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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 sundo…
(written by Jenny DeRocher, Archives staff) CONTENT WARNING: This blog post contains primary source images that use anti-Black language.  In 2016, Mayor Tim Kabat si… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/sundown-towns-and-la-crosse/

Vigilantes in La Crosse

One night in 1857, La Crosse was "overrun with scoundrels," as the local Committee on Vigilance took over the city, inciting a mob and setting fires.
(written by Jenny DeRocher, Archives Staff)   In 1856, most of the U.S. population was clustered on the east coast. Minnesota was not yet a state, so pioneer Wisconsin towns al… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/vigilantes-in-la-crosse/

John W. Birney and his family: early African American residents of La Crosse

Some of the earliest La Crosse settlers were African Americans, moving to northern states, attracted to the same opportunities as others coming into the area.
(written by Jenny DeRocher, Archives staff) Many of the first European-descendant settlers who are credited with establishing La Crosse were fur-traders, loggers, and merchants.… https://archives.lacrosselibrary.org/blog/john-w.-birney-and-his-family-early-african-american-residents-of-la-crosse/

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