YOU LOST? Published at the end of December, local historian and author Frank Smoot helped bring this new historical fiction book to life.

Can you be lost in your hometown? That question, posed in a recent media release from the Chippewa Valley Museum, is part of what kicked off the making of Oh, Claire! Lost at Half Moon Lake.

Penned by local historian and author Frank Smoot, the new historical fiction chapter book is set in 1890s Eau Claire, weaving true historical details into a narrative following two children adventuring on the shores of Half Moon Lake. Largely inspired by the memoirs of two former Eau Clairians, Smoot also had support from CVM Director Carrie Ronnander and Archivist Jodi Kiffmeyer.

“The publisher, Doug Dixon, just walked into the Chippewa Area History Center out of the blue. He had just spent some time in Eau Claire, loved it, and wanted to publish a book that would somehow express its character,” Smoot recalled. “I said, ‘Well, as an Eau Claire story, we should bring it down to the Chippewa Valley Museum.’ ”

According to a recent media release, Smoot drew incidents and details from the memoirs of Anton Venski and Ralph Owen, two boys who grew up in Eau Claire 130 years ago. Ronnander and Kiffmeyer worked with Smoot to ensure details were period-appropriate, and included fun historical tidbits like how pigs and cows used to be found in downtown Eau Claire back then.

As the story begins, main characters Claire and Al plan to spend an afternoon looking for treasures along the banks of Half Moon Lake. Then, the day takes a turn, and the duo end up on unexpected adventures, meet new friends, and see their own city in a new way.

Front and back of Oh, Claire: Lost at Half Moon Lake.

“There’s a little flavor of The Magic Treehouse series and a dash of Jack Bushnell’s Farm Crossing about this story,” Smoot said. “Because of the real anecdotes and settings I could draw from, I hope the story has its own original charm.”

Illustrated by Austin resident Julio Moreno, much of the story will be familiar to locals. “Yet (the book) is definitely not of this time,” Ronnander said. “Now there is a book that shows just how (downtown may have Eau Claire looked) back in the day. I love it.”

Oh, Claire! Lost at Half Moon Lakeis a collaboration between CVM and MAST Literacy, and is now for sale at CVM (1204 E. Half Moon Drive, Eau Claire), the Chippewa Area History Center (12 Bridgewater Ave., Chippewa Falls), and The Local Store (205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire) for $12.  Frank Smoot has authored roughly half a dozen books and is the director of the Chippewa County Historical Society.