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History · La Crosse

A history of La Crosse,
then and now

Postcards, papers and photographs of La Crosse from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.

5old images & papers
25recent photos
From La Crosse’s archive · credits on each photo

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

La Crosse is derived from the French meaning "the crossing", and it was so named from its location at the junction or crossing of five railroads. The five railroads were:

Chicago and Indiana Coal Railway (later the Chicago and Eastern Illinois and the Chicago, Attica and Southern)

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (later the Pennsylvania Railroad)

Since 2004, La Crosse has been the headquarters of the Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad, which owns portions of former C&O and Pere Marquette trackage.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

built from the dates on the items below
1910s5 items · Lacrosse IN Apr 4 1910Commons
1920–1999Nothing yet. Family albums go here.
Help out

Finish La Crosse’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewLacrosse IN Apr 4 1910, 1910: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Famous people close to La Crosse

See all 9 →
Beulah BondiBeulah BondiValparaiso · 14 miCarly SchroederCarly SchroederValparaiso · 14 miMark N. BrownMark N. BrownValparaiso · 14 miJim RathmannJim RathmannValparaiso · 14 miRobbie HummelRobbie HummelValparaiso · 14 miHarry BenhamHarry BenhamValparaiso · 14 mi
By decade

La Crosse, decade by decade

1910s5 items
Lacrosse IN Apr 4 1910CommonsLacrosse IN Apr 4 19101910 · postcardLaCrosse IND Apr 4 1910CommonsLaCrosse IND Apr 4 19101910LOC 6a04222u 1915 LaCrosse, Ind., 1915, (N)CommonsLOC 6a04222u 1915 LaCrosse, Ind., 1915, (N)1915La Crosse, Ind., 1915LOCLa Crosse, Ind., 19151915La Crosse, Ind., 1915, (north)LOCLa Crosse, Ind., 1915, (north)1915
1920s–
1990s
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your album
Today25 photos
Greetings from LaCrosse, Indiana, 1947 - LaCrosse , IndianaCommonsGreetings from LaCrosse, Indiana, 1947 - LaCrosse , Indiana2024 · postcardTrack 1719CommonsTrack 17192021Old Path UBC 6282CommonsOld Path UBC 62822021Monon Line 5777CommonsMonon Line 57772021Library 1718CommonsLibrary 17182021LaPorte State Bank Bldg 6281CommonsLaPorte State Bank Bldg 62812021LaCrosse 5784CommonsLaCrosse 57842021LaCrosse 5783CommonsLaCrosse 57832021High School 1720CommonsHigh School 17202021Christian Church 6286CommonsChristian Church 62862021Christian Church 6285CommonsChristian Church 62852021Christian Church 6284CommonsChristian Church 62842021Apostolic Christian Church 6283CommonsApostolic Christian Church 62832021Methodist Church, circa 1935 - LaCrosse, IndianaCommonsMethodist Church, circa 1935 - LaCrosse, Indiana2020 · postcardHouse at Michigan Street and Main Street, 1908 - LaCrosse, IndianaCommonsHouse at Michigan Street and Main Street, 1908 - LaCrosse, …2017 · postcardBird's Eye View, 1908 - LaCrosse, IndianaCommonsBird's Eye View, 1908 - LaCrosse, Indiana2015 · postcardBird's Eye View Looking Southwest of School Tower, circa 1908 - LaCrosse, IndianaCommonsBird's Eye View Looking Southwest of School Tower, circa 19…2015 · postcardWashington and Main inCommonsWashington and Main in2013An American Legion member renders honors during the funeral for U.S. Army Spc. Robert Tauteris Jr 120115-A-MG787-065CommonsAn American Legion member renders honors during the funeral…2012A U.S. Soldier plays taps during the funeral for Army Spc. Robert Tauteris Jr 120115-A-MG787-087CommonsA U.S. Soldier plays taps during the funeral for Army Spc. …2012South Washington Street, 1907 - LaCrosse, IndianaCommonsSouth Washington Street, 1907 - LaCrosse, Indiana2010 · postcardM. E. Annex, 1921 - LaCrosse, IndianaCommonsM. E. Annex, 1921 - LaCrosse, Indiana2010 · postcardKankakee River, circa 1935 - LaCrosse, IndianaCommonsKankakee River, circa 1935 - LaCrosse, Indiana2010 · postcardGame Preserve, circa 1935 - LaCrosse, IndianaCommonsGame Preserve, circa 1935 - LaCrosse, Indiana2010 · postcardUS-IN-LaCrosseCommonsUS-IN-LaCrosse2005
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in La Crosse is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean La Crosse has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 Steam Engine No. 2789 in North Judson, 8.9 miles away.

La Crosse and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = La Crosse. Tap a dot.
Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 Steam Engine No. 2789Valparaiso University Chapel of the ResurrectionHeritage HallDavid Garland Rose HouseWilliam McCallum HousePorter County Jail and Sheriff's House

Closest to La Crosse

Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 Steam Engine No. 2789North Judson · Object8.9miValparaiso University Chapel of the ResurrectionValparaiso · Building12.7miHeritage HallValparaiso · Italianate · Built 187513.1miDavid Garland Rose HouseValparaiso · Gothic Revival13.2miWilliam McCallum HouseValparaiso · Italianate13.4mi

How a place gets listed

1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 Steam Engine No. 2789’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in La Crosse?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to La Crosse’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old place
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons

Then & now

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Lacrosse IN Apr 4 1910 (1910) and it appears here side by side.

🔁 Retake this view · +15

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 Dewey📜 Cass📜 Prairie📜 Pleasant

From Wikimedia Commons (28) and the Library of Congress (2). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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