Our Stories
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The La Crosse Public Library Archives blog includes stories of our local history, updates on the materials in our collections, and information on upcoming events hosted by the Archives department.

— Sep 23, 2024

Anita Taylor Doering & Muriel Fuller

Senior Archivist and Manager of the LPL Archives Department, Anita Taylor Doering has been awarded the 2024 Wisconsin Library Association's Muriel Fuller Award.

— Sep 8, 2024

Neighbors Making History: Alexander Gordon & An Artistic Jewel

A La Crosse artist painted a copy of an iconic George Washington painting, and it hangs in a downtown La Crosse building because of the generosity of an early La Crosse businessman, Alexander Gordon.

— Aug 27, 2024

Almost Untouched: A Survivor from the Past

This little Greek Revival house at 422 N. 8th Street has a wonderful story.

— Jul 11, 2024

La Crosse's Radiant History

Within the last decade, many people have become familiar with the Radium Girls, the nearly forgotten story of the young women who worked for three of the biggest radium processing plants in the U.S. La Crosse also had industries and businesses that required working with the highly radioactive element.

— Jul 2, 2024

Working Women: Domestic Servants in La Crosse

As long as there have been wealthy families in large homes, there have been domestic workers supporting them. In La Crosse, many young, single, Norwegian immigrants worked in domestic service.

— Jun 19, 2024

Myrick Park: A Hidden Gem

Established in 1903 as one of the first public parks in the region, Myrick Park is a vibrant testament to the harmonious coexistence between urban life and natural beauty.

— May 6, 2024

Footsteps of La Crosse Website Launch

Footsteps of La Crosse is a project that makes historic & architectural walking tours accessible for folks looking to learn more about the history of La Crosse’s built environment and the people who shaped it. In May 2024, a new Footsteps website was launched with new features.

— May 6, 2024

Neighbors Making History: The Tesson Family - Life and Death on the Water

Frank H. Tesson, was a veteran boat pilot and captain during the heyday of steam boating on the Mississippi River. Frank B. Tesson met his death on distant seas in one of the most well-known disasters of the 20th century.

— Apr 18, 2024

Keeping Up Appearances: A Story of Blended Styles

Doubt loomed great over a caption on an old photograph written long ago with an ink pen that said, “Dwelling erected by the Rev. John C. Sherwin on NW corner of Cameron Ave. & 10th St.” Was the caption written with a shaky hand correct?

— Mar 12, 2024

Architectural Styles and Revivals: Religious Romanesque

The most obvious feature in the Romanesque style is the round arch, rather than the Gothic pointed arch. Round arches require more massive walls to restrain the load above them, so the Romanesque interiors were often rather dark with a few small windows placed high up in churches.

— Mar 12, 2024

Architectural Styles and Revivals: Romanesque Revival Homes

The Romanesque Revival was all about masses and large-scale forms. Most houses don't have the size to show the style well.

— Mar 1, 2024

Architectural Styles and Revivals: Romanesque Revival Commercial Buildings

Commercial buildings were large enough to make use of the Romanesque Revival style. In La Crosse, the two largest use no decoration, while the smaller one uses relief sculpture to enliven the surface.

 

 

 

 

 

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Past Blog Entries

2024