Filmed on Tuesday, August 15 2023, I drive around LaCrosse, WI to see what's going on.
The name of the city originated from a form of field hockey which was played by Native Americans there, the sport which would evolve into the modern sport of lacrosse. "la crosse" means "the stick" in French.
There is no written record of any visit to the site until 1805, when Zebulon Pike mounted an expedition up the Mississippi River for the United States. Pike recorded the location's name as "Prairie La Crosse".
In 1841, the first white settlement at La Crosse was established by Nathan Myrick. Myrick first moved to Prairie Du Chen to get involved in the fur trade, but due to too much competition in the area he moved upstream to the site of Prairie La Crosse.
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.
More permanent development took place closer to Myrick's trading post, where stores, a hotel, and a post office were constructed during the 1840s.
By 1855, La Crosse had grown in population to nearly 2,000 residents.
During the second half of the 19th century, La Crosse grew to become one of the largest cities in Wisconsin. It was a center 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.
As of the census of 2020, the population was 52,680.
The racial makeup of the city was 85.6% White, 4.9% Asian, 2.9% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.2% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,438, and the per capita income for the city was $27,398. About 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line.
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