that hold baby calves.
Why didn’t I mention the falls? Because they’re no longer visible! The Glen Loch Dam, built around 1869, raised the water level, covering the falls. They’ll be revealed only if the dam breaks. But even without a waterfall, you’re sure to find something that satisfies your interest in this small town that packs a big punch.
CHIPPEWA FALLS CAMPGROUNDS
Duncan Creek Campground
(715) 577-0904
Eagle Ridge Campground
eagleridgecamping.com
(715) 379-2942
Lake Wissota State Park
dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/lakewissota
(715) 382-4574
Reservations: (888) 947-2757
O’Neil Creek Campground
oneilcreek.com
(715) 723-6581
Pine Harbor Campground
pineharborcampground.com
(715) 723-9865