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Pettibone Park

Albert and Cordelia Pettibone privately funded, built, maintained and then gifted La Crosse its first large park.
(written by Samuel Ott, Archives intern) It is nearly impossible to measure the impact that Albert W. Pettibone and his wife Cordelia have had upon the city of La Crosse.  They p… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/pettibone-park/

High Waters in '65

The 145-year-old river gauge measured its highest elevation on April 21, 1965: 17.9 feet!
(written by Carla Swerman, Archives staff) The past three summers, water levels have been high on area waterways.  With the Mississippi River in La Crosse hovering around 10 fee… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/high-waters-in-65/

Reading the River

While the technology for reading the Mississippi River’s water levels has advanced over time, the equipment itself has stood at almost the very same spot for 145 years.
(written by Carla Swerman, Archives staff) “Few things in life stay the same.” How true! Yet, something that has defied change for 145 years is the river gauge at the south end o… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/reading-the-river/

La Crosse Took to the Ice

For 150 years and more, people of La Crosse have been going outside in winter to ice skate.
(written by David Kranz, Archives staff) For 150 years and more, people of La Crosse have been going outside in winter to ice skate. An 1859 La Crosse newspaper reported that i… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/la-crosse-took-to-the-ice/

1937 - New Pumper Tested at Riverside Park

On what appears to be a beautiful day in July of 1937, several members of the La Crosse Fire Department tested their new pumper truck at Riverside Park.
(written by Scott Brouwer, Archives staff) As I continue to organize, process, and scan a large cache of photographs from the La Crosse Fire Department with the help of other l… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/1937-new-pumper-tested-at-riverside-park/

Bella Mac Riverboat, AKA Bella Danger

A fire in La Crosse was not the first nor would it be the last disaster to strike the Bella Mac.
(written by Scott Brouwer, Archives Staff) On a Saturday afternoon in July of 1886, the rafting steamer Bella Mac, owned by McDonald Brothers, caught fire at her moorings at th… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/bella-mac-riverboat-becomes-known-as-bella-danger/

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