La Crosse, Wisconsin

Infobox Settlement
official_name = La Crosse, Wisconsin
settlement_type = City


imagesize =
image_caption =
image_



mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in the state of Wisconsin


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Wisconsin
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = La Crosse
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Mark Johnsrud
established_date =
area_magnitude = 1 E9
area_total_sq_mi = 22.2
area_land_sq_mi = 20.1
area_water_sq_mi = 2.0
area_water_percent =
area_total_km2 = 57.4
area_land_km2 = 52.2
area_water_km2 = 5.2
population_as_of = 2006
population_note =
population_total = 51818 as of 2008
population_metro = 126838
population_density_km2 = 993.4
timezone = Central
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = Central
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_m = 204
elevation_ft = 669
latd = 43 |latm = 48 |lats = 48 |latNS = N
longd = 91 |longm = 13 |longs = 59 |longEW = W
website = [http://www.cityoflacrosse.org/ www.cityoflacrosse.org]
postal_code_type =
postal_code =
area_code =
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 55-40775GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1567672GR|3
footnotes = |

La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States.GR|6 The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.

The population of La Crosse was 51,818 at the 2000 census, which makes it the 12th largest city in Wisconsin by population (8th largest excluding cities which are part of the metropolitan areas of Milwaukee and Chicago). Together with surrounding communities, the La Crosse metropolitan area was, according to the 2000 census, home to 96,592 people. 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 goes back somewhat further. The first Europeans to see the site of La Crosse were French fur traders who traveled up and down the Mississippi River beginning in the late 17th century. Despite this, there is no written record 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. ["La Crosse [origin of name] ". Retrieved October 31, 2006, from the Wisconsin Historical Society website: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=3421&]

The first white settlement at La Crosse came in 1841. That year, a New York native named Nathan Myrick had moved to the village at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin to work in the fur trade. However, Myrick was disappointed to find that many fur traders were already well-entrenched in Prairie du Chien, and that there were no openings for him to become involved there. As a result, Myrick decided to establish a trading post upriver at the then still unsettled site of Prairie La Crosse. In 1841 Myrick built a temporary trading post on Barron Island (which is now called Pettibone Park), which lies just west of La Crosse's present downtown. In 1842 Myrick relocated the post to the mainland prairie, partnering with H.J.B Miller to run the outfit. [ [http://www.historicdowntownlacrosse.com Downtown Mainstreet Inc ] ] [ [http://www.lacrosselibrary.org/genealogy/laxhistory/Ethnicity.asp Brief History of La Crosse County ] ]

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 very few points along the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River where a broad plain ideal for development exist between the river's bank and the tall bluffs that line the river valley. As such, a small village grew around Myrick's trading post through the 1840s.

A small Mormon community settled at La Crosse in 1844, and built 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. [ [http://www.strangite.org/Wisconsin.htm Mormons in Wisconsin ] ]

On June 23, Father James Lloyd Breck of the Episcopal Church said the first Christian liturgy (Episcopilian liturgy) on top of Grandad Bluff. [ [http://anglicanhistory.org/usa/jlbreck/letters/04.html The Life of the Reverend James Lloyd Breck, D.D ] ] Today there is a monument to that event. It stands atop Grandad 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 thanks to 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. Three colleges and universities were 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 in western 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. Prior to its mouth, this river broadens into a marshland that splits the city into two distinct sections, north and south.

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 where La Crosse lies are towering bluffs, one of the most prominent of which is Grandad Bluff (mentioned in Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain). 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. As a result, the area around La Crosse is frequently referred to as the "Coulee Region".

Several 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. [cite web | title = Wisconsin State Climatology Office | publisher = University of Wisconsin | date = 2006 | url = http://www.aos.wisc.edu/%7Esco/ | accessdate = 2006-11-05] 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). [cite web
title = Monthly Averages for La Crosse, WI
publisher = The Weather Channel
date = 2005
url = http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/54601?from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared
accessdate = 2006-11-04 ]

Transportation

The La Crosse Municipal Airport provides scheduled passenger service to Minneapolis through Northwest and links Mesaba, Compass, Pinnacle Airlines, and to Chicago via American link American Eagle Airlines. Lastly, Sun Country Airlines and other airlines serves 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.

The Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Cass St. bridge and newer Cameron St bridge (with arch) also connects downtown La Crosse with La Crescent, Minnesota. These two bridges cross the Mississippi River. Also the Interstate 90 bridge is located just northwest of LaCrosse, 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, and 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.

Also, La Crosse area boasts an efficient MTU bus service which has routes reaching out to the suburbs and mall areas.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 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
*Muddy Flats
*College Campus District
*Campbell (French Island)
*Medary
*ShelbyZip Codes: 54601, 54602, 54603.

It is noted that since the Mississippi River and Minnesota state line boundary are directly next to the La Crosse downtown area, that some would consider La Cresent Minnesota as a neighborhood also, since most cities do not end at the downtown, but have large residential areas adjoining downtown.

Economy

La Crosse is the original home and international headquarters of several businesses, including the Trane air conditioning company (acquired by American Standard in the 1980s), the City Brewing Company (former Heileman Old Style Brewery), Pearl Street Brewery, Kwik Trip, S&S Cycles, Badger Corrugating Company, FirstLogic (now Business Objects), La Crosse Technologies, and Logistics Health Incorporated. The La Crosse Footwear Company also originated in the city, but has since relocated its headquarters to Portland, Oregon.

Media

La Crosse's leading daily newspaper is the "La Crosse Tribune". "The Second Supper" is also published weekly in La Crosse area.

La Crosse is well served by television and radio. La Crosse's major network television affiliates are: ABC affiliate WXOW; CBS affiliate WKBT; and FOX affiliate WLAX. The NBC affiliate, WEAU, is broadcast from the Eau Claire area. Also the independent station KQEG-CA is in La Crosse. There are four AM band radio stations and several FM band radio stations operating around the LaCrosse area.

hopping

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. Surrounding the mall 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, many hotels, restaurants, specialty shops, and the events at La Crosse Center alongside the Mississippi River. [cite web
title = Valley View Mall Website
date = 2006
url = http://www.myvalleyview.com
accessdate = 2006-11-04 ]

Convention Center

The La Crosse Center is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose arena built in 1980 in downtown La Crosse.

The Center is also a convention center offering convert|21600|sqft|m2|-1 of exhibit space, a convert|45|ft|m|0|sing=on ceiling height, a 60-by-40-foot stage, two locker rooms and three dressing rooms. There is also a convert|14935|sqft|m2|0|sing=on North Hall which can open up to the arena to be used in combination, and a convert|38740|sqft|m2|0|sing=on South Exhibit Hall. All three venues total convert|75275|sqft|m2|0 of exhibit space. The complex also contains convert|9432|sqft|m2|0 of meeting room space in five meeting rooms, which can be divided into nine meeting rooms. [cite web
title = The La Crosse Center
date = 2006
url = http://www.lacrossecenter.com
accessdate = 2006-11-04 ]

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.

Also, 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.

10 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. Employment numbers below are current and were provided to the Tribune by employers. [http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/06/29/news/01lead.txt]

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. Systemwide, 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. La Crosse public schools: The school district educates students through grade 12. It has about 1,052 employees, including about 977 full-time and 75 part-time employees. Those numbers don’t include another 150 to 200 non-staff members who 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 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, but said he was unable to give a breakdown of the numbers of full-time and part-time workers.

10. City of La Crosse government: 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 nationwide rankings in US News & World Report and Kiplingers Report, and Western Technical College, as well as the Roman Catholic Viterbo University.Also 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; this was composed of 40.6% local funding, 53.4% state funding, and 5.9% federal funding.

Also, La Crosse is served by a Waldorf School, Three Rivers School. [ [http://www.threeriversschool.com/ Three Rivers School, La Crosse WI - Welcome ] ]

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 and Medicine

Two major health care facilities are located in La Crosse, these being Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center which is ranked 33rd nationally, up from 35th in 2006, 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. [http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2007/02/21/news/z04gunderson.txt] Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center is a 325 bed tertiary care facility located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center is one of the two hospitals in La Crosse.Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center is also the location of the Western campus for the University of Wisconsin Medical School. Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center is also the primary hospital associated with the Gundersen Clinic medical group. During the 2005 fiscal year, Gundersen had 14,625 admissions, 1,524 Births, and 30,307 Emergency and Trauma Center visits. Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center is also an ACS verified Level II Trauma Center Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center was also the recipient of the 100 top hospitals in Cardiovascular Medicine in 1999, 2003, and 2005. Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center also was named as 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. [ [http://www.answers.com/topic/gundersen-lutheran-medical-center?cat=biz-fin Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center: Information and Much More from Answers.com ] ]

The other medical campus being Franciscan Skemp Medical Center, which is an affiliate of the Mayo Clinic. Fransican Skemp was the first western Wisconsin hospital to open its doors in 1883 as St Francis Hospital and 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 buildings now called Franciscan Skemp Medical Center. There are over 200 Physicans 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 and Health Systems in Rochester, Minnesota, which is only 60 miles away for additional top rated expert medical care.

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, both Viterbo University and UW-L, Western College and various government/educational groups. The purpose was to prepare and train students for advancement in the medical fields.

La Crosse's tap drinking water, which is raised from an Artesian aquifer, won top billing 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 the ground to a distribution center, and is treated with chlorine and fluoride; some wells are treated with polyphosphate.

Awards & Rankings

* 2002 - National Trust for Historic Preservation Great American Main Street Award [ [http://www.cityoflacrosse.org/index.asp?NID=294 City of La Crosse, WI - Official Website - Main Street Award ] ]
* 2003 - Milken Institute Best Performing Cities (20th Overall) [http://www.milkeninstitute.org/research/miranks.taf?type=rank96&year=2003&ID=20]
* 2005 - Inc. Magazine 4th Best Small City [ [http://www.inc.com/bestcities/2005/best.html?size=3&year=2005 Small Business Resources for the Entrepreneur from Inc.com ] ]
* 2005 - Inc. Magazine 15th Best City in America to Do Business [ [http://www.inc.com/bestcities/2005/best.html?size=0&year=2005 Small Business Resources for the Entrepreneur from Inc.com ] ]
* 2005 - Forbes Best Places (25th) [ [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/5/6152.shtml Forbes.com: Lists ] ]
* 2006 - 7th Safest Metropolitan Area in the Nation - Morgan Quinto Press [ [http://www.morganquitno.com/cit06pop.htm#25 City Crime Rankings by Population Group ] ]
* 2006 - Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked La Crosse - 16th "Smartest Place to Live in U.S. [http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2006/05/09/newsupdate/1update.txt]
* Field & Stream [http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/fishing/article/0,13199,230910,00.html]
* 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. [http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/03/26/news/00lead.txt]

Religion

*Islamic
*Jewish
*Christian
**Catholic
*** 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 is 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.
**Orthodox
***St.Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church is the city's Eastern Orthodox Church.
**Protestant
***Lutheran
***Presbyterian
***Methodist
***Seventh-Day Adventist
***Episcopal
****Christ Church of La Crosse is the city's Episcopal church.
*Other
** [http://www.lacrossesynagogue.org/us.htm Congregation Sons of Abraham]
**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 Region. For a community of its size La Crosse boasts a remarkable arts scene for participants as well as 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 regularly schedules top national performers in the Arts that rivals those of a much larger city.

*La Crosse Public Library
*Winding Rivers Library System
*La Crosse County Historical Society
*La Crosse Symphony Orchestra
*Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps
*Julia Belle SwainPump House Regional Arts CenterLa Crosse Youth Symphony OrchestrasLa Crosse Concert BandLa Crosse Coulee ChordsmenLa Crosse Chamber ChoraleLa Crosse Choral Union

Notable residents

*Robert Moevs, composer (1920–2007)
*Ed Gein, notorious murderer

Sports

La Crosse has supported several 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 the Northwoods League, whose home field is at Copeland Park. La Crosse is also home to the two-time NCAA Division III national football championship winning University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Eagles, where former NFL players Tom Newberry, Bill Schroeder, Joel Williams, and Mike Maslowski played during college. Mount La Crosse ski area is also located in La Crosse with 19 runs, 3 chair lifts, and beginner area. The New Orleans Saints football team also has held their summer practices at UWL's football stadium. La Crosse, Wisconsin may get a Continental Indoor Football League team in 2009 Fact|date=August 2008.

Annual Events

* [http://www.oktoberfestusa.com La Crosse Oktoberfest]
* [http://www.riverfestlacrosse.com La Crosse RiverFest]
*Deke Slayton Airfest
* [http://www.lacrossejazz.com Great River Jazzfest]
* [http://www.irishfestlax.org Irish Fest]
* [http://www.wienerfestlacrosse.com Wienerfest]
* [http://www.lacrossemardigras.com Downtown Mardi Gras]
* [http://www.cameronparkmarket.org Downtown Cameron Park Farmers Market]
* [http://www.historicdowntownlacrosse.com Historic Downtown La Crosse Days]
* [http://www.riverfrontinc.org/sand Sand On The Riverfront]
* [http://www.cityoflacrosse.org/index.asp?NID=891 Winter Rec Fest]
* [http://www.skyrockers.org New Years Eve Celebration with The Skyrockers]
* [http://www.lacrossehmaa.org Hmong New Year Parade]

Sister Cities

La Crosse has sister city relationships with six foreign cities:
*flagicon| Ireland Bantry, Ireland
*flagicon| Russia Dubna, Russia
*flagicon| France Epinal, France
*flagicon| Germany Friedberg, Bavaria Germany
*flagicon| Norway Førde Norway [Aftenposten Newspaper: [http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2041004.ece US to copy waterfall] ]
*flagicon| China Luoyang, China

See also

*La Crosse County
*City Brewing Company
*Old Style Beer
*G. Heileman Brewing Company
*La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor (Decommissioned)
*La Crosse area radio stations
*La Crosse area television stations

References

External links

General

* [http://www.cityoflacrosse.org/ City of La Crosse]
* [http://couleeregiononline.com Coulee Region ONLINE - Community portal and social site for the La Crosse area]
* [http://www.gatewayareacouncil.org/ Gateway Area Council]
* [http://www.historicdowntownlacrosse.com/ Historic Downtown La Crosse]
* [http://www.lacrosselibrary.org/ La Crosse Public Library System]
* [http://www.lacrosseschools.org/ La Crosse School District]
* [http://www.lacrossewisconsin.com/ LaCrosseWisconsin.com]

Tourism

* [http://www.explorelacrosse.com/ La Crosse Area Convention & Visitors Bureau]
* [http://www.lacrossechamber.com/ La Crosse Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.lacrossevisitor.com/ La Crosse Area Visitor]
* [http://discover-net.net/~webworld/LaCrosse.html La Crosse Visitor Guide]