The Impact of Logging in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
I am from the city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a city that has a wonderful culture and is, in my most unbiased opinion, one of Wisconsin's gems. It has a rich history and culture that has shaped the city to this day. Two of the biggest impacts of its history and environment are the logging and manufacturing industries.
In the late 1800s, many lumberjacks flocked to the Chippewa Valley to strike it rich in the logging industry. There were two things that made this area so attractive for these loggers. One of them was the confluence of the rivers. The two rivers, the Eau Claire River and the Chippewa River, met in that area which was extremely resourceful for the loggers. With this, they could float wood down the river like a highway system. Another factor was the trees themselves. The abundance of white pines made this area ripe for the picking for many loggers. And pick they did! The areas that the city now stand on were cut dry from the pines that led the lumberjacks here in the first place. The trees were picked over and the town of Eau Claire was established. The impact environmentally was just some mild deforestation and greenhouse gas emission, which has not made much of an impact on the environment; it had just paved the way for the urbanization of the city if anything. Soon after the logging industry died off, the manufacturing industry took off.
Once the industrial age took off, most cities were establishing factories to create goods to sell quickly. Eau Claire was no exception to this. In 1917, they established a the 1.9 million square foot complex known as Banbury Place. First owned by Gillette Safety Tire Company, they employed thousands of workers and made over 30,000 tires per day. This factory, among others, had an impact on the environment in the form of greenhouse gas emission. The factory was shut down from manufacturing 1992, but now is used for several commercial reasons like storage, luxury apartments and office space.
Translating to modern day, some of the environmental issues today are some moderate pollution issues and one larger issue in the water. Recently, there has been a case of higher than average amount of polyflouroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the water that has caused half of the wells in the area to shut down. They believe the cause is from different testing at the airport in the region. Though this issue is alarming, the city as a whole has a lot to offer and is a place I can't wait to return to one day.
Citations:
https://www.wqow.com/news/history/eau-claires-150th-the-impact-of-the-logging-industry-on-eau-claire/article_90ec8d62-a4aa-11ec-83b6-dfb0a628b238.html
https://volumeone.org/sites/150/articles/2022/03/01/292015-founding-stories-banbury-place#:~:text=Along%20with%20a%20plethora%20of,as%2030%2C000%20tires%20a%20day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eau_Claire,_Wisconsin
Aidan, great first post! I really enjoyed reading about Eau Claire. The history of the city reminded me of the history of Oshkosh, which is where I am originally from. Much like Eau Claire, the logging industry was a HUGE influence on the urbanization of the city. Similarly, the logging boom contributed to an era of manufacturing for Oshkosh, as it did for Eau Claire. I am wondering, though, why did the logging industry end in Eau Claire? Was if deforestation or decreased demand? Also, the water systems near Oshkosh are famously polluted, as well. Do you think that this trend is related in any way, or rather just coincidence?
ReplyDeleteHi Aidan, Eau Claire sounds like a cool place! Unfortunately, it is starting to feel like PFAS are in the water in quite a few places, so that is not a knock on Eau Claire :). I wonder if the tire company resulted in a lot of environmental pollution via the soil or water that has gone undetected. Industries, especially before environmental regulations were ramped up, typically have awful disposal protocols of waste.
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed any of the pine trees that were heavily removed for logging coming back into the region? I am from the Bay Area in California and due to the expansive development, there has never been a chance for native vegetation and ecosystems to be restored in a lot of the area.
Aidan, I couldn't help myself from commenting on this post, I got my BA at UWEC and Eau Claire will always hold a special place in my heart. The logging history is such an integral part of the community, I often walked around the historic neighborhoods, checking out the former logging tycoons mansions.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a shame about the PFAS. Having studied in the geography department, water quality was something we talked about quite regularly. I haven't kept up with my Eau Claire news recently, but I would love to know if there has been any word from the city about what they will do, if anything, about the issue?