• Social Center
• Bridge Street as the Social Center
• Prominence of lumber industry
• Occupation Diversification
• Ethnic Mix
• Advantageous Location

         Human beings have many basic needs such as food, water, shelter, etc. Another need that may not be as obvious is social interaction. People have a want and need to interact with one another. They satisfy this need in numerous different ways. People interact socially in the workplace, clubs, organizations, neighborhoods, and even walking along a busy street. By looking at life along Bridge Street between 1880 and 1930 we can see how through such activity it was a social center for the citizens of Chippewa Falls.

Social Center
         Main streets across the nation often serve as a social center for communities. This can be seen in activities along the street, in events held there, in the stores, through interaction along the street, and by who frequented the area.

Practically never will you find absolutely no social interaction occurring along main streets. Main Street is just a natural gathering place that draws people together to be seen and interact.

Bridge Street as a Social Center
         Bridge Street is the “main street” of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Since around 1880 it has served as a center for its citizens. One reason this area serves as the main street is its social implications for the community. Not only does it house residents, it also provides a means for interaction through its business and local location for gatherings. A person could fulfill their need to interact easily just by walking along Bridge Street on a busy day. Bridge Street was the place to be and be seen in the downtown community.

Prominence of Lumber Industry
         During the early years of Chippewa Falls as a city there was a lot of focus on the lumber industry. The lumber industry was responsible for drawing flocks of people to the area and providing them with work. Since the work in the lumber mills was often suited to younger hard working men it isn’t surprising that the majority of them were single. The work was sometimes dangerous and single men had fewer attachments such as family to be concerned with. While the majority of these workers lived in boarding houses at the mill, many also boarded along Bridge Street in 1880(sample census).4 The 1880 population census for Chippewa Falls records at least 31 men employed in the lumber industry living along Bridge Street. Additionally 66 men were recorded as being laborers, which is undetermined as their specific occupation. It is likely however that many worked in the lumber industry around this time. The only other occupations other than lumbering that were close to the same in number were keeping house, a woman’s job at the time, and servant work. The fact that the lumbermen were spreading away from the river shows their need to interact with the rest of the residents in the city. The fact that they frequented Bridge Street shows that it served a somewhat social purpose for them. They knew they could live with a variety of people and interact with them socially. As the years past however this domination of the lumber industry would change.