Author Archives: Chris

2025 brought the long awaited debut of Dave’s Drive-In in Chippewa Falls which serves sandwiches, sides and, to no one’s surprise, root beer. Maryann’s Root Beer once stood on this spot on Elm Street, but it was not the only historical stand of its kind in town.

Falls Drive-In once stood on the South Side of town at 605 Park Avenue. I was lucky enough to grab a couple of black and white photos of it around 1997 before it disappeared forever. It is listed in the 1958 Phone Book and as late as the 1993 phone book. The owners, Howard Flint is listed as the owner in 1984 and his granddaughter posted family photos on Facebook from 1963 at the stand. She said Howard and wife Marie owned the stand and it appeared to be a great hangout for kids. A few social media commenters also refer to the stand as Tubby’s.

I had to edit the above picture heavily because of the quality of the original scan. It appears to be from a newspaper article from the 1980s. If someone has this photo in good shape, let me know. Like the photo, the stand fell into disrepair and was torn down shortly after I snapped my photos. In 2019, a new roadside restaurant called Anderson’s Chic-N-Fish was built and is still running as of 2026. Anderson’s offers fair foods like cotton candy, fried entrees and elephant ears.

Root Beer Stand

https://volumeone.org/articles/2025/08/06/368731-daves-drive-in-brings-root-beer-back-to-chippewa-fallsv

https://volumeone.org/articles/2024/01/29/334700-fish-family-continues-efforts-to-open-daves-drive-in

All written content and some photos Copyright 2026, 2019 and 1997, the owner of Abide Chippewa Valley LLC. Please attribute ‘abide.news’ when sharing. Historic photos from Chippewa Herald and Deb Stone.

Before malls and, more recently, online retail, local and national stores operated in downtown Chippewa Falls where people would come out to shop in large numbers. Sears had a small catalog store in a late 19th century building at the Southeast corner of Grand Ave and Bridge Streets (later the home of Shades of You).

Montgomery Ward had a substantial store on the Northeast corner of Grand Ave and Bay Street. There was still a catalog store there in the 1980s where my brother and I ordered a toy called the Tank Dashboard as kids. Like Touch of Class, the building is still in use (as B&G Liquor, named for Bay & Grand.)

Another store of years past was JC Penney Co. which was located in the Metropolitan Building on the corner of Bridge and Spring Streets. Later, a new store would house Penney’s on the corner of Bridge and Grand (across Grand from the Sears store). That location would become the Mason Shoe outlet.

The big department stores moved out of town and it was Prange Way, K-Mart and Shopko that would serve the Chippewa area during the 80s and 90s. The retail picture has changed further and none of those stores are still in operation. Downtown shopping has never died out in Chippewa Falls though and local stores fill the void left by these big national retailers of the past.

References:

All written content, Copyright 2026, the owner of Abide Chippewa Valley, LLC. CC-BY-SA License. Photo credits: Wisconsin History Society, Chippewa County Historical Society. Please attribute ‘abide.news’ when sharing to comply with the law. Thank you.

The older residents of Chippewa Falls can recall when the train used to roll into the East Hill with exotic circus animals. Recently, ads for Circus Classic have appeared around town and set-up is underway at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. The three day event is Aug 29-31 and in keeping with moderrn times will feature less exotic and dangerous creatures in a petting zoo.

References:

All photos and content Copyright 2025, the owner of Abide Chippewa Valley LLC. Creative Commons, CC-BY-SA License. Attribute ‘abide.news’ when sharing to comply with the law.

nwsfa.com

You’ve got to fill her up with gladness
You got to fill her up with joy!
You got to fill her up with love

-Sting, Fill Her Up

The Fill-Inn Station at 104 West Columbia in Chippewa Falls was a well established spot for dinner or a Friday fish fry after it was previously well-established as a gas station. In March of 2025, the announcement was made that the restaurant would close and Grace Fellowship would take over the building. This fact was further validated by a new sign out front.

The structure was built in 1950 according to the Assessor Data website. Hank’s Conoco Station was listed at this address in 1958 and Gardener’s Blue Diamond Service Station was listed in 1976. In 1979, it was re-opened as a restaurant and the 1993 City Directory lists Dick Horstman as owner with 20 employees working there. One of those employees was Linda Roycraft who would purchase the business and run it until its recent closure.

References:

Photos and written content Copyright 2025, owner of Abide Chippewa Valley LLC. CC BY-SA License. Attribute ‘abide.news’ when sharing to comply with the law.

Opera House on West Columbia

https://www.gracefellowshipcf.org/

https://www.weau.com/2025/03/15/fill-inn-station-closes-after-46-years/

http://assessordata.org/Assessment?id=8697029598819&p=1

https://pp-chippewa-co-wi-fb.app.landnav.com/Search/RealEstate/PropertySummaryReport?propertyId=5866

https://genius.com/Sting-fill-her-up-lyrics

1958 Chippewa Falls Telephone Directory. Chippewa Falls, Oct. 1958.

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin City Directory. Johnson Publishing Co.: 1976.

1993 Chippewa Falls, WI City Directory. Belmond, IA: 1993.

The Fair is back in town! As usual, early July means lots of activity at the Fairgrounds as the Northern Wisconsin State Fair comes together, this year with new leadership in the office and a new area called the Kid’s Corner. Workers and volunteers will work hard to make this historic annual event a success. Many rides and food stands are already set up.

Official dates are Wed, July 9-Sun, July 13, but there is judging on the farm side of the Fairgrounds on Tuesday and this is always a unique time to preview the event in its purest form, as a celebration of agriculture.

References:

All photos and written content, Copyright 2025, the owner of Abide Chippewa Valley, LLC. CC-BY-SA Licence. Please attribute ‘abide.news’ when sharing to comply with the law.

https://www.nwsfa.com/p/experience-the-fair

https://volumeone.org/articles/2025/06/17/365640-northern-wis-state-fair-has-its-new-executive-director-brian-maki

https://chippewa.com/news/community/dunnconnect/montgomery-gentry-hairball-flo-rida-and-foreigner-to-perform-at-northern-wisconsin-state-fair/article_272e3ea0-987e-11ef-805e-ff84eb9b5c30.html

Casper Park on the South side of Chippewa Falls has been quietly drawing players to its disc golf course over the last few years. In addition, it gained more holes this spring, which raises the count in its accessible course to 9. There is also a more challenging course which winds around in a nearly horseshoe pattern through the woods behind the ball fields. Including a practice hole near the restrooms, there are 28 total baskets or “holes” to use the old terminology of ball golf.

In my own time spent at the park, I have met a number of players from out of town, trying the course for the first time. Leinenkugel’s Brewery sponsored the creation of the park, well before their parent company shut down operation of their historic factory. Tourists still come to visit the Leinie Lodge near downtown, where craft beers are now made in small batches. Other disc golf courses can be experienced in several courses in Eau Claire and, in winter, at Ojibwa Golf Course, just North of the city.

References:

All photos and written content, Copyright 2025, the owner of Abide Chippewa Valley LLC. Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 4.0 License. Attribute ‘abide.news’ when sharing photos to comply with the law.

Construction is taking place along much of Bridge Street in Chippewa Falls. After a quick transformation of the former Holiday Station at 505 North Bridge Street, Circle K opened on Monday, April 28 with a layout similar to when it was a Holiday station. This includes hot and cold food, bakery items, drinks, tobacco products and, outside, gas pumps and a car wash.

Meanwhile, Eevy Ivy Over Flowers, Framing and Gifts is temporarily housed across the alley from its historic storefront on 314 North Bridge Street while it is being renovated. Rada’s Men’s Wear was once located here in the Music Block, which, not surprisingly, included the Sundet Music Store in the early twentieth century.

Also, a building permit is posted two blocks South at 116 North Bridge Street where Iris Boutique was located before suffering catastrophic roof damage. This space has had many tenants including Q Bake Shop in the 1970s and 80s. Its future is not yet clear. Iris Boutique has moved across the street to the Union Block where Lucy’s Deli was once located.

References:

All content Copyright 2025, the owner of Abide Chippewa Valley LLC unless noted. Creative Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0. Attribute ‘abide.news’ when sharing to comply with the law. Black and white photos are circa 1978-1984 and were created for the Intensive Survey of Chippewa Falls. Photos courtesy, Wisconsin Historical Society.

https://chippewaphotos.wordpress.com/

https://www.leadertelegram.com/news/daily-updates/closed-downtown-cf-gas-station-to-reopen-as-a-circle-k/article_28ab5e32-401d-45e1-8504-631fd2f4cc85.html

https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI3163

https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI3164

https://www.weau.com/2025/03/21/some-gas-stations-transition-holiday-circle-k/

https://volumeone.org/sites/chippewafalls/articles/2024/10/25/352286-in-with-the-new-iris-boutique-relocates-reopens

SuperAmerica on North Bridge Street was once part of childhood in Chippewa Falls. In the 1980s and 90s when I grew up, it was a popular place for late night snacks and movie rentals. It was rebuilt as a Mega Holiday several years ago, then closed. Last September, Mega Co-op emerged from bankruptcy and briefly opened other former Holiday stores including the one on Highway J by Lake Wissota, but the one on Bridge Street lay fallow. On March 14, Mega’s Board announced permanent closures and the recently reopened Mega Co-ops in the Chippewa Valley closed again. As local gossip of the sudden closures spread, construction vehicles happened to appear at the Bridge Street store.

After being held in suspense for several days, March 25 brought a revelation: a new Circle K sign lifted into position above the gas pumps. Circle K’s website now lists Holiday locations on Jeffers Road, Commercial Boulevard, 120th St. Commercial Boulevard, Highland Ave, Craig Road, and Highway 93 in Eau Claire. Circle K is an expanding brand, which has attempted to acquire Seven-Eleven. The future of those other former Holiday stores is still to emerge.

References:

All photos and written content, Copyright 2025, the owner of Abide Chippewa Valley. CC-BY-SA License. Attribute ‘abide.news’ when sharing to comply with the law.

https://volumeone.org/articles/2024/09/26/350573-scaled-back-mega-co-op-rebrands-after-bankruptcy

https://www.weau.com/2025/03/15/mega-co-op-closes-remaining-locations/

https://web.archive.org/web/20250117232018/https://www.megacoop.com/

https://www.megacoop.com/

https://www.circlek.com/store-locator?address=ChippewaFalls,Wisconsin54729,UnitedStates&lat=44.935549&lng=-91.393735

East 500 Block of North Bridge Street

Local ‘Bitcoin’ Machine