EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – One park in downtown Eau Claire gives people strolling by more information about the City’s history.
An installation of 7 plaques is now complete at Phoenix Park.
“I think it was an idea that came out of the parks department as a way of adding interest and history to this area,” said Dave Peterson, he is the president of the Eau Claire Community Parks Association.
He said it took over a decade to finish because of a lack of funding. The association has recently voted on providing the $6,500 it took to finish the installation.
“There were two plaques installed about fifteen years ago,” said Peterson. “And there was a plan to have 5 more.”
Now if you take a stroll at the park, those 7 plaques will give you some sense of how Eau Claire came to be.
Some of the newly installed plaques include: Boundary, Eau Claire Clear Water, Destination, Manufacturing and New Home.
“And it celebrates a variety of the immigrants that have come here. Norwegian, Germans, Polish people. And more lately, people from Laos. the Hmong families that have come to the area,” said Peterson.
One of the original 2 plaques tells us how the park got its name.
“This is another plaque here about the Phoenix corporation that built the log haulers that I just mentioned… and again, this is why Phoenix Park has its name. Based on the Phoenix company that was here years ago,” said Peterson.
And he said projects like these are what gives Eau Claire its character.
“When you’re going around town and you’re looking at some of these projects, we just thank our donors that have given money to the foundation, association, that can allow these things to happen here in Eau Claire,” said Peterson. “We’re just happy to have completed this project.”
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