Family papers collected and collated by River Falls businessman and historian Bruce Earl Foster (1932-2007), great-grandson of early River Falls resident Judge Joel Foster.
Foster was born September 6, 1932 in River Falls, Wisconsin, to Letha (nee Chinnock) and Earl Hunter Foster. The last of three children, Bruce graduated from River Falls High School in 1954 and obtained a bachelors degree in history from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 1958.
Foster worked as a professional Scout Leader for the Boy Scouts, sold life insurance for Metropolitan Life, drove a school bus, and operated an animal shelter for Pierce and St. Croix counties, which he later expanded to include grooming services. In his personal life, Foster was an avid fisherman, and involved in numerous social organizations in Pierce County throughout his life. He married Joy Rasmussen in 1961 and they had two children, Judie (1962-) and Andrew "Andy" (1968-).
Artificially collated collection of manuscripts materials donated by a number of individuals living in or otherwise associated with Burnett, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties. Includes both primary source materials, such as abstracts, warrantee deeds, correspondence, photographs, certificates, marriage records, etc., in addition to secondary sources, such as compiled genealogies and other records. Collection is no longer being maintained or added to as of January 2020.
River Falls Area Research CenterChristian and Anna Junkman papers and photographs (undated, 1846-1918, 2021) include materials relating to Anna's parents and siblings, the extended Cope family, and well as Christian's father, William; Glen Junkman and family papers and photographs (1911-1992), also include papers of their daughter, Mary Lorenzen; Estella Clarke (nee Junkman) papers and photographs (1864-1945, 2021) also contain materials related to her husband, William, including the Clark, White, and Ingli families.
Junkman, Christian P.Files are partial reproductions of business directories from R. L. Polk's Wisconsin gazetteer, including sections on Ellsworth (1877-1928); Pierce County (1922); and River Falls (1877-1928) created by Dan Geister in his research regarding communities in Pierce County, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin State GazetteerThe National Register of Historic Places was established in 1966 to list sites, structures, and objects worthy of preservation due to their historical status. Collection includes registration forms for the National Register of Historic Places that were completed in an effort to add buildings from Burnett, Pierce, St. Croix, and Polk counties to the National Register. The completed forms include National Park Service form 10-900, FHR-8-300, a letter from the Mayor regarding the Hudson Bathhouse, and a Intensive Survey of a Historical District in St. Croix County..
Photographic postcards mainly related to the 4-county geographic area covered by the Area Research Center, that is, Burnett, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties but also include nearby regions, including some in Minnesota. This collection is particularly strong in areas of the region directly surrounding River Falls, Wisconsin. Also includes some photographs of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls campus, sports, and related miscellany.
Otto, KathrynMiscellaneous photographs and postcards, mainly duplicates and photocopies of originals, displaying places, people, businesses, buildings, and scenery in the four county region (Burnett, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties) of Wisconsin.
Visual material By University of Wisconsin-River Falls University Archives and Area Research Center (1860)