The valley was first inhabited by the
Ojibwe and colonized by
German and
Scandinavian immigrants. The region also has a large
Hmong community. While the term "Chippewa Valley" technically refers to the
drainage basin of the
Chippewa River and its tributaries, the name is more often applied to the
Eau Claire-Chippewa Falls metropolitan area and the surrounding area—including communities not located within the Chippewa River's
watershed. From the 1850s to the early 1910s, lumber baron
Orrin Henry Ingram was largely responsible for the deforestation of the valley and the subsequent establishment of many small towns in the area. The population center of the Chippewa Valley is
Eau Claire.
Menards, an American home improvement retail company, is also headquartered there. They are also a major job provider due to their manufacturing sites located in the area. Other communities include
Menomonie,
Chippewa Falls,
Durand, and
Altoona. The region's agricultural products include milk, cheese, horseradish, kidney beans, apples, pumpkins, beef, and poultry. Much of the regional economy is service-driven, although there is also a significant light-industrial segment, especially in high tech (mainly computers). Historic sites include the
Cook-Rutledge Mansion in Chippewa Falls, the
Caddie Woodlawn Museum south of
Downsville, the
Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts in Menomonie, and a number of exhibits in Eau Claire's
Carson Park. In addition, there are a number of sites listed by the
National Register of Historic Places in the area. ==References==