Chippewa County WI Genealogical Society

11/05/2025

We approached the month of November....Thanksgiving is at the end of the month, and Christmas is just around the corner!

Be sure to gather those unidentified photos, family heirlooms that you are unable to save, and prepare questions! The holidays are a great time to take care of family history!

10/31/2025

Have a good weekend!

10/31/2025

10/29/2025

Genealogists version of Halloween fun. Find a person who lived in three different centuries and do some research. Can you imagine all the changes she seen over the years? Wendy found her in Old Hope in Chippewa, and with Cathy's help we found these records of her life. Julie Duplicie-the spelling has changed in the records, make sure you are checking for variations yourself. She has some well known family members.

10/29/2025

DB’s 2025 Bluelight Special #41
8 East Grand Avenue

This address is one of several that were incorporated into the J. C. Penney Company ( and currently Mason Shoe) building.

The 1874 aerial view of Chippewa Falls shows a 2 1/2 story building on this lot

1883: Cowles & McMartin, blacksmiths and wagon makers

1885: A. H. Cowles, blacksmith

1889: John McRae blacksmith and J. G. Gulden carriage and wagon maker

1895: John McRae blacksmith and Michael M. McGurk cigar maker

1901: John McRae horse shoer

1907: John McTae blacksmith and Michael McGough blacksmith

1917: McGilvray & Kurth Hardware
Neil McGilvray and William Kurth

11-10-1955: Grand Opening of the J. C. Penney Company at 301 North Bridge Street. At this time, 8 East Grand Avenue
would have been located where the side entrance door to Penney’s ( later Mason’s) is presently.

Thanks much for viewing and know that I always welcome additions or corrections that I can verify.

Respectfully, Dennis Brain
Chippewa County WI Genealogical Society and Old Chippewa Falls Facebook site.

10/29/2025

Be sure to go through all documents, newspapers articles, interview relatives, and anything else that you can think of.

You never know what you'll find out.

10/26/2025

Thanks to Rebecca Blanchette and Kim Gundlach for coming in and explaining how Forever.com works. It is a one time purchase for storing digital information that is yours for your lifetime, plus 100 years. You are able to add a person to take over your files after you are gone so the work you have done is saved. If you are tired of paying monthly or annual fees to store your images, this is another way to go. They are both Ambassadors for the company and will be happy to answer questions and help you set up an account, helping you get the best deal. The company will also take in just about any old form of storage and convert it to current forms, and will update your saved files as new technology evolves. They will also add photos to just about any item you would like. If you want more info, contact them or we can pass your request to them at ccgswi@gmail.com. Thanks again for coming out for the presentation, they did get quite a bit of interest after the meeting.
I have been using this for the last nine months and have been very happy to have gotten my files in one place, not on several thumb drives, external drives, CD's, etc.

10/23/2025

The Chippewa County Genealogical Society will meet at 10:00 am on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at the Chippewa Area History Center, 12 Bridgewater Avenue, Chippewa Falls, WI. There will be a short business meeting followed by a program about FOREVER.COM, a permanent cloud program that is popular among genealogist. Presentation will be by Rebecca Blanchette and Kim Gundlach. The meeting is open to the public and light refreshments will be offered.

10/22/2025

DB’s 2025 Bluelight Special : #40
501 Woodward Avenue

This is another repost of an address that has received numerous questions and comments. As a business, this building has always housed a mom & pop’s grocery store, and a few of these names are quite unfamiliar to me.

1901: Edward Moreau Grocery

1907: The address changes to 503 Woodward Avenue until the late 1920’s, when it permanently reverts back to 501 Woodward Avenue. I don’t have an explanation for this.

1917: Frank Loiselle Grocery

1923: Emery Loiselle Grocery

1929: Vacant

1933: Henry Willi Grocery

1950: Seibel Food Stores, Peter P. Seibel owner

1952: Govin’s Food Market, Lloyd Govin owner

1959: Govin’s Food Market ( Lloyd Govin) and Govin’s Thrift Shop ( Edna Govin). Interesting combination.

1963: Nadeau’s Superette Food Market and Meats, Don Nadeau owner

1974: Sokup’s Superette, Paul and Pat Sokup owners

1988: Sokup’s Chippewa Meats and Deli, Paul Sokup, Jr. owner

1993: Residential dwelling

I’m always looking for corrections or additions that I can verify.

Respectfully, Dennis Brain
Chippewa County Genealogical Society and Old Chippewa Falls page

10/21/2025

Genealogy is more than just how many generations you can go back. Your ancestors accomplished a lot! Their journeys, stories, and hard work helped shaped who you are and where your family is today.

Your ancestors count on you to remember them!

10/15/2025

DB’s 2025 Bluelight Special #39
35 West Spring Street

I’m reposting this address from March of 2024 with updated information.

You have no doubt noticed that a large percentage of my posts are based on Bridge and Spring Streets. This was the commercial/ recreational hotbed of Chippewa Falls in its early days. Businesses built close to the top priority activity of that time, logging, in order to be the first to acquire the loggers money.

The 1874 aerial view of Chippewa Falls records a two story building on this lot, but it is highly likely the building dates back farther than that. In fact, this is quite possibly one of the structures destroyed in the Great Fire of 1869. Which of course means this lot was occupied earlier than 1869.

May 3, 1878: John B. Colle is granted an alcohol license for his saloon business here. Charles Hoffman is shown as a merchant tailor here also. No doubt upstairs, as conducting a business in the same room as “ imbibed” lumberjacks could pose any number of issues, all bad

1885: Held & Billard saloon, with Charles Hoffman continuing to occupy the second floor.

1889: Patrick Morris grocery

1895: Vacant

1896: Byers bakery / restaurant moved into this location and was operated by Angus McDonald.

1915: Angus McDonald restaurant , Margaret Muhall cook

12-1-1918: Mr. Byers purchased the restaurant from Angus McDonald, with Angus contacting to run the operation .

1923: McDonald’s Restaurant , Florence Bell proprietor

11-4-1926: Waltham Piano Company opens with John Glenn manager

1937: Betty Vee Beauty Shop , Latitia Ann Sheldon proprietor

1946: Kay’s Beauty Shop, Garfield Brown owner

1950: Chippewa Falls Production Credit Association , Roger Lindoo general manager

1969: 33 and 35 West Spring Streets combined to use one address, 33 West Spring Street. Occupied by Slenderette Figure Salon ( Clement Bruzan owner) and Sauna Corporation of America .

1971: Shower Harris Insurance Agency, George Shower and Ned Harris. Vanity Beauty Salon, Mildred Goetz owner.

1998: Shower Harris Insurance Agency

2000: Chippewa Valley Computers, Robert Hunt owner and Shower Harris Insurance Agency.

2001: Chippewa Valley Computers

2002: Chippewa Valley Computers and Chippewa RC Hobby Shop

2005: Chippewa RC Hobby Junction

2022: Sparrow Antiques

Thank you for viewing and I heartily welcome all additions or corrections that I can verify.

Respectfully , Dennis Brain
Chippewa County WI Genealogical Society and Old Chippewa Falls Facebook site