Porter's Mills once busting village

Porter's Mills was once a busy lumbering community of 1,200 to 1,500 inhabitants located a few miles south of Eau Claire. The site was purchased by Gilbert Porter in 1866. Two years later he was joined by Delos Moon and S. T. McKnight, owner of a yard in Hannibal, Mo., in partnership forming Northwestern Lumber Company. At one time three mills, a shingle mill, planing mill and sawmill, were located here. By 1902 the operation had come to a standstill and by 1907 had been moved to Stanley.

     It is hard to believe that slightly more than 70 years ago a bustling community of 1,200 to 1,500 persons was located just a few miles south of Eau Claire on the Chippewa River.
     That village, platted as Porterville in 1883 and also known as Porter's Mills, was one of several busy sawmill towns along the Chippewa River. As the lumbering boom ended, the town faded away.
     Today, all that stand are three houses and a cottage. The village was located in the town of Brunswick, about a mile off current STH 85, the first road to the right past the STH 37 intersection. 

Old site excavated

     The exact location of three former mills, a boarding house and company store have been obscured by piles of gravel now being excavated.
     Dana Anderson who now lives in Eau Claire was a young girl when her family left Porter's Mills shortly after the turn of the century. Her father, A. M. Anderson, was operator of the store before becoming register of deeds for Eau Claire County.
      "Most of the buildings were torn down for their lumber and several, like the churches, were moved off to new locations," Mrs. Anderson said.
      The original plat is still at the Eau Claire County Courthouse and was surveyed by William Weissenfelds in December 1883 and registered Jan. 29, 1884.

Letter notes story

     A letter from Martha Martingson of St. Paul, Minn. to Dr. R. E. Mitchell of Eau Claire, published in the Eau Claire Daily Telegram, July 18, 1938, recalls the role of the Whipples in Porter's Mills.
     It is noted that Mr. John Whipple was a man of commerce, a farmer, storekeeper and a dealer in real estate who sold lots to incoming settlers.
     Mrs. Martinson also noted "the town was fortunate in having Mrs. Whipple for she was actively interested in village welfare as her husband. She was known as the mother of Porter's Mills."

Named after editor, mayor

     The town was named after Gilbert E. Porter, who was born in Fremont, N.Y., July 2, 1829. At one time he was editor of the Eau Claire "Free Press" and mayor in 1874.
     Porter, Delos Moon and S. T. McKnight were owners of the mills at Porter's Mills in the 1860s. A fire destroyed the mill in 1864 but it was rebuilt. It burned again in 1867. Porter and his associated rebuilt it again.
     Lumbering was the only industry in the town and at one time it had three mills - a shingle mill, sawmill, and a planing mill.
     Pete Bygman, termed one of the most loyal and most shrewd of the town's boosters, had been the means of getting a great many settlers from Sweden into Porterville.
    Life was apparently quiet as there were no saloons and most of the excitement came during spring log jams and the daily arrival of the train.
    Several events loomed large in Porter's Mills history. One was the flood of 1884 when water was reportedly so high it reached the second stories of many houses. Many sought shelter in the Methodist Church which stood on higher ground. The school house was moved to a different location as a result of the flood.
    The big planing mill caught fire another year. Because of dry conditions it burned rapidly. The only local fire protection was a horse cart operated by men of the mill. Aid was sent from Eau Claire.

Fell on hard times

     As log supply on the Chippewa River dwindled, Northwestern Lumber Company decided to close its mills and move equipment to Stanley.
     Many old timers were reluctant to leave when mills started to close, but they faced reality of the times and soon the town's population started to decrease.
     So it was a ghost town.
     Still, periodically, names of persons born at Porter's Mills appear in obituary columns of the Eau Claire Leader Telegram. Undoubtedly the name of the old village to most readers goes unnoticed, except for the few remaining who can recall when, as Mrs. Martinson wrote, Porter's Mills was a great place to live.

- Arnie Hoffman

Extracted from the Eau Claire Leader Telegram
Special Publication, Our Story 'The Chippewa Valley and Beyond', published 1976
Used with permission.