^{Above are two pictures of Water Street. The first one is from 1865 and the second is the present day. Eau Claire's Water Street has changed a lot since the late 1800's and early 1900's. The roads are now paved and there are a lot more buildings in the area. Much more commercial activity has come to Water Street. It is now a much busier road.The old lamp posts that used to stand have now been replaced with signs and traffic lights. That is Water Street then and now.}

Sources:
Chippewa Valley Museum
The Rivers Flow On By: Lois Barland, Worzalla Publishing, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 1965