Eau Claire in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Recreation on Half Moon Lake

Photographed By K. Linzmeier, June 12, 2014

1. Recreation on Half Moon Lake Marker

Inscription.

Recreation on Half Moon Lake. . , "The regular meeting of the Dovre Ski Club will be held Friday evening...all members must be present. The home boys have improved wonderfully and a lively contest is looked for." Eau Claire Weekly Free Press , January 26, 1893. , Once part of the meandering Chippewa River, this crescent-shaped oxbow became known as Half Moon Lake. Used in the 19th century as a holding pond for logs and to harvest ice for refrigeration, its waters also offered many opportunities for solitude and recreation. Through the years, seasonal events have drawn sportsman, athletes and spectators to the lake and its shores. , In winter, ice fishing, skiing, skating, and horse racing brought people together to enjoy events on the ice. As part of Horseshoe Island (now known as Carson Park,) the bluffs at the north end of the lake offered an excellent place for a winter ski jump. A slide erected in 1889 was used by the Dovre Ski Club for Sunday afternoon tournaments and crowds gathered on the frozen lake to watch the jumpers fly distances as far as fifty-five feet. Horse racing was also popular as fans watched riders who competed for purses up to $80. Today, figure skating and hockey players clear the snow to practice, and shacks dot the frozen lake as hardy anglers patiently wait for a lucky bite during the ice fishing season. , In summer, the lake came to life with swimming, fishing and boating. Log rolling competitions were also popular, and in 1941 over 5,000 people watched the world championship log rolling tournament. During the 1898 Fourth of July celebration, Carl and John Johnson appeared on a waterbike; a bicycle suspended on wooden pontoons with the sprocket driving a propeller and handle bars steering the rudder. Today, people still enjoy picnics on the shore or rollerblading and bicycling the trails. And spectators gather to watch the Fourth of July fireworks or the Eau Claire Ski Sprites, a troupe of youth precision water-skiers that present exhibition shows at Half Moon Lake. , Sponsored by: , The Guettinger Family , 1999.

"The regular meeting of the Dovre Ski Club will be held Friday evening...all members must be present. The home boys have improved wonderfully and a lively contest is looked for."                             Eau Claire Weekly Free Press
        January 26, 1893
    Once part of the meandering Chippewa River, this crescent-shaped oxbow became known as Half Moon Lake. Used in the 19th century as a holding pond for logs and to harvest ice for refrigeration, its waters also offered many opportunities for solitude and recreation. Through the years, seasonal events have drawn sportsman, athletes and spectators to the lake and its shores.

    In winter, ice fishing, skiing, skating, and horse racing brought people together to enjoy events on the ice. As part of Horseshoe Island (now known as Carson Park,) the bluffs at the north end of the lake offered an excellent place for a winter ski jump. A slide erected in 1889 was used by the Dovre Ski Club for Sunday afternoon tournaments and crowds gathered on the frozen lake to watch the jumpers fly distances as far as fifty-five feet. Horse racing was also popular as fans watched riders who competed for purses up to $80. Today, figure skating and hockey players clear the snow to practice, and shacks dot the frozen lake as hardy anglers

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patiently wait for a lucky bite during the ice fishing season.

In summer, the lake came to life with swimming, fishing and boating. Log rolling competitions were also popular, and in 1941 over 5,000 people watched the world championship log rolling tournament. During the 1898 Fourth of July celebration, Carl and John Johnson appeared on a waterbike; a bicycle suspended on wooden pontoons with the sprocket driving a propeller and handle bars steering the rudder. Today, people still enjoy picnics on the shore or rollerblading and bicycling the trails. And spectators gather to watch the Fourth of July fireworks or the Eau Claire Ski Sprites, a troupe of youth precision water-skiers that present exhibition shows at Half Moon Lake.

Sponsored by:
The Guettinger Family
1999

Erected 1999 by the City of Eau Claire Landmark Commission; the Guettinger Family. (Marker Number 11.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1892.

Location. 44° 48.41′ N, 91° 30.949′ W. Marker is in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in Eau Claire County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Lake Street and West Grand Avenue, on the

Photographed By K. Linzmeier, June 12, 2014

2. Recreation on Half Moon Lake Marker

left when traveling west. Marker is along the Lakeshore Trail at Half Moon Lake. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 711 Lake Street, Eau Claire WI 54703, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Ice Industry on Half Moon Lake (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Industry on Half Moon Lake (approx. 0.2 miles away); Legend of Paul Bunyan (approx. ¼ mile away); 2719 (approx. ¼ mile away); Henry Aaron / Eau Claire Baseball (approx. ¼ mile away); Carson Park Baseball Stadium (approx. ¼ mile away); Carson Park (approx. 0.3 miles away); Luther Midelfort: A History of Caring (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Eau Claire.

More about this marker. photo caption: Ski Jumping from Horseshoe Island, ca. 1890's

Also see . . .
1. Carson Park (Eau Claire, Wisconsin). Wikipedia entry. (Submitted on July 18, 2014.)

2. Ski Sprites Water Ski Show Team. (The organization mentioned in the marker text.) (Submitted on July 18, 2014.)

Half Moon Lake and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By K. Linzmeier, June 12, 2014

3. Half Moon Lake and Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 22, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2014, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 705 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 18, 2014, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.