On July 7, 1905, sixteen loggers of the Chippewa Lumber and Boom Company attempted to break a log jam on the Chippewa River at Holcombe below Little Falls dam, one of the largest wooden dams in the world. The batteau boat they were riding in reached the log jam but got beyond the mens control in the wild current of the rapids. At 10:30 in the morning the boat capsized.

The following eleven men drowned:
Oscar Barquest - Cadott · Max Billard - Drywood · Saul Brackett - Eau Claire · Henry Bryon Furgeson - Chippewa Falls · Louis Gokey - Flambeau · Andrew Gonyea - Jim Falls · Ole Horne - Chippewa Falls · Burt Larry - Anson · Paddy Leyden - Drywood · Joe Peloquin - Drywood · Adolph Toutant - Cadott

These five men miraculously survived:
John Dressel - Chippewa Falls · George Kaiser - Chippewa Falls · Eddie Martin - Chippewa Falls · William Smith - Drywood · Emil Toutant - Cadott

Dressel, Kaiser, and Smith jumped onto the log jam itself when the boat struck it. Martin and Toutant were swept through the rapids and were picked up later a mile down the river nearly exhausted. Sixty other loggers of the Chippewa Lumber and Boom Company witnessed the accident from the shore and quickly launched another batteau to attempt rescue.

Chippewa County Historical Society
Marker Sign #4

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Show me all markers in:  Holcombe, WI  |  Chippewa County  |  54745  |  Wisconsin  |  United States of America

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