— Jan 10, 2022
Neighbors Making History: Doris Deane
In the 1920s and 1930s, a young woman, born in La Crosse and an actress in Hollywood, was regularly the object of national attention.
— Dec 7, 2021
Looking Back (2021)
A look back at the local history stories shared by the La Crosse Public Library Archives in 2021.
— Dec 6, 2021
Sundown Towns and La Crosse
Have you wondered about La Crosse’s 2016 sundown town designation? This blog guides you through the primary sources that provide evidence for local anti-Black discrimination, and the original research that led to the proclamation that La Crosse is a sundown town.
— Nov 22, 2021
The Poisoned Pharmacist
Early German immigrant Adalbert Moeller was a recognized businessman and community leader in La Crosse when the disastrous accident that took his life occurred.
— Nov 8, 2021
The Fishy Story of Riverside Park's North End
By the fall of 1919, the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries committed funds to moving the regional headquarters from Homer, Minnesota [known as the Winona station], to La Crosse and building a modern fish hatchery and rescue station.
— Oct 11, 2021
A Viewer's Guide to Dark La Crosse Stories
Since 2019, 50 episodes of Dark La Crosse Stories, a collaboration with the La Crosse Tribune, have been produced.
— Sep 7, 2021
Roll out the Barrel!
How did La Crosse's Oktoberfest actually start? Some say it began on the golf course in 1960.
— Aug 30, 2021
La Crosse’s German Vereins: Their Rise and Decline, Part 2
When the Great War broke out in 1914, German Americans found themselves sympathizing with their homeland politics, yet firmly identifying as American. When the US left its neutrality behind and joined the conflict in 1917, these German Americans had to decide if they would continue advocating for Germany’s cause, or if they would assimilate into U.S. life.
— Aug 16, 2021
La Crosse's German Vereins: Their Rise and Decline, Part 1
La Crosse is known to have strong German roots, thanks to things like the brewing industry and the large annual Oktoberfest celebration. But how did early, first-generation German immigrants socialize and preserve their culture? They created Vereins—societies and clubs.
— Aug 4, 2021
Grand Temporary Performance Venue Built for 1908 Saengerfest
With no auditorium, or even a music hall capable of housing more than a few hundred people, La Crosse was awarded the honor of hosting the 1908 Saengerfest, a biennial music festival attended by thousands of singers and music lovers from all parts of the United States.
— Jul 21, 2021
Pass the Potatoes, Please
In 1912, three McKenzie brothers and their father, bought a defunct manufacturing company on La Crosse's North Side, and launched into producing implements for the cultivation of potatoes.
— Jul 6, 2021
The Rubber Mills Blues
"It was just blue in there!" reported Herman Tietz, as he described working in the La Crosse Rubber Mills factory on days where they cured rubber in the ovens. Tietz worked at the factory starting in 1908—just over a decade after the Rubber Mills opened.