Media Release 12.19.24

What’s Hidden in Eau Claire?  *  The Art of the Obituary * We Bet You Like The Wager  * Beach Party  *  We All Have a Story

 Eau Claire, Wisconsin—As winter settles into the Chippewa Valley, we are providing lots of warm and cozy opportunities to gather and just be.

Tuesday, January 7, Hidden Eau Claire Book Release Party, 6-7pm.
Eau Claire’s history is a rich tapestry of tragedy, mystery, and everything in between. Time after time, a round-faced man with a bristly mustache appeared among loggers in late 19th century photos, but who was this man? In 1903, residents were left stumped when a mysterious dead body arrived by train from Chicago. Thirty years later, Hollywood came to Eau Claire with a world premiere of Out All Night, a comedy. Facing a labor shortage during WW2, the city welcomed German POWs and often worked side by side with them in pea fields. To learn more about these stories and many others, join co-authors Jodi Kiffmeyer and Diana Peterson at the Chippewa Valley Museum for a book release party to discuss Eau Claire’s rich history.

For more information or to register, see the online calendar at cvmuseum.com.

Saturday, January 11, Genealogical Research Society of Eau Claire, 12-1pm – Research Time; 1-2:30 - Meeting.
Join the GRSEC for their January meeting at the Chippewa Valley Museum. Patti See will present “The Art of the Obituary.” Patti will share some of her favorite obituaries and offer ideas for what to include in your own or your loved ones’ obits.

The GRSEC is a non-profit educational society dedicated to preserving family history and stories in the Chippewa Valley. Meetings are held the second Saturday of months from September – May at the Chippewa Valley Museum. Doors open at noon and genealogy help is available in the museum library from noon-1pm. Meetings begin at 1pm and visitors are encouraged to attend.

The Adventures in History Book Club Monthly Meetings
The Adventures in History Book Club, co-sponsored by the LE Phillips memorial Public Library, meets at 6:30 pm the second Tuesday of every month, excluding December, at the Chippewa Valley Museum. The book club is open to everyone with no advance registration required.  The Adventures in History Book Club meets monthly to discuss, debate, celebrate, and share books with a historic theme. It seeks to create a sense of community, conversation, and connection. 

Isa Small, Programming and Communications Services Manager for the LE Phillips Public Memorial Library, emphasized the importance of our local book clubs: “While the library encourages literacy and reading in all shapes and forms, book clubs are especially important as they allow folks to connect through literature and shared interests.”  

Upcoming books are: January 14 – The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann. February 11 – In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick; and March 11: Three Ordinary Girls: the Remarkable Story of Three Dutch Teenagers Who Became Spies, Saboteurs, Nazi Assassins—and WWII Heroes by Tim Brady. The books may be borrowed from LE Phillips Public Memorial Library or you can purchase your own.  

For more information about this program, check out the online calendar at cvmuseum.com or contact Diana at d.peterson@cvmuseum.com.  

Thursday, January 16, Beach Party, 5-6:30pm.
The weather is definitely gearing up for winter. But at the Chippewa Valley Museum, we are traveling back to a sunny, June day. Join us for a Beach Party Exhibit Closing on January 16. Listen to the Beach Boys, watch Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon in Beach Blanket Bingo, enjoy summer snacks and ice cream treats, and take one last look at the “On the Water” exhibit. We’ll have a special program at 5:30. Learn how the Ski Sprites began from Fritz Bushendorf, one of the founders. The owner of Red Cedar Fly Fishing will be here to discuss why Northwest Wisconsin is a premier fresh water fishing destination throughout the world. Wear your favorite summer attire. And did we mention, there will be beach balls!

For more information or to register, see the online calendar at cvmuseum.com.

Members are free. General public $5

Saturday, January 25, We Are All Story Tellers, 1-2:30pm
Winter provides time to sit back and reflect on who we are and where we came from. Gather with us at the Chippewa Valley Museum for an adult story time. Michael Laughing Fox Charette is a gifted Native American storyteller, poet, musician, and member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Using all his gifts, he teaches us about Native history, culture, and spirituality. Yia Lor is a storyteller and writer from Eau Claire. Lia’s parents became “Wisconsin residents and the snow-covered hills and cornfields replaced the jungles and rice fields of Laos.” Yia shares her struggles and joys of blending these two cultures into her life. Britte Marsh will be joining us via Zoom to share all things about trolls, their importance in Nordic folklore and how they have been adapted into the twenty-first century.

For more information or to register, see the online calendar at cvmuseum.com.

Get Out and About in Carson Park
Rumor has it the snow we avoided last year will not miss us again this year. We are ready for it! Chippewa Valley Museum offers complimentary snowshoe rentals separate from admission to the museum. We are proud to work with Visit Eau Claire to share these snowshoes as one of four Gear Share sites in Eau Claire and Altoona (visiteauclaire.com/winter/gear-share/). Come for an early afternoon stroll through Carson Park to admire the frozen Half Moon Lake, explore the woods, or see the sports complex and playground covered in snow. Take advantage of this Wintermission program to stay active socially and physically!