Henry Cleveland Putnam
H.C. Putnam | |
---|---|
Proprietor, land agent | |
Known for | Founding father of Eau Claire, Wisconsin and played major role in the formation of the modern Chippewa Valley |
Political party | Democratic |
Board member of | Treasurer, Dell Improvement Company, Inc. (1884) |
Spouse | Jane Balcom Putnam |
Children | Ernest B. Putnam, Katherine Putnam Schrauff |
Parent(s) | Hamilton Putman and Jeanette Cleveland |
Henry Cleveland Putnam (March 6, 1832 – January 25, 1912) was an American
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.
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
References
- ^ "History of Lumbering and Lumber Mills, Eau Claire Co., WI, 1890". usgwarchives.net. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "Finding Aid for Biltmore Estate Forestry Department Manager's Records, Series P". www.lib.ncsu.edu. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "Wisconsin state census 1895". billputman.com.
- ^ United States Congress House Committe. "Tariff Hearings Before the Committee on Ways and Means" (Document). House Of Representatives, Sixtieth Congress.
- ^ "The Northwestern Reporter". 1900.
- ^ "1884 Eau Claire City Directory, Eau Claire Co., WI. Miscellaneous Information". usgwarchives.net. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ wigenwebcc. "Eau Claire Co. WIGenWeb Project".
- ^ "The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin". 1870.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Putnam Hall, Buildings, Exhibits, Special Collections, McIntyre Library, UW-EAU Claire". Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
- ^ "Augusta Wisconsin History Town of Bridgecreek".
- ^ "Bungalow is Damaged April 17th, 1910 - the Daily Shakedown". Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
- ^ Barland, Lois. The rivers flow on. Stevens Point: Warzalla Publishing, 1965
- ^ 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.
External links
- The Wisconsin Historical Society biography of H. C. Putnam