Address: Holcombe Town Hall Park

Get Directions

Community: Holcombe

Category: Arts + History / Play + Shop

The Holcombe Logging Disaster is a tragic and important part of Wisconsin logging history, centered on a deadly accident on the Chippewa River in 1905. It serves as a somber reminder of the dangerous work loggers faced during the lumber era.

• What happened:
  On July 7, 1905, sixteen loggers from the Chippewa Lumber and Boom Company tried to break a log jam near Holcombe below Little Falls dam. Their batteau boat lost control in the rapids and capsized at about 10:30 in the morning.
• Why it matters:
  Eleven men drowned in the accident, while five survived against the odds. The event was witnessed by sixty other loggers on shore, who quickly attempted a rescue, making it one of the most heartbreaking episodes in the region’s logging history.
• What it represents:
  The disaster highlights the risks of river driving and lumber work in the Chippewa Valley. It stands as a memorial to the men who worked the rivers and the dangers that came with that life.