Beautiful bird's eye view map of the historic Mississippi River town of La Crosse, Wisconsin, published in 1887 by H. Wellge, reprint. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Zebulon Pike to explore the upper Mississippi in 1805. A region that had long been inhabited by Native American tribes, when Pike reached the area of today's La Crosse, he observed the Winnebago Indians playing a game with sticks that reminded him of the game La Crosse, giving him the idea to call the place Prairie La Crosse. The largest city on Wisconsin's western border, La Crosse's first United States settler arrived in 1841, when Nathan Myrick established a trading post up the river from Prairie du Chien. New York native Myrick, initially built his trading post on Barron Island, but moved to the mainland the following year and partnered with H. J. B. Miller to run the post. This proved an ideal location, near the junction of the Mississippi, the La Crosse and the Black Rivers. A small village began to develop around the trading post throughout the 1840's. The village was platted in 1851 and had a population of almost 2,000 by 1855. The completion of the La Crosse & Milwaukee Rail Line in 1858, combined with the Mississippi River steamboat traffic, made La Crosse a major transportation hub and boosted development dramatically.
This map captures the city of La Crosse as it appeared at the peak of lumber transport and sawmill production, when steamboats had ceased to be an important mode of transport. By the 1890's, only one steamboat line continued to operate on the upper Mississippi. Ever expanding railroad connections with the entire country fueled growth for La Crosse. The lumber industry peaked during the period of this map. Between 1860-1869, the average output of La Crosse sawmills was less than 20 million board feet. It increased to 47 million between 1870-1879 and then jumped to 169 million board feet in 1880-1889. The lumber industry was to decline even more rapidly than it had developed, with the average cut falling to 40 million board feet by 1900. Sawmill jobs, that employed nearly 2,000 people in La Crosse in the 1880's, dwindled to under 500 jobs by 1900 and by 1904, only 40 sawmill jobs in La Crosse existed.
Illustrations of the following buildings are featured in the lower margin:
The John Gund Brewing Company. Burlington House, Louis A. Meister, Proprietor. Residence of Dr. D. Frank Powell, White Beaver Park. Residence of Mr. N. Birnbaum, 1006 Mississippi St. C. & J. Brewing Co. Features numbered & lettered references to the following locations: 1. St. Joseph Cathedral. 2. Congregational Church. 3. First Presbyterian Church. 4. First Methodist Episcopalian Church. 5. St. Paul Universalist Church. 6. St. Marys Catholic Church. 7. German Lutheran Church. 8. Norwegian Lutheran Church. 9. German Methodist Church. 10. Governors Guard Armory. 11. Scandinavian Baptist Church. 12. St. Wenceslaus Church. 15. Methodist Church. 15. Roman Catholic School. 20. Sawyer & Austin Lumber Co. 21. McDonald's Mills, Saw Mill. 22. La Crosse Lumber Co. 24. N. B. Holaways Mills. 25. Trow's Saw Mill. 26. Tannery - Davis, Medary & Platz Co. 27. Carriage Factory, Dittmann & Co. 28. A. A. Freeman, Flouring Mill. 29. Wm. Listman, Flouring Mill. 30. A. H. Coleman, Saw Mill. 31. La Crosse Soap Co. 32. G. Heileman, Brewery. 33. C. & J. Michel Brewing Co. 34. John Gund, Brewing Co. 35. John A. Salzer, Seed Ware House. 36. Ole Larson, Sash Factory. 37. Burlington House, L. A. Meister. 39. Pamperin & Wiggenhorn Cigar Factory. 39. Geo. Zeisler, Brewery. 40. John Dengler, Wholesale Cigars. 41. John Ullrich, Druggist. 41a. J. Tuteur, Wholesale Cigars. 42. S. Gantert, Fine Furniture. 43. Der Nordstern, German Newspaper. 45. Mather Block, August Franz Restaurant. 46. Magill Bros., Exchange Bank. 47. John Wachter, Livery. 48. H. J. Anderson & Co., Lumber Yard and Planing Mill. 49. G. G. Voegele, Brewery. 50. John Wacker, Restaurant. 51. H. C. Techmer, Flour and Feed Mill. 52. Franz Bartl, Eagle Brewery. 53. Jacob H. Grates, Garden. 54. Bosshard & Doerflinger, Dry Goods. 55. Rose & Bros., Druggists. 56. Dr. Frank Powell. 57. Dr. Frank Powell's Residence, White Beaver Park.
A. Court House. B. Post Office. C. Water Works. D. Electric Light Towers. E. Convent. G. Ward Schools. K. Fire Engine House. N. Birnbam, Residence, 1006 Mississippi Ave. Joseph Burgemeister, Architect, 128 9th St. |