Ten Commandments Monument

History

The Ten Commandments Monument was donated to the city and dedicated in Cameron Park in conjunction with a state Eagles Club convention held in La Crosse in 1965. Seen as a religious symbol on public property, a lawsuit in 1985 sparked a court battle between the Freedom From Religion Foundation, led by Anne Gaylor, and the city. The case was dismissed in 1988. The issue resurfaced in 2001 with more local citizen support, and the city sold the small parcel of land where the monument stands to the Eagles Club in 2002.

Date

Page

Title of Article

Paper Size & Orientation
for Printing
20 Jun 1965 22 Monolith dedicated by Eagles portrait 8½" x 11"
14 June 1985 1 Ten commandments are protested landscape 11' x 17" legal
14 June 1985 1 Ten commandments are protested landscape 8½" x 11"
14 June 1985 8 Ten commandments are protested. . .continued portrait 8½" x 11"
30 June 1985
 39 Commandments are sexist and offensive portrait 8½" x 11" 
15 July 1985 15 Atheist's complaint filed landscape 8½" x 11" 
13 Sept 1985 1 City to challenge suit portrait 8½" x 11" 
9 Nov, 1986 13 10 Commandments marker fight delayed in U.S. Courts portrait 8½" x 11" 
11 Mar 1987  1 City rebuffed on Ten Commandments portrait 8½" x 11" ledger
11 Mar 1987 1 City rebuffed on Ten Commandments landscape 8½" x 11" 
11 Mar 1987 8 City rebuffed on Ten Commandments . . .continued portrait 8½" x 11"
22 June 1987 1 Commandment case thrown out portrait 8½" x 11" 
22 June 1987 1 Commandment case thrown out landscape 8½" x 11" 
13 May 1988 4 Commandment case finally put to rest portrait 8½" x 11" 
18 July 2001 D-1 Monument under fire landscape 11" x 17" legal
18 July 2001 D-1 Monument under fire landscape  8½" x 11" 
18 July 2001 D-4 Monument under fire . . .continued portrait 8½" x 11" 
8 Aug 2001 A-1 Committee seeks legal answers portrait 8½" x 11" 
28 Feb 2002 A-1 Mayor:  Commandments don't belong in city landscape 8½" x 11" 
28 Feb 2002 A-8 Mayor:  Commandments don't belong in city . . .continued landscape 8½" x 11" 
15 March 2002 A-1 Council member:  fight for monument portrait 8½" x 11" 
15 March 2002 A-8 Council member:  fight for monument . . .continued portrait 8½" x 11" 
18 April 2002 A-1 Monument to stay, for now landscape 11" x 17" legal
18 April  2002 A-1 Monument to stay, for now landscape 8½" x 11" 
18 April  2002 A-5 Monument to stay, for now . . .continued landscape 8½" x 11" 
30 April 2002  A-1 Attorney:  Sell park land landscape 8½" x 11" 
30 April 2002 A-8 Attorney:  Sell park land . . .continued landscape 11" x 17" legal
30 April 2002 A-8 Attorney:  Sell park land . . .continued landscape 8½" x 11" 
10 May 2002 A-1 Council votes to fight for Ten Commandments landscape 8½" x 11" 
10 May 2002 A-8 Council votes to fight for Ten Commandments . . .continued landscape 8½" x 11" 
18 June 2002 D-1 Mayor supports sale of park land landscape 8½" x 11" 
18 June 2002 D-4 Mayor supports sale of park land . . .continued portrait 8½" x 11" 
2 July 2002 A-1 Madison group files monument lawsuit landscape 8½" x 11" 
2 July 2002 A-8 Madison group files monument lawsuit . . .continued portrait 8½" x 11" 
3 July 2002 D-1 City should wait landscape 8½" x 11" 
3 July, 2002 D-3 City should wait . . .continued portrait 8½" x 11" 
10 July 2002  A-1 Council says not to the big fight portrait 8½" x 11" 
10 July 2002 A-9 Council says not to the big fight . . .continued portrait 8½" x 11" 
1 Aug  2002 A-1 Judge:  Monument challengers cannot remain anonymous landscape 8½" x 11" 
1 Aug 2002 A-8 Judge:  Monument challengers cannot remain anonymous . . .continued landscape 8½" x 11" 
8 Aug 2002 A-1 21 people join monument suit landscape 8½" x 11" 
8 Aug 2002 A-8 21 people join monument suit . . .continued landscape 8½" x 11" 
23 Aug 2002 A-1 City sells monument land landscape 11" x 17" legal
23 Aug 2002 A-1 City sells monument land landscape 8½" x 11" 
23 Aug 2002 A-8 City sells monument land . . .continued landscape 8½" x 11"
16 Oct 2002 C-5 Eagles Club installing fence around Ten Commandments portrait 8½" x 11"
10 Apr 2003 A-1 Commandments monument gets new digs portrait 8½" x 11"
10 Apr 2003 A-8 Commandments monument gets new digs . . . continued portrait 8½" x 11"
12 Apr 2003 D-1 City defends actions on monument portrait 8½" x 11"
12 Apr 2003 D-2 City defends actions on monument . . . continued portrait 8½" x 11"