Henry Cleveland Putnam

Henry Cleveland Putnam (March 6, 1832 – January 25, 1912) was a philanthropist and lumber baron in the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin, also serving as a member of the Wisconsin State Forestry Commission.[1][2] In Eau Claire he is known as H. C. Putnam and is regarded as one of the founders of the city. He donated the land for the eponymous Putnam Park in Eau Claire.[3][4]

For the Wisconsin legislator, see Henry Putnam.
H.C. Putnam
Born(1832-03-06)March 6, 1832
Madison, New York
Died(1912-01-25)January 25, 1912
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Lumberman, Entrepreneur, Proprietor, land agent
Known forFounding father of Eau Claire, Wisconsin and played major role in the formation of the modern Chippewa Valley
Political partyDemocratic
Board member ofTreasurer, Dell Improvement Company, Inc. (1884)
SpouseJane Balcom Putnam
ChildrenErnest B. Putnam, Katherine Putnam Schrauff
Parent(s)Hamilton Putman and Jeanette Cleveland

Early life

Henry Putnam was born in Madison, New York, in 1832. As a young worker, he was first employed as a civil engineer by various railroads in New York and the Southern United States. In 1855 he moved to Wisconsin, settling in Hudson, where he did surveying and was connected with the North Wisconsin and the Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien railroads.[5]

Logger and entrepreneur

Putnam moved to Eau Claire on May 23, 1857, and became a clerk at the federal land office.[6] Through his control of this office, Putnam became a powerful force in the Chippewa Valley pinery. One of the most successful land agents and promoters in the area, his knowledge of the Chippewa pine lands brought him the business of lumbermen like Frederick Weyerhaeuser and pine-land dealers like Henry W. Sage and Cornell University. In the 1870s he served as the County Register of Deeds.[7][8]

Although his dream of a pool to monopolize the timber lands of the Chippewa went unrealized, Putnam acquired a considerable fortune through his promotions. He was a director of several lumber companies in Wisconsin, the Pacific Northwest, and Canada, was one of the founders of the Chippewa Valley Bank in Eau Claire, and was influential in several other businesses in the area including the Eau Claire Book & Stationery Company and the Eau Claire Railroad Company.[9] In later years he became a vigorous exponent of conservation.[10][11]

Legacy

Noted for his philanthropies, he donated Putnam Park to the city of Eau Claire, and gave a large sum of money to construct the Eau Claire YMCA.[12] Putnam Park, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, follows the course of Putnam Creek and Little Niagara Creek east from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.[13][14]

References
  1. "History of Lumbering and Lumber Mills, Eau Claire Co., WI, 1890". usgwarchives.net. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  2. "Finding Aid for Biltmore Estate Forestry Department Manager's Records, Series P". www.lib.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  3. "Wisconsin state census 1895". billputman.com.
  4. "Tariff Hearings Before the Committee on Ways and Means" (Document). {{cite document}}: Cite document requires |publisher= (help)
  5. "The Northwestern Reporter". 1900.
  6. "1884 Eau Claire City Directory, Eau Claire Co., WI. Miscellaneous Information". usgwarchives.net. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  7. wigenwebcc. "Eau Claire Co. WIGenWeb Project".
  8. "The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin". 1870.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2010-05-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Putnam Hall, Buildings, Exhibits, Special Collections, McIntyre Library, UW-EAU Claire". Archived from the original on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
  11. "Augusta Wisconsin History Town of Bridgecreek".
  12. "Bungalow is Damaged April 17th, 1910 - the Daily Shakedown". Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
  13. Barland, Lois. The rivers flow on. Stevens Point: Warzalla Publishing, 1965
  14. The Givers: Eau Claire Philanthropists in the Context of American Trends wisconsin.edu

Further reading
  • Barland, Lois. The Rivers Flow On. Stevens Point: Warzalla Publishing, 1965.
  • Bonham, Neil. The Givers: Eau Claire Philanthropists in the Context of American Trends. Eau Claire: Mcintyre Library-UW Eau Claire, 2009.
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