Spring Valley, WI

Spring Valley is a village in Pierce and St. Croix counties along the Eau Galle River. Logging crews followed the river upstream from Eau Galle around 1857, and the discovery of iron ore and other materials needed for a pig-iron industry in 1891 helped push the community toward an industrial town; Spring Valley incorporated in 1895. The river still shapes the map, with Eau Galle Dam and reservoir nearby, while Crystal Cave sits about a mile southwest and has welcomed visitors since 1942. The annual Dam Days celebration keeps the water-and-industry story on the calendar. The local shorthand is Eau Galle, iron, dam, cave, and two counties.