WELCOME to a Great
American Main Street Award Site
Come and enjoy the jewel of “God’s Country”— Historic Downtown La Crosse,
nestled alongside the Mighty Mississippi River, surrounded by towering
bluffs, and offering the best of history, scenery, and modern commerce.
The Ho-Chunk People, the original residents of this area, thrived on
hunting, gathering, and gardening. In western Wisconsin, they first
established trade with Jean Nicolet, Father Marquette, and the voyageurs in
1634. The arrival of fur trader Nathan Myrick in 1841 marked the beginning
of trade in the area now known as La Crosse. Myrick, originally from New
York and just 18 years of age, set up a fur trade post with Eben Weld across
the Mississippi River on what was then called Barron’s Island, and is now
Pettibone Park. The following year, Myrick and his new partner, Harmon J.B.
Miller, moved their post to Prairie La Crosse. This spot, at the corner of
Front and State Streets, in what is now Spence Park, can be located by a
State Historical Marker.
The pineries of the Black River north of La Crosse were soon to be the
source of an economic boon that overshadowed the fur trade. In 1848, Myrick
noted 11 sawmills on the Black and its tributaries. Since riverboats could
not navigate the Black River, cargo was unloaded in La Crosse, and La Crosse
merchants supplied the goods to the lumbermen. Related industries, such as
boat repair, became thriving businesses.
The town grew from “six or eight houses” in 1850 to a population of 745
just three years later, according to an unofficial 1853 census. As early as
1854, a seven-person committee drafted a charter for city status. On March
7, 1856, a Wisconsin Assemblyman from La Crosse, and original Committee of
Seven member,
Dr. Dugal C. Cameron, introduced a bill to grant La Crosse its city
charter. On March 14, 1856, the governor approved the charter. Eighteen days
later, on April 1, 1856, the first mayor, Thomas Benton Stoddard, was
elected.
The shores of the Mississippi River, where the Ho-Chunk once played the
game that gave Prairie La Crosse its name, is now Riverside Park. Water
transportation, once a vital link to other settlements, still plays an
important role. Steam paddle wheelers ply the waters of the Mississippi and
dock at the levee. Barges loaded with grain make their way to southern
ports. Excursion boats, commercial fishing boats, and recreational craft dot
the waterscape.
Historic Downtown La Crosse, just a few steps from Riverside Park,
is one of the largest commercial historic districts in the state. Listed on
the National Register of Historic Places, the district boasts 110 buildings,
of which 96 contribute to the historic character of the district. Take a
self-guided walking tour of our downtown architecture (see center tear-out
section), with building dates and styles ranging from 1866 Victorian through
1940 Art Deco, while enjoying unique shops, entertainment, museums,
galleries, and award winning restaurants. Stroll the Riverwalk and Levee,
and continue your walk or take a bike ride on the city trail that originates
in Riverside Park. Watch eagles soar and dive. Enjoy our many downtown
festivals—Riverfest, Oktoberfest, Sand on the Riverfront, Jazz Fest,
Historic Downtown Days, and the Rotary Lights illuminated holiday display.
Once a fur trade post, then a center for lumbering, milling, brewing, and
railroading, La Crosse is now a regional, national, and international
destination for medicine, education, technology, and tourism. Downtown
Mainstreet, Inc., forms the link between public and private entities in the
restoration and revitalization of our Historic Downtown. Our DMI members and
sponsors hope you enjoy your visit and return often to “step back in time.”
Historical information sources: La Crosse County History, Brief
History of La Crosse County, 1840-1905; Ho-Chunk Historical Abstract at
www.ho-chunknation.com
