Editing Eagle Point, Wisconsin (section)

==History==
The first settlers in this area settled along the Chippewa River. In 1848, when the first surveyors passed through for the U.S. government, they found few "improvements" in the land away from the river, but along the river they noted a number of settlers, in what would become the town of Eagle Point. For the {{convert|6|mi|adj=on|0}} square that includes the part of Eagle Point below modern Jim Falls, the surveyor wrote this general description:
<blockquote>The Surface of this Township except in the vicinity of the Streams is level or gently rolling.

The Soil East of the River is Sandy 3rd rate West of the River Loam & Sand 2nd rate.

North of Gauthier Creek and west of the River the Surface is covered with [[Populus tremuloides|Aspen]] thickets and [[Oak]] timber. East of [[Chippewa River (Wisconsin)|Chippewa River]] and North of [[Yellow River (Chippewa River)|Yellow River]] are Pileti(?) Pine openings South of Yellow River and along the Chippewa Yellow and [[Pinus strobus|White Pine]] of a good quality. The Swamps in Sections 34 and 35 are timbered with [[Larix laricina|Tamarac]] [[Fraxinus nigra|Black Ash]] and [[Betula alleghaniensis|Birch]].
The Prairie in this Township is nearly level has a light sandy soil and can be easily brought into cultivation.

A [[Sawmill|Saw Mill]] and 4 dwelling houses on the N.W. 1/4 of Section No. 25. belonging to Moses & Co. A Saw Mill and Dwelling House on the N.E. 1/4 of Section No. 16 belonging to Henry O'Neal. A Dwelling House [[Blacksmith|Blacksmith Shop]] & other buildings at the mouth of Gauthier Creek belonging to Gauthier A farm on Section 20 and a House on Section 21 belonging to [[McCann brothers#Stephen Smith McCann|Stephen McCan]] and a House near the center of Section 29 belonging to Warren(?) and a small field near the North side of Section 32 and a Dwelling House At the foot of Eagle Rapids belonging to James Allen are all the improvements in This Township.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stuntz|first=G. R.|title=Interior Field Notes (Oct. 1849)|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=article&byte=3731486&isize=XL&twp=T029NR008W|work=Land Survey Notes|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|access-date=2013-03-30}}</ref></blockquote>

The same crew surveyed the next six-mile square up the river, north of modern Jim Falls, finding more settlers:
<blockquote>This Township has a gently rolling surface is well watered and has a good soil of [[Loam]], Sand and gravel.

It is well timbered in every part with [[Eastern White Pine|White Pine]] White & Black [[Oak]] [[Tilia americana|Lind]] [[Elm]] [[Fraxinus|Ash]] and [[Sugar maple|Sugar tree]].

The White Pine growing indiscriminately in the Swamps on the(?) ridges and along the Streams but it is more plenty(?) on the borders(?) of the Swamps and Streams than it is in the Swamps or on the ridges.

The Swamps are generally timbered with [[Larix laricina|Tamarac]] [[Spruce]] [[Betula alleghaniensis|Birch]] [[Fraxinus nigra|Black Ash]] and [[Maple]] [[Thuja occidentalis|White Cedar]] and [[Tsuga canadensis|Hemlock]] These Swamps are covered with a thick layer of Moss Which usually rests on a sand & gravel bottom(?). In many places the vegetable deposit is several feet thick.

There are six dwelling Houses in this Township, one on the N.W. 1/4 of the N.W. 1/4 of Section 2 One on the S.W. 1/4 of N.W. 1/4 of Section 2 belonging to [[McCann brothers#Daniel McCann|Daniel McCan]]. One in Section 20 belonging to Donaldson & Co on the East Side of the river One on the West side of the River owned by Gauthier(?) One on the West side of the River in Section 30 and a farm in Sections 30 and 31 on the West side of the River belonging to David(?) Armitager(?) Who lives on the N.E. 1/4 of the S.W. 1/4 of Section No. 30

The rapids in This Township in Section 16 fall about 10 feet in one fourth of a Mile and offer every(?) facility for [[Watermill|mill]] builders Also the rapids in(?) Section 30. Called <u>Armitagers(?) falls</u> afford Water power to any amount of the River falling about 50 feet in 3/4 of a Mile.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stuntz|first=G. R.|title=Interior Field Notes (Oct. 1849)|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=turn&entity=SurveyNotesINT065W000219&issueid=SurveyNotes.INT065W06&isize=XL&twp=T030NR007W|work=Land Survey Notes|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|access-date=2013-03-24}}</ref></blockquote>

In 1861, [[McCann brothers#Daniel McCann|Daniel McCann]], who was a resident of Eagle Point, encountered Ahgamahwegezhig.<ref name='SKYSTORY'>{{cite web | url = http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/civilwar/stories/004512.asp | title = Wisconsin in the Civil War: How an Indian Chief Captured the Eagle that Became "Old Abe" | access-date = August 15, 2012 | date = May 26, 1914 |newspaper=Eau Claire Leader | publisher = Wisconsin Historical Society |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107034905/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/civilwar/stories/004512.asp |archive-date=November 7, 2012}}</ref> This Indian had captured an eaglet, which he gave to McCann in exchange for a bushel of corn. After McCann sold the eagle to soldiers of the [[8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment]], she became their mascot [[Old Abe]] and accompanied them during many battles of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].<ref name='BARRETT'>{{cite book | last1 = Barrett | first1 = Joseph 0. | title = History of "Old Abe" | publisher = Dunlop, Sewell & Spalding | year = 1865 | location = Chicago | url = http://www23.us.archive.org/stream/historyofoldabel00barr/historyofoldabel00barr_djvu.txt | access-date = August 12, 2012}}</ref>