In the early 1870’s, a water spring just south of where Highway 37 and County Road B currently meet provided a nice refreshment to lumber workers coming back to Eau Claire from the Mississippi River. That spring is Beckey Spring, named after a timber cruiser by the name of James Beckey. As the area developed, the spring remained a popular spot for people living in the area.
In the late 1950’s, the state deemed the water to be unsafe to drink because of a bacteria called coliform, meaning diseases like E. Coli could be found, after that, people stopped using the spring.
As of a water test in 2019 conducted by the Eau Claire City-County Health Department, the water is still unsafe to drink. Doug and Mary Carlson, who now own the property where Beckey spring is found, began restoring and repainting the spring in 2019. The restoration was completed in 2020, and now people can see the spring as it was in the past.
