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La Crosse, Wisconsin
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La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.
The population of La Crosse was 51,818 at the 2000 census, making it the 12th largest city in Wisconsin by population. The city forms the core of, and is the principal city within the United States Census Bureau's La Crosse Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of La Crosse County in Wisconsin and Houston County, Minnesota (composite 2000 population: 126,838).
rosse was incorporated as a city in 1856, but its history dates further.
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Encyclopedia
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.
The population of La Crosse was 51,818 at the 2000 census, making it the 12th largest city in Wisconsin by population. The city forms the core of, and is the principal city within the United States Census Bureau's La Crosse Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of La Crosse County in Wisconsin and Houston County, Minnesota (composite 2000 population: 126,838).
History
La Crosse was incorporated as a city in 1856, but its history dates further. The first Europeans to see the site of La Crosse were French fur traders who traveled the Mississippi River in the late 17th century. There is no written record, however, of any visit to the site until 1765, when Lt. Zebulon Pike mounted an expedition up the Mississippi River for the United States. Pike recorded the location's name as "Prairie La Crosse". The name originated when he saw the Native Americans playing a game with sticks that resembled a bishop's crozier or la crosse in French.
The first white settlement at La Crosse occurred in 1841. That year, a New York native named Nathan Myrick moved to the village at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin to work in the fur trade. Myrick was disappointed to find that because many fur traders were already well-entrenched there, there were no openings for him in the trade. As a result, he decided to establish a trading post upriver at the then still unsettled site of Prairie La Crosse. In 1841, he built a temporary trading post on Barron Island (now called Pettibone Park), which lies just west of La Crosse's present downtown. The following year, Myrick relocated the post to the mainland prairie, partnering with H.J.B. Miller to run the outfit.
The spot Myrick chose to build his trading post proved ideal for settlement. It was near the junction of the Black, La Crosse, and Mississippi Rivers. In addition, the post was built at one of the few points along the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River where a broad plain ideal for development existed between the river's bank and the tall bluffs that line the river valley. Because of these advantages, a small village grew around Myrick's trading post in the 1840s.
A small Mormon community settled at La Crosse in 1844, building several dozen cabins a few miles south of Myrick's post. Although these settlers relocated away from the Midwest after just a year, the land they occupied near La Crosse continues to bear the name Mormon Coulee.
On June 23, Father James Lloyd Breck of the Episcopal Church said the first Christian liturgy (Episcopalian liturgy) on top of Grandad Bluff. Today a monument to that event stands atop the bluff, near the parking lot at a scenic overlook.
More permanent development took place closer to Myrick's trading post, where stores, a hotel, and a post office were constructed during the 1840s. Under the direction of Timothy Burns, lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, surveyor William Hood platted the village in 1851. This opened it up for further settlement, which was achieved rapidly as a result of promotion of the city in eastern newspapers. By 1855, La Crosse had grown in population to nearly two thousand residents, leading to its incorporation in 1856. The city grew even more rapidly after 1858 with the completion of the Milwaukee & La Crosse Railroad, the second railroad connecting Milwaukee to the Mississippi River.
During the second half of the 19th century, La Crosse grew to become one of the largest cities in Wisconsin. At that time, it was a major economic center in the state, especially of the lumber industry, for logs cut in the interior of the state could be rafted down the Black River toward sawmills built in the city. La Crosse also became a center for the brewing industry and other manufacturers that saw advantages in the city's location adjacent to major transportation arteries, such as the Mississippi River and the railroad between Milwaukee and St. Paul, Minnesota. Around the turn of the 20th century, the city also became a center for education, with three colleges and universities established in the city between 1890 and 1912.
La Crosse remains the largest city on Wisconsin's western border, and the educational institutions in the city have recently led it toward becoming a regional technology and medical hub.
Geography
La Crosse is located on the western border of the midsection of Wisconsin, on a broad alluvial plain along the east side of the Mississippi River. The Black River empties into the Mississippi north of the city, and the La Crosse River flows into the Mississippi just north of the downtown area. Just upriver from its mouth, this river broadens into a marshland that splits the city into two distinct sections, north and south. La Crosse is located on a map where the state lines of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa all meet at the Mississippi River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.2 square miles (57.4 km²), of which, 20.1 square miles (52.2 km²) of it is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) of it (9.12%) is water.
Surrounding the relatively flat prairie valley where La Crosse lies are towering 500 ft bluffs, one of the most prominent of which is Grandad Bluff (mentioned in Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain), which has an overlook of the three states region. This feature typifies the topography of the Driftless Area in which La Crosse sits. This rugged region is composed of high ridges dissected by narrow valleys called coulees, a French term. As a result, the area around La Crosse is frequently referred to as the "Coulee Region".
Several smaller cities are located in the immediate La Crosse metro area, including Onalaska, Wisconsin, Holmen, Wisconsin, West Salem, Wisconsin, and La Crescent, Minnesota, across the Mississippi River.
Climate
La Crosse's location in the United States' upper midwest gives the area a temperate, continental climate. The warmest month of the year is July, when the average high temperature is 85 °F (29 °C), with overnight low temperatures averaging 63 °F (18 °C). January is the coldest month, with high temperatures averaging 26 °F (-4 °C), with the overnight low temperatures around 6 °F (-14 °C).
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Avg high °F (°C) | 26 (-3) | 33 (1) | 45 (7) | 60 (16) | 72 (22) | 81 (27) | 85 (29) | 83 (28) | 74 (23) | 61 (16) | 44 (7) | 30 (-1) |
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| Avg low temperature °F (°C) | 6 (-14) | 13 (-11) | 24 (-4) | 37 (3) | 49 (9) | 58 (14) | 63 (17) | 61 (16) | 52 (12) | 40 (4) | 27 (-3) | 14 (-10) |
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Transportation
The La Crosse Municipal Airport provides scheduled passenger service to Minneapolis through Northwest airlines and its links Mesaba, Compass, Pinnacle Airlines, and to Chicago via American Airlines link American Eagle Airlines. Sun Country and other airlines provide charter service to Laughlin, Nevada and other destinations. The airport also serves general aviation for the La Crosse metro area.
On the Mississippi River, cargo is transported to and from the area using towboats, primarily moving dry bulk cargo barges for coal, grain, and other low-value bulk goods.
Transportation on the river is also provided by steamboat paddlewheelers, both large and small. In the early years of the city, these were common on the river for both cargo and passenger use. In recent years, the large several-story-high passenger paddlewheelers, such as Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen and American Queen, make stops during the summer at Riverside Park. These large boats take passengers from the South, such as New Orleans and St Louis, on leisure cruises, with their steam calliope playing musical tunes outside, northward to St Paul, Minnesota, with other stops along the way. La Crosse has two smaller paddlewheelers, along with a modern passenger yacht, that take passengers on shorter trips on the rivers.
The Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Cass St. bridge and the newer Cameron Street bridge (photo with blue arch) both connect downtown La Crosse with La Crescent, Minnesota. These two bridges cross the Mississippi River, as does the Interstate 90 bridge located just northwest of La Crosse, connecting Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Railroad tracks owned by Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) pass through La Crosse providing freight service. The former Milwaukee and La Crosse Railroad/Milwaukee Road/Soo Line and now Canadian Pacific Railway runs through the city as well. It provides the track on which the La Crosse Amtrak station is located, and is a stop for the Empire Builder providing cross-country passenger rail service.
The city is served by several major highways, including Interstate 90, U.S. Highway 14, U.S. Highway 53, U.S. Highway 61, Wisconsin State Highway 35, Wisconsin State Highway 16, Wisconsin State Highway 33.
La Crosse area has an MTU bus service with routes reaching out to the suburbs and mall areas. The La Crosse MTU served over 1 million users in 2007.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 51,818 people, 21,110 households, and 10,217 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,573.4 people per square mile (993.4/km²). There were 22,233 housing units at an average density of 1,104.1/sq mi (426.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.58% White, 1.56% African American, 0.51% Native American, 4.65% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 21,110 households out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.6% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.8% under the age of 18, 24.4% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,103, and the median income for a family was $43,047. Males had a median income of $30,996 versus $22,076 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,650. About 7.8% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Neighborhoods and districts
La Crosse is made up of 17 districts also with different neighborhoods:
- North Side
- South Side
- Washburn Neighborhood
- Historic Cass & King
- Historic Downtown
- Hungary Point Neighborhood
- Mud City
- College Campus District
- Campbell (French Island)
- Medary
- Shelby
Zip Codes: 54601, 54602, 54603.
Since the Mississippi River and Minnesota state line are directly next to the La Crosse downtown area, some would also consider La Cresent, Minnesota a neighborhood.
Economy
La Crosse is the original home and international headquarters of several businesses, including:
- Badger Corrugating Company, home building supply distributor
- City Brewing Company, former Heileman Old Style brewery
- Kwik Trip, gas and convenience stores
- La Crosse Footwear Company originated in the city, but has relocated its headquarters to Portland, Oregon
- La Crosse Technology, computer technology
- Logistics Health Incorporated, computer technology
- Michaels Engineering, diversified group of engineers and scientists with headquarters in La Crosse with additional locations in Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Green Bay
- Trane, air conditioning company, acquired by Ingersoll-Rand in 2008
La Crosse also has relocated businesses such as:
- Ace Hardware, which operates a regional distribution center
- FirstLogic, which was acquired by Business Objects which today is a subsidiary of SAP AG, computer technology
- S&S Cycle, motorcycle engines, parts and supplies
Media
La Crosse's largest newspaper is the daily La Crosse Tribune. A weekly paper, The Second Supper, is also published in the area.
La Crosse is well served by television and radio. Its major network television affiliates are: ABC affiliate WXOW; CBS affiliate WKBT; FOX affiliate WLAX and PBS affliate WHLA. Also the NBC affiliates, WEAU, is broadcast from Eau Claire and KTTC from Rochester, Minnesota. An independent station, KQEG-CA, is also in La Crosse. There are four AM band radio stations and several FM band radio stations operating in the La Crosse area.
Shopping
La Crosse and the surrounding communities form a regional commercial center and shopping hub. In the northeastern part of the city lies the region's largest shopping center, Valley View Mall. The surrounding area includes numerous big-box stores, and many restaurants. Other shopping centers in the La Crosse region include Three Rivers Plaza, Marsh View Center, Shelby Mall, Jackson Plaza, Bridgeview Plaza, and the Village Shopping Center. Downtown La Crosse has continued to grow in recent years, providing shopping, farmers' markets, hotels, restaurants, specialty shops, and events at La Crosse Center alongside the Mississippi River.
Convention center
The La Crosse Center is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose arena built in 1980 in downtown La Crosse. It is also a convention center offering of exhibit space, a ceiling height, a 60-by-40-foot stage, two locker rooms and three dressing rooms. There is also a North Hall which can open up to be used in combination with the arena, and a South Exhibit Hall. The three venues total of exhibit space. The complex also contains of meeting room space in five meeting rooms, which can be divided into nine meeting rooms.
While both exhibit halls and the arena are used for trade shows, conventions, meetings and banquets, the arena is also used for sporting events, concerts, circuses, ice shows, and other events.
Located in Onalaska, Wisconsin, a suburb to the north, is the Onalaska Omni Center, which holds similar activities as the La Crosse Center, but on a much smaller scale.
Largest employers
La Crosse County’s 10 largest employers, as ranked by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Office of Economic Advisors, based on March 2007 statistics:
1. Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center: A health care system that includes Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse and other facilities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. It has about 3,900 full-time employees and nearly 2,100 part-time employees in La Crosse County, for a total of about 6,000 employees. System-wide, Gundersen Lutheran has slightly more than 4,200 full-time employees and about 2,300 part-time employees, for a total of about 6,500 employees.
2. Franciscan Skemp Medical Center: A health care system that includes Franciscan Skemp Medical Center in La Crosse and other facilities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. It has about 2,065 full-time employees and 797 part-time employees in La Crosse County, for a total of 2,862 employees. Systemwide, Franciscan Skemp has about 2,493 full-time and 985 part-time employees, for a total of 3,478 employees.
3. Trane: The company was founded in La Crosse. In La Crosse, it makes water chillers for commercial air conditioning products. As of June 23, its La Crosse facilities had about 2,130 full-time employees and 30 part-time employees, for a total of about 2,160 employees.
4. School District of La Crosse: The school district, which educates students through grade 12, has about 1,052 employees, including about 977 full-time and 75 part-time employees. An additional 150 to 200 non-staff members help in such areas as coaching and advising.
5. La Crosse County government: The county has about 935 full-time employees and about 511 part-time employees, for a total of 1,446 employees.
6. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse: The university has about 785 full-time employees and 568 part-time employees, for a total of 1,353 employees.
7. Kwik Trip: A La Crosse-based convenience store/gasoline retailer. In La Crosse County, the company has about 1,183 full-time employees and 322 part-time employees, for a total of 1,505 employees.
8. CenturyTel: The telephone company’s Midwest Region headquarters is in La Crosse. In the county, the company has about 762 full-time and 69 part-time employees, for a total of 831 employees.
9. Wal-Mart: The discount retailer in La Crosse County operates two Wal-Mart Supercenter stores and a Sam’s Club store. A corporate spokesman said Wal-Mart has about 780 employees in the county.
10. City of La Crosse: The city has about 540 full-time employees. The number of part-time employees ranges from about 220 in January to about 330 in June, so employee totals range from about 760 in January to about 870 in June.
Education
La Crosse is home to three regional colleges and universities. These include the public University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, which has received high rankings in US News & World Report and Kiplingers Report, and Western Technical College, as well as the Roman Catholic Viterbo University. The Health Science Center is a combined effort of all the La Crosse medical centers, universities and government agencies to advance students in the medical fields.
For primary and secondary education, the La Crosse area is served by the School District of La Crosse, with 21 elementary, middle, high, and charter schools. La Crosse Central High School and Logan High School are the two public high schools serving the La Crosse area. With a total enrollment of 7,213 students in 2006, making it the 16th largest school district in the state. The La Crosse School District has 635 teachers of which 73% hold a master's degree or higher. The 2006 operating budget for the school district was $87,126,387, composed of 40.6% local funding, 53.4% state funding, and 5.9% federal funding.
La Crosse is also served by a Waldorf School, Three Rivers School.
In addition, La Crosse Coulee Catholic Schools, a Roman Catholic school district affiliated with the Diocese of La Crosse, is centered in the city and includes Aquinas High School, and Aquinas Middle School.
Another Roman Catholic school, the Providence Academy, is independent from Coulee Catholic Schools and has no affiliation with the Diocese of La Crosse.
Health care
Two major regional health care facilities are located in La Crosse: Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center and Franciscan Skemp Medical Center. Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center is one of the two hospitals in La Crosse.
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center is a 325 bed tertiary care facility located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that is also an ACS nationally certified Level II Trauma Center. It is the primary hospital associated with the Gundersen Clinic medical group and the location of the Western campus for the University of Wisconsin Medical School. During the 2005 fiscal year, Gundersen had 14,625 admissions, 1,524 Births, and 30,307 Emergency and Trauma Center visits.
Gundersen Lutheran was ranked 33rd nationally, among more than 580 non-specialty networks in a rating system by Verispan, which issues an annual report evaluating performance and degree of integration. The rankings recently were published in Modern Healthcare Magazine. It was the recipient of the Top 100 U.S. hospitals in Cardiovascular Medicine in 1999, 2003, and 2005 and was named one of the top 100 Performance Improvement Leaders in 2005. There are approximately 5946 employees as well as 421 physicans and 227 physician assistants and nurse practitioners from the Gundersen Clinic on staff. It also operates the only city and area fully equiped medical helicopter MedLink service and paramedic advanced life support ambulance service.
The other medical campus, Franciscan Skemp Medical Center, is an affiliate of the Mayo Clinic. Fransican Skemp, which was the first western Wisconsin hospital to open its doors in 1883 as St. Francis Hospital, was started by the Catholic Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, who still are associated with medical center. Skemp Clinic was located next door to the hospital and they later merged into the multilevel campus now called Franciscan Skemp Medical Center. There are over 200 physicians and 10 regional clinics in the La Crosse three state surrounding area. A new trauma and emergency department, helicopter pad, and surgery wing recently opened in 2007. In 1995, Franciscan Skemp merged with the world famous Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Rochester, Minnesota, which is only 60 miles away.
The Health Science Center, located on the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L) campus, is a combined effort of both medical centers and hospitals, UW-L, Viterbo University, Western College, and various government/educational groups. The purpose was to prepare and train students for advancement in the medical field.
La Crosse's tap drinking water, which is raised from a deep underground Artesian aquifer, won the best natural tasting water award in September 2007 in a statewide tasting competition hosted by the Wisconsin Water Association. The city faced off against groundwater and surface water utilities from Algoma, Appleton, Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, Pell Lake, Shawano, Shawano Lake, and Watertown at the annual meeting of the association. La Crosse’s drinking water is pumped from deep ground wells to a distribution center, and is treated with chlorine and fluoride; some wells are treated with polyphosphate.
Awards and rankings
- 2002 - National Trust for Historic Preservation Great American Main Street Award
- 2003 - Milken Institute Best Performing Cities (20th Overall)
- 2005 - Inc. Magazine 4th Best Small City
- 2005 - Inc. Magazine 15th Best City in America to Do Business
- 2005 - Forbes Best Places (25th)
- 2006 - 7th Safest Metropolitan Area in the Nation - Morgan Quinto Press
- 2006 - Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked La Crosse - 16th "Smartest Place to Live in U.S.
- Field & Stream
- 2007 - Country Home magazine’s issue ranked La Crosse 12th on its list of 25 Best Green Cities in America. The magazine ranked La Crosse second among small cities, behind only Corvallis, Ore. Corvallis also was ranked first among all cities.
Religion
La Crosse is the episcopal see for the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse. The Cathedral of Saint Joseph the Workman is the mother church of the Diocese.
St. Rose of Viterbo Convent, the mother house of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration is in La Crosse.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is in La Crosse.
Multiple churches of various denominations including Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, independent and non-denominational.
St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church is the city's Eastern Orthodox Church.
Christ Church of La Crosse is the city's Episcopal church.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) has an active congregation, La Crosse Ward, in neighboring community Onalaska.
Culture
La Crosse is the cultural center for the Three Rivers Coulee Region. For a community of its size, La Crosse boasts a remarkable arts scene for both participants and audience members, with over 30 active arts organizations. The Pump House Regional Arts Center hosts visual arts exhibits throughout the year plus its own series of jazz, folk, and blues performers. The La Crosse Symphony is the city's regional orchestra and the La Crosse Community Theater has won both regional and national acclaim. Viterbo University Fine Arts building, UW-La Crosse Art Gallery and Theater, and the La Crosse Center schedule of top national performers in the arts rivals that of a much larger city.
A number of other cultural groups and events are located in La Crosse, including the Pump House Regional Arts Center, the Youth Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band, Coulee Chordsmen barbershop, Chamber Chorale, Chorale Union, Central High School show choir, Children's Museum, paddlewheel riverboat music cruises, and many concerts in the parks and outdoor festivals, including the Great River Festival of Arts and Jazz Fest.
Notable residents
- Raymond Burke, Archbishop St Louis Diocese, Vatican Supreme Court
- Ron Kind, United States House of Representatives
- Joseph Losey, film & theater director (1909-1984)
- Robert Moevs, composer (1920–2007)
- Tom Newberry, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL all-pro guard
- Nicholas Ray, film & theater director (1911 – 1979, a.k.a. Raymond Nicholas Kienzle)
- Cadwallader C. Washburn, Civil War General, Wisconsin Governor, U.S. House
Sports
La Crosse has supported several semi-professional sports teams, including the Catbirds of the CBA, the Bobcats of the CBA, the La Crosse RiverRats of the IFL, the Night Train of the NIFL, and currently the Loggers of baseball's Northwoods League, whose home field is at Copeland Park on the north side of La Crosse, and the La Crosse Rough Riders, of the Mid-America Football League who play at Veteran's Freedom Park. La Crosse is also home to the two-time NCAA Division III football national championship-winning University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L) Eagles, where former UW-L NFL players Tom Newberry -Rams, Steelers (Super Bowl) 2 yr NFL All Pro, Bill Schroeder -Packers, Joel Williams -Falcons / Eagles, and Mike Maslowski -Chiefs played during college. In the past, the NFL New Orleans Saints football team has held their summer practices at UW-L's football fields, with practices against the NFL Bears, Vikings and Chiefs. A new UW-L 10,000 seat stadium for football (turf field) and outdoor timed track will open in the spring of 2009. The stadium will continue to host the WIAA Wisconsin state high school outdoor track championships in June, which draws teams and thousands of spectators from around the state. The UW-L outdoor/indoor track and field programs have won multiple NCAA Div III National championships. The UW-L Women's Gymnastics team proudly holds the NCGA record of 12 national championships.
The Milwaukee Bucks have played sold-out NBA exhibition games at La Crosse Center in past. La Crosse is considering a Continental Indoor Football League, NBA developmental team and semi-pro hockey team in 2009.
Mt. La Crosse, a downhill ski area is located on 500 ft. bluffs on the south side of La Crosse with 19 runs, 3 chair lifts and lodge.
Hunting and fishing are very popular all seasons of the year, and the Mississippi and other rivers, sloughs, creeks, lakes, the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge, and hilltops and valleys with public woodlands are available to sportsmen and families.
Annual events
Sister cities
La Crosse has sister city relationships with six foreign cities:
See also
External links
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