Archaeologists and historians began work on the State Highway 29 project in 1989. They began by investigating a two-mile wide corridor that followed the existing highway from Interstate 94 east to the Chippewa River.
But instead of turning north into the city of Chippewa Falls, as the highway does now, the new route would continue due east, crossing the river south of the city in order to ease traffic congestion through its historic downtown.
Information found at the Chippewa Valley Museum and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin shed light on the history of the area, and which parts of the corridor would be most likely to contain historic sites that would need to be protected.