Address: Rushman Dr and Columbia St

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Community: Chippewa Falls

Category: Arts + History / Play + Shop

The Mason Shoe Company Factory is an important Chippewa Falls site tied to the city’s logging-era industrial growth and later manufacturing history. It reflects the shift from timber-dependent businesses to new industries that helped shape the community’s future.

• What it’s about:
  The site began as the location of the 1870s Hiram S. Allen grist mill before becoming home to the Harshman Shoe Company factory in 1902. Later, Mason Shoe Manufacturing Company purchased the building and operated here until moving to a new complex in 1968.
• What changed over time:
  The factory story connects early shoemaking in Chippewa Falls, the rise of bootmakers in the late 1800s, and the efforts of local business leaders to attract new industry. The old factory was torn down in 1978, but a portion of the first-floor wall remains along Duncan Creek.
• Why it matters:
  This site helps tell the story of Chippewa Falls as both a logging town and a manufacturing center. Today, the Mason Picnic Area and the regional bike trail keep the area active and connected to the community.