Jim Falls is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

located in Chippewa County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States.

Description

Jim Falls is located on the Chippewa River northeast of Chippewa Falls, in the town of

Anson Anson may refer to: People * Anson (name), a give name and surname ** Anson family, a British aristocratic family with the surname Place names ;United States * Anson, Indiana * Anson, Kansas * Anson, Maine ** Anson (CDP), Maine * Anson, Missour ...

. Jim Falls has a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...

with ZIP code 54748. As of the 2010 census, its population was 237.

History

Jim Falls is named in honor of James Ermatinger. In 1840, he established a trading post near the falls, which were then called "Vermillion Falls". Later, he became very involved with public affairs of the village and county. In 1854, he was appointed by the county Board of Supervisors, along with Henry O'Neil, and

Daniel McCann Daniel McCann (30 November 1957 – 6 March 1988) was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), who was murdered by the British Army on 6 March 1988 whilst being accused of attempting to plant a car bomb in Gibraltar. Early l ...

, to lay out a road from Chippewa Falls to Vermillion Falls. In 1855, he acted as Justice of the Peace for Chippewa County. In spring of 1861, the Indian Ahgamahwegezhig captured an eaglet near the South Fork of the Flambeau River, within the present day Chequamegon National Forest, east of

Park Falls, Wisconsin Park Falls is a city in Price County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,462 at the 2010 census. Located in the woods of north central Wisconsin, primarily the Chequamegon National Forest, Park Falls is a small community divided by t ...

. A few weeks later, he canoed down the Chippewa River on a trading expedition. At Jim Falls, he encountered

, to whom he sold the eagle for a bushel of corn. In turn, McCann sold the bird to soldiers of the

8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 8th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The 8th Wisconsin's mascot was Old Abe, a bald eagle that accompanied the regiment into battle. Service The 8th Wisconsin w ...

. The eagle became their mascot Old Abe, who accompanied them during many battles of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. Because of this connection, the reservoir behind the dam is named "Old Abe Lake." Moreover, in a park on the

Old Abe State Trail Old Abe State Trail is a paved multi-use rail trail in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, USA. The name commemorates Old Abe, a bald eagle that was captured in 1861 by Ahgamahwegezhig, a Native American man, near the South Fork of the Flambeau R ...

, which runs through the town, a 10½ foot statue of Old Abe has been erected near the dam.

Demographics

Geography

A stretch of rapids and falls on the Chippewa River provided the focal point around which the town developed. They have been incorporated into a hydroelectric facility operated by

Northern States Power Company Northern States Power Company () was a publicly traded S&P 500 electric and natural gas utility holding company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that is now a subsidiary of Xcel Energy (). History The company's founder, Henry Marison Byllesby, ha ...

. However, many geological features of the river bed are visible below the dam.

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Chippewa County, Wisconsin Census-designated places in Wisconsin