Pierce County History

Native Americans were the first people to live in what is now Pierce County. The Diamond Bluff area has many extensive burial mounds that mark the Native American settlement. Explorers began to come to the area after the Louisiana Purchase was completed by the United States. Philander Prescott was one of the first explorers to come to this area. He settled on land near the junction of the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. At one time that area went by the name of Elizabeth but soon afterward the name was changed to Prescott.

Pierce County was legally established in 1853 when the state legislature split up St. Croix County into Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix counties. Pierce County was named after Franklin Pierce, the fourteenth president of the United States.

At the time when Pierce County was developed, Prescott (downtown Prescott, ca. 1905) and River Falls (downtown River Falls, ca. 1880) were the largest communities in the county. A rivalry had started between the two towns when considering a county seat. Finally, after much debate, the exact location of the county seat was determined by placing marks on a Pierce County map to determine the center of the county. Where the marks crossed was near the town of Perry, the name of which was changed to Ellsworth because there was already a Perry, Wisconsin, in Dane County. Ellsworth was named after Colonel E. E. Ellsworth, a Union officer who was reportedly killed after tearing down a Confederate flag in Arlington, Virginia.

View a pictoral River Falls History.

In 1855, Anthony Huddleston settled on the land near Ellsworth, feeling it held great opportunity. He is credited with being the founder of Ellsworth. Mr. Huddleston died just short of his 101st birthday on February 17, 1905. What a tremendous amount of change he saw in his 100+ years of living throughout the entire 19th century.

By the 1880’s, Ellsworth was growing and the people of the town were looking forward to a railroad connection to be built by the Omaha Railway. The railway (Ellsworth Depot, 1880's) was completed in 1885 but due to hilly terrain, the railroad was actually situated on the flatter outskirts of Ellsworth. This area then became known as East Ellsworth. Soon after, various businesses, such as the Ellsworth Starch Factory (factory employees, 1912 photograph), were constructed in the area because they wanted to be near to the railroad. Ellsworth’s industry continued to grow after the turn of the century. As an example, the Ellsworth Coop Creamery was built, producing high quality cheese and butter. Schools (Ellsworth Common School, undated) and other municipal buildings such as the Ellsworth Courthouse (undated photograph), the construction of which was begun in 1905, continues to serve the county today in that capacity.

In 1848, Joel Foster settled in what would become known as River Falls. River Falls was known early on for its wheat (wheat field with farmers in River Falls, undated) production. Later, the emphasis changed to dairy farming (Pierce County farmers, unnamed and undated). River Falls also had the good fortune to have the state’s 4th Normal School (original South Hall building on the campus of UW-River Falls, ca. 1875) established in the city, in 1874. Classes began in the fall of 1875 at the River Falls Normal School, which today is known as the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. River Falls is also home to a campus of the Chippewa Valley Technical College.

Go to a UW-River Falls history.

The eastern part of the county was known initially for logging and mining. A post office was established in Spring Valley in 1870. Spring Valley would be known later on for the infamous flood that devastated the city in 1942. The city rebuilt though and today is the home a large dam to prevent such a reoccurrence. The city is also home to Crystal Cave, a popular tourist attraction for the area.

[compiled by Elizabeth Heard and ARC staff, 2005]

Additional Pierce County Images:

Prescott Depot, undated.	Prescott Band, undated.	River Falls baseball team members, 1916.	River Falls postal employees, undated.

See more Pierce County Images.

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Sources:
Ericson, Timothy L. (1997). A Most Beautiful & Handy Name: Wisconsin Place Names in the St. Croix Valley. River Falls: University of Wisconsin-River Falls Press.

Peterson, Ursula, editor. (1971). Pierce County’s Heritage, Vol. 1.

Saxton, Mark L. (1937). History of Pierce County Wisconsin. Spring Valley: Spring Valley Publishing Co., Inc.

Schwarztrauber, Jewell. (1962). “Ellsworth: The Hub of Pierce County” (a student research paper, located in the ARC’s vertical file on Ellsworth history).