rivers railroads ridges brews wines and a historic
downtown
La Crosse is located at the intersection of the Black, La Crosse
and Mississippi rivers in Western Wisconsin in a broad plain between the river
bank and the tall bluffs typical of the Driftless area.
The Coulee
Region is Characterized by High Ridges Dissected by Narrow Valleys
History French fur traders
were among the first Europeans to travel along the Upper Mississippi River in
the late 17th century; an American expedition reached what came to
be known as Prairie La Crosse in 1805; La Crosse was named from the game with
sticks - lacrosse in French - played by local Native Americans. Actively
promoted in eastern newspapers, the city was further settled during the middle
of the 19th century with completion of the La Crosse & Milwaukee
Railroad.
River and Railroad
Infrastructure made it possible for La Crosse to become a center for
lumber, as logs cut in the interior of the state were rafted down the Black
River, as well as the brewery industry. Around the turn of the 20th century,
the city also became an education center, with three colleges and universities
established in the city between 1890 and 1912. It is now a regional technology
and medical hub, highly ranked in the areas of wellness, quality of life and
education.
The La Crosse
Amtrak Station is Served by the Empire Builder Cross Country Passenger Service
Historic Downtown and local
culture. La Crosse has one of the largest commercial historic districts in
Wisconsin; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and
includes 110 buildings built between 1866 and 1940. It is home to the Rivoli
Theatre, the Weber Center for the Performing Arts and the Pump House
Regional Arts Center, at the heart of La Crosse’s arts and culture scene.
La Crosse is a
Green Complete Streets City
Local Wine and Brew Traditions
date back to the 1858 founding of the G. Heileman Brewing Company; since its
closing in 1996, local brewing traditions have been passed onto the City
Brewing Company and Pearl Street Brewery, a craft brewery operating out of the
historic La Crosse Footwear Building. Lost Island Wine has more than 30
varieties; in addition; several vineyards are in nearby counties and across the
river on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi.