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Eau Pleine, Township of

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Author:
Mary Moltzan

Location:
T. 27 N. - R. 3 E.

Formallized:
1884

Background:

Population: 1905-777, 2000-750 plus part of Stratfor's 1,5,23. The first inhabitants of this township were thought to be of the Paleo Indian descent based on some archeological diggings found in this area from various tools traced back to this tribe. Eau Pleine Township began as part of Brighton Township. In 1884 Eau Pleine Township was established. Although the majority of the Eau Pleine residents voted against Eau Pleine becoming a township, the Brighton residents voted 32 - 1 in favor of the division, therefore it was granted. Logging was the earliest business. Early settlers were German, Irish, Scandanavian, English, Scottish, Welch and Polish. The town takes its name from the river which runs through it.

First Public Official:
Edw. L. Laessig

Biography:

1st Town Chairman, 1885.

About The Post Office:

See villages of Staadt, Weber and March. No post office currently exists in the township.

Railroad:

According to Louis Marchetti, a logging railroad extended from the village of McMillan six miles into this town.

Churches:

1. Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Weber, organized 1884, church completed in 1887. The original congregation consisted of 70 German families. In 1918, services were discontinued.

2. St. Adelbert Catholic Church, located in section 5 of neighboring McMillan Township, also served Polish families from southwestern Eau Pleine township.

3. Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, organized 1899 in March Rapids, section 4. Erected 1900.

4. St. Paul Lutheran Church, located in section 13, was built in 1893.

5. Bethel Evangelical Church, cornerstone laid on November 17, 1912. The church was sold and moved to Stratford, WI in 1935.

Schools:

1. The first school in the township was a log cabin in section 7, later called the Wescott School.

2. District 2, section 20, McArthur school, opened 1881.

3. District 3, section 35, Marathon Pride school, c1879.

4. District 4, section 12, Weber WI. Organized in the fall of 1880, a new school was built in 1894 half a mile north of Weber. The school was unique, in that it had a swinging bridge over the Big Eau Pleine River, so that pupils from the west side of the district could reach the school. The school closed in 1923.

5. District 5, section 4, March. Organized in 1880 and built c1881. In 1894, a new school was built. The school district included parts of Eau Pleine, Frankfort and Wein townships.

6. District 6, section 14, Drake school, started on April 2, 1918. All schools were one and two room schools through 8th grade. High school was always in Stratford.

Industry:

Early industry was logging. Cheese factories began being built around 1910.

Farming:

Dairy farming succeeded lumbering as timber played out.

Stories:

The horse barn at March had room for 15 teams of horses. They had so many rats in the barn that Mr. Doud decided to pay a bounty of one cent for each rat tail presented at the store. So the young boys got busy and brought tails to the store. Mr. Doud paid the boys their bounty. He threw the tails out the back door not suspecting the next morning the boys picked up the discarded tails and resold them back to Mr. Doud. He soon saw through the boys' scheme.