History of Baldwin

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BALDWIN HISTORY

Establishing the Village

Baldwin, Wisconsin, established in 1871, was called Clarksville for the first four months in honor of Frank B. Clark, a railroad agent. Later it was renamed Baldwin in honor of D.A. Baldwin, President of the West Wisconsin Railroad. Mr. Baldwin lived in Hudson during the summer months and in New York during the winter months. The Village of Baldwin was incorporated  in 1874. The Village roll had 520 members at that time. It was an important move to set up a Village Board so that laws could be made and enforced. A comment was made by one of those early citizens that someday Baldwin would become another Minneapolis at the rate it was growing around 1874. Those pioneers and village founders would be pleased with the population growth that has taken place in the village over the years.

Maintenance

One of the requests of the original Village Board was that the citizens do everything in their power to keep the village respectable, clean and as harmonious as possible. Today, Baldwin residents have similar desires. Flowers, windmills, lawn ornaments and well-maintained parks offer a sign of welcome to all who come through our community. In 1874, a sawmill and stave mill kept the town lively along with other enterprises including the booming railroad business. Lucrative imports, exports and personal travel were all possible because of the railroad. 

Industries & Services

Today, Baldwin's businesses and industries flourish. Rental facilities and housing are top notch. Municipal facilities as well as Western WI Health (Baldwin Area Medical Center)  and schools are up to date. When the founder of Baldwin, Dana Reed Bailey, left Baldwin in 1883, his village still had no bank even though he'd struggled for nine years to get one. Today, he'd be pleased to find a handful of banking, savings and lending institutions in the village. 

Village Priorities

Baldwin is blessed with a good relationship between the Village Board and community organizations.  Instead of feelings of competition between them, there is a hand-to-hand working relationship. Several service organizations also support improvements in the village.  Churches have always been one of Baldwin's high priorities. In 2005, the First Reformed Church in Baldwin celebrated its 100th anniversary and it is one of the newer churches in the village. Providing a good school system has always been another of Baldwin's high priorities. The school system seems to be one of the important factors that still draws new residents to our community. If a village starts out with good principles and a firm foundation as Baldwin did, half the battle of its future has been won. It was designed as a small country community and though we've grown, we still possess that sweet country flavor that so many desire. 

Location

The fact that Baldwin is situated off Interstate 94 is an asset to the village. It seems to be just a few miles from most anywhere. Baldwin is home to many who work in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and the Eau Claire area and though the drive is long, most feel the comfort of the small town atmosphere is refreshing enough to overcome the miles. 

Continuing Our Growth

Baldwin has had an honorable past and it is the intention of all who love Baldwin to do everything they can to keep it that way. There are many tasks in a village of its size, but fortunately, there are many willing taskmasters.