Jean Brunet, born in France in 1791, immigrated to this country in 1818 and moved to Chippewa Falls in 1828, becoming one of the most noteworthy pioneers of the Chippewa Valley. He built the first dams on the Chippewa River at Chippewa Falls and at Brunet Falls, now the City of Cornell. He served as the first judge and as a member of the legislature for Chippewa County when it met at what is called Burlington, Iowa. Brunet piloted the first raft of lumber from the Falls to Prairie du Chien and piloted the first steamboat up the river. At Cornell he operated the first stopping place and portage, running a business as a dealer in boats, oxen, and logging supplies. Along the banks of the Chippewa River, he traded with the Indians, taught them to work iron and wood, and to worship God. Regarded as a great peacemaker between the Indians and whites, he was loved and respected by the Indians as no other man before or since. His trading post stood on the west bank of the river just below the existing dam, where he was often visited by Ezra Cornell, who is credited as the founder of Cornell. Brunet died in 1877 and is buried at Chippewa Falls.