The Ghost of "Father" John Fostler

The year was 1895.  An early settler of Chippewa Falls passed away.  The local paper described it in this fashion:

They used his correct name, which was unusual. In general he was referred to on the rare occasions where his doings were noted under the name John Fostler.  Here's his story.

John Klinck came to Chippewa Falls in 1855.  This was about the same time as Catherine aka "Mother" Fostler and her husband Andrew came to the fledgling community.  Klinch worked in the mill.

Mother Fostler ran a saloon, one of the first on the Chippewa Falls side of the river.  As I've discussed previously there were several over in the suburb of Frenchtown, but only one confirmed tavern that preceded her.

I'm not sure whether she started this effort earlier, but circa 1857 the Fostlers had to move after a fire, and started a drinking establishment down at the far end of River Street.

Andrew Fostler joined the Union Army at the start of hostilities.  Mrs. Fostler kept running the hotel/tavern.  Now, maybe she needed more help. And maybe she got lonely.  Even in that era the ratio of men to women in town was pretty lopsided, so she probably got plenty of attention.

Andrew Fostler came back from the war.*  Actually he was only away for about a year.  But he did not come back to Catherine.

John Klinch just stepped into the role, and was generally referred to as John Fostler.  He was a sort of local character, doing various outrageous things in the bars, living in the tumbledown ruins of the former Fostler House.  

But he seems to have been at peace that morning in 1895.  I'm assuming he was enjoying the morning sun, which would probably put him on this location at the intersection.  Now it is City Hall, but then he'd have been sitting on the doorstep of a friendly tavern, one of many on that street.

Obituaries for those on the fringes of society are often more honest than for the titans and magnates.  John Fostler/Klinch's concludes by saying:

"John acquired some money and property, but also the habits that scatter both, and of late years, in a little shack just back of the ruins of the old hotel, he has lived supported by charity."

I don't know if spirits linger on after death.  But if they do they'd likely persist where they were the happiest in life.  Perhaps this spot, where John Fostler/Klinch spent so many happy nights and his last cheerful moments, would be where you'd find him.

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* Mother Fostler's obituary a few years later says that Mr. Fostler #1, Andrew, died in the service.  I suspect this was a polite fib.