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The La Crosse Housing Authority, 1946-1985

When it formed in 1946, the La Crosse Housing Authority was faced with massive housing shortages. Over the course of the next 40 years, the Authority managed to build 12 public housing developments to help address housing insecurity in La Crosse.
(written by Jenny DeRocher, Archives staff) In her book about the history of the La Crosse Housing Authority, local historian Susan Hessel explained the national and regional … https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/the-la-crosse-housing-authority-1946-1985/

Stinkytown and the Flies

Wire screen, while an easily overlooked modern convenience now, was an incredible innovation in the late 1800s that dramatically improved the quality of life of La Crosse citizens.
(written by Dr. Les Crocker and Anita Taylor Doering, Archives staff) Movies and TV productions set in the past always present a sanitized version of how life really was. With… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/stinkytown-and-the-flies/

Houses for a Hundred Dollars

In 1888 a local contractor talked to a newspaper reporter about local building costs, "LA CROSSE IS THE PLACE TO BUILD CHEAP HOUSES"
(written by Dr. Les Crocker, Emeritus Professor of Art History) People are always curious as to what something cost in the “good old days.” In an earlier blog I talked about s… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/houses-for-a-hundred-dollars/

The Spite Fence

Pettiness is part of human nature. And sometimes pettiness takes the form of an object or structure that lasts through time. Other times, those structures are destroyed in the night by teenagers looking for justice, and the only place we can find evidence…
(written by Jenny DeRocher and Dave Kranz; research and images compiled by Dave Kranz) Pettiness is part of human nature. And sometimes pettiness takes the form of an object or… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/the-spite-fence/

Sawmills, Nails and Immigrants

In 1852 the first steam powered sawmill opened in La Crosse. To understand why that was so important to La Crosse we need to connect it to several other facts.
(written by Dr. Les Crocker, retired art history professor and architectural historian) In 1852 the first steam-powered sawmill opened in La Crosse. That's one of those fact… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/sawmills-nails-and-immigrants/

Concrete Block Houses

A look at a local DIY building boom, or at least a "boomlet", using home-made concrete blocks.
(written by Dr. Les Crocker, retired art history professor and architectural historian) Need any Concrete Blocks? There is a long history of DIY (Do It Yourself) in the Unit… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/concrete-block-houses/

Post-World War II Emergency Housing Project

When veterans returned to La Crosse after World War II, they found a huge housing shortage.
(written by William Petersen, former Archives Staff) When veterans returned to La Crosse after World War II, there was a huge housing shortage. By January 1946, the city’s Comm… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/post-world-war-ii-emergency-housing-project/