Dells of the Eau Claire County Park

Dells of the Eau Claire County Park
Dells of the Eau Claire River
location in Wisconsin
Location	Marathon County, Wisconsin, USA
Nearest city	Town of Plover
Coordinates	45°00′20″N 89°20′16″W / 45.00556°N 89.33778°W / 45.00556; -89.33778Coordinates: 45°00′20″N 89°20′16″W / 45.00556°N 89.33778°W / 45.00556; -89.33778
Area	190 acres (0.77 km2)
Governing body	Marathon County
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Dells of the Eau Claire County Park is in the north-central Wisconsin Town of Plover, east of the city of Wausau. It is divided in two by the Eau Claire River. The river flows through a rocky gorge to form cascades and waterfalls as it passes over and around weathered boulders, outcrops, and other formations. The depth of the river can vary depending on the time of the year. The park also has areas designated for camping, swimming, hiking, and picnicking.

Although the park shares a name with the city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, that city is over 100 miles away to the west. Also, this park should not be confused with the Wisconsin Dells, an area with its own formations over 100 miles away to the south.

The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 15, 2016 (#16000429).

In 1923 the Marathon County Park Commission bought 60 acres around the dells of the Eau Claire, establishing its fourth county park. Charles Ramsdell, a landscape architect from Minneapolis, planned the initial development of the park, which included trails, a picnic grove, and a concession stand, keeping in mind the County Park Commission's directive to not "replace the natural and picturesque with the artificial and commonplace park development." Through the 20s and early 30s the county cleared brush, built stone steps, and developed a baseball field.

The rustic stone highway bridge that carries County K across the river above the gorge was built in 1927. It was designed by G.H. Kirsch of the Wisconsin Highway Commission, a 116.5-foot reinforced concrete, filled spandrel arch bridge. The concrete was faced with a rubble stone veneer to "accent its rustic surroundings." W.H. Fischer and Sons of Antigo was the general contractor.

In 1937 Ingwal S. Horgen, another landscape architect and by then Marathon County's park superintendent, created the Master Plan for the park, concentrating buildings in one area to preserve the natural features, and laying out trails and paths to highlight those features. He deliberately left large areas in permanent forest. The footbridge was part of his plan, and the Rustic-styled buildings, a style just then becoming common in American parks. Eighty years later, much of Horgen's design is still in place.