The economy of early Eau Claire depended on logs and sawmills. So in 1879 a project was started that would bring a steady supply of logs to mills on Half Moon Lake. Starting at the Dells Dam they were sent "across town" by a complicated system that included an enclosed chute, an open canal and finally a 1000 foot long tunnel. It worked, bringing in fresh timber for a quarter century. Half Moon Lake became a gigantic log storage pool. But the system was inherently dangerous. Saloon patrons fell into the canal. Children playing among the logs drowned with distressing regularity. Eventually the system became obsolete and was filled in, although until recently the tunnel was still causing damage to sewer pipes and basements near Luther Hospital. This cache remembers one tragic death, that of Marshall Jaeger. More details can be found at: Tragedy in the Tunnel
Update 8/11/2021 As a high traffic area this cache has had its challenges. Its current location is not at the site of the tunnel described above (that was near the current beach house). You are looking down the shore a ways and near a modern and unrelated drainage system. This poor cache has been Muggled twice, sawed down by landscapers once and partially washed away in recent heavy rains! New site is up the slope a bit and is in an obvious "beacon". Terrain and difficulty ratings adjusted. Please report any moisture issues, I've worked hard to keep this cache active and have a few more ideas if necessary!