The Industries of La Crosse, Wis., 1888. La Crosse, Wis.: Spicer & Buschman, 1888.

Special Collections Wisconsiana F589.L137 I5 1888

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THE

INDUSTRIES

OF

LA CROSSE, WIS.

1888.

SPICER & BUSCHMAN, PRINTERS,
LA CROSSE, WIS.

La Crosse Public Library.

Introductory

CRADLED between the towering bluffs of the Upper Mississippi, more
than eighteen hundred miles from its mouth and about two hundred
miles from the head of navigation, is the beautiful and prosperous city
CE of La Crosse. Hundreds of years ago when the pine forests of this
region were yet untouched by the lumberman's axe and, even those
dauntless French explorers, Hennepin and La Salle, had not penetrated
the great Mississippi Valley, tradition tells us that the Indians resorted
to the prairies hereabouts to play their game of la crosse, because this
point on the banks of the Father of Waters is easily accessible by canoe from
so large an area by the tributaries. Thus it is seen that man, even in his
aboriginal state, utilizes in a measure those same natural advantages which are
of so much importance to the commerce of civilized peoples.

The site of the city was passed frequently by the explorers of the beginning
of the century and the early pioneers of the Northwest, but not until 1841 did
any one make it his dwelling place. The winter of that year Nathan Myrick
passed on the island opposite the present city, and in 1842 he and several others
established the first settlement on the mainland. Several years passed away
without events of importance. The early settlers did a thriving trade with the
Indians, suffered the privations common to pioneers, yet struggled bravely on in
spite of adverse circumstances, never despairing of finally reaching the goal of
success. In 1843 a colony of Mormons from Nauvoo, Illinois, settled at what is
now known as Mormon Cooley. But their practices were looked upon so
unfavorably by the pioneers that they soon returned whence they came. In these
days the arrival of a steamboat bringing supplies, and perchance emigrants, to
the struggling village, created as much excitement as a presidential election now
does. Hardships and perils were common incidents in the daily life of the early
dwellers in the "Gateway City."

In 1844 an event occurred which, though not noticed at the time, was the
beginning of the city's most important industry. In that year the first lumber
raft was sent down the river. What became of it is not recorded, but from this
humble origin the lumber trade of the city dates.

Each succeeding year brought more people to the frontier village which now
became the centre of an active and growing trade. The fertile prairies near by
on both sides of the Mississippi produced extraordinary crops, and emigrants

4 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

commenced to come in great numbers. In February, 1851, the large population
of this section led the legislature to form La Crosse County out of Crawford.
La Crosse was made the county seat provided that suitable county buildings were
erected immediately. The same liberal ideas prevailed among the people of that
day as has since characterized the policy of the city, and funds were raised by
subscription and a court house erected during the following winter.

From this event the prosperity of l a Crosse dates. There was not a busier
town on the Upper Mississippi than this during the several years that followed.
The stores were fairly overrun with business, and settlers to swell the population
were daily arriving. Many of the large wholesale houses were established about
this time, and the settlement of the fertile prairies of Southern Minnesota opened
up a new field for trade. Real estate rose rapidly in value and the volume of
transactions was large. The first newspaper, the Spirit of the Times, was established in 1852 by Messers. P. A. and A D. La Due. In 1856 the population
had reached 3000, and that year the city was incorporated. Schools were
established on a scale much in advance of what could be expected of so young a
city. The following year was one of financial disaster, and along with it the rest
of the country, the Northwest suffered greatly. But the foundations of success
were too firmly laid to be permanently injured, and a few years later the "Gateway
City" was again alive with enterprise and again animated by the bustle of a
rapidly growing trade.

What happened during succeeding years will be detailed in the description
of the industrial interests of the city, which from this time are so closely identified
with the story of its progress. The La Crosse of to-day is a worthy monument
to the energy and perseverance of the early settlers. With unequaled transportation
facilities by rail and water, surrounded by a farming country unexcelled in
fertility by any section of the United States, having the advantage of a salubrious
climate: her citizens enterprising and vigilant, in pushing forward her commercial
interests; banking facilities equaled by few cities of her size; with an advanced
system of public improvements; excellent educational facilities; distinguished
divines, lawyers and physicians-truly, La Crosse is to all appearances only
entering upon a career of prosperity in comparison with which her past, brilliant
as it is, will seem to the historian of the future of but little importance.

The City of Today

CHIEF AMONG the advantages possessed by any city is the comfort in
which its inhabitants may live. This is secured by residents of La
Crosse in a marked degree. There is a noticeable absence of tenement
Houses, a circumstance which has a great deal to do with the health and
morals of the community. Considering the size of the city good building
sites are remarkably cheap, and hence there is no necessity for crowding
people together. Rents and cost of living are lower than in most
cities of the same size, and landlords are not niggardly in the matter of keeping
the municipal government, which has never been shortsighted in its expenditures
for public improvements, yet far from being extravagant and wasteful. A considerable
sum is annually expended on the parks, which is more than repaid by the
pleasure and comfort received. The streets of La Crosse are always kept in
good condition, being thoroughly macadamized, the sewers in perfect repair,
and the public money expended liberally and even lavishly in whatever is
conducive to the good of the community in general.

THE GOVERNMENT OF LA CROSSE is in the hands of the mayor, the common
council and the board of supervisors. The council is composed of two representatives
from each ward of the city, and the board of supervisors of one from each
ward. The mayor is elected by the people bi-ennially. At present the office is
filled by Mr. David Austin, the well known lumberman, a member of the Sawyer
& Ausitn Lumber company. He has made an excellent official and his record
will compare well with that of the efficient executives who have filled the office in
past years. The board of supervisors and the common council are bodies in
which the most respected men of the community have been willing and anxious
to serve, and at present they include on their rolls the names of prominent and
intelligent citizens, whose judgment in matters municipal is not likely to be at
fault.

THAT THE AFFAIRS OF THE CITY have been wisely administered is amply
proved by the last annual report of the secretary of the Board of Trade. The

6 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

bonded indebtedness, all told, is $239,000, less than eight dollars per capita,
estimating the population at 30,000. The assessed valuation of property is
$10,247,979, and of this the entire debt is only a fraction more than 2.3 per cent.
The tax rate has always been low, never exceeding twenty-two mills. Data
necessary for making a comparison with cities of the same size are not at hand,
but the indebtedness per capita is mere bagatelle as compared with that of
Washington, $127.66; New York, $90.71 ; Pittsburg, $90.78; St Louis $65.I8;
New Orleans, $82.08. And compared with Chicago and Milwaukee, whose
indebtedness is very small, the former being $25 23 per capita and the latter
$14.42, the $7.97 of La Crosse (estimating the population at 30,000) is indeed
scarcely worthy of mention.

THE HEALTH OF THE CITY is remarkably good. This is due in a great
degree to the excellent drainage and also to the invigorating climate, whose
winters, though sometimes rigorous, are healthful on account of the dryness and

GOVERNMENT BUILDING.

THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS. 7

clearness of the atmosphere. There has been no detailed health report prepared
since 1884 and then the death rate was twelve per thousand. Mr. R. Calvert, the
secretary of the Board of Trade, in his report for I887, estimates it for that year
at six per thousand, after having deducted deaths from extreme old age and
pre-natal causes. Malaria is a thing unknown and the excellent sewage of the
city, the pure water and the health regulations make it impossible for a contagious
disease to gain headway.

DURING THE PAST LA CROSSE has sometimes suffered severely by fire. Many
times has this devouring element swept away lumber to the value of thousands of
dollars, and often, too, residences and business houses have been destroyed.
While danger from this source cannot be altogether escaped, yet such precautions
as a plentiful supply of water and a well equipped and strictly disciplined fire
department materially lessens it and make the calamities of former years well
nigh impossible. The authorities of the city have not established a paid fire
department, believing that no more efficient service could be secured than is at
present enjoyed. The chief engineer, Mr. A. M. Watson, and his assistants are
paid and on duty all the time. There are three large hose companies who
promptly and cheerfully respond to every alarm, and have rendered efficient
service on frequent occasions. There is an entire absence of jealousy among
these companies, their healthy rivalry being sufficiently tempered by hearty good
will to make it very beneficial.

PREVIOUS TO 1877 the city depended for water supply upon cisterns which
were filled from the river. That year a Blake steam pump was purchased and a
house put up at the foot of King street. This pump has a capacity of 2,500,000
gallons per day. This supply was insufficient, owing to the increase in population
and the growth of manufactures, so a few years ago a second Blake pump
was put in with a capacity of 5,000,000 gallons daily. With these two powerful
pumps a pressure of 60 pounds per square inch is constantly kept upon the
mains which may be increased to 110 pounds in case of fire. Thus fire engines
are not necessary, although as a resource a splendid Silsby steamer is kept ready
for action. The city maintains 145 fire plugs which amply protect all property,
and besides all the lumber mills and factories keep up a complete system of
fire apparatus. At present there are eighteen miles of mains, none of which are
less than six inches in diameter, the largest being twenty inches. The entire cost
of the plant has been $190,000, and it has been so ably managed that while
furnishing water at reasonable rates to consumers, it pays the city a profit, if the
cost of fire protection is taken into account. The water works are controlled by
the Board of Public Works, consisting at present of Messrs. Jos. Leinfelder, S. F.
Nice and T. S. Vickere. The annual cost of running the plant is $I 5,ooo.

THE POLICE FORCE OF LA CROSSE, thanks to the good behavior of the citizens
in general, is not large, consisting of but fifteen men besides the chief and captain.
The former responsible position is held by P. L. Clark, and the captain is John
Parks. The patrolmen are an efficient and useful body of men and are to be
complimented because they do not have that disagreeable air of officiousness so

8 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

often characteristic of the policeman. They seem to have learned that they are
the servants and not the masters of the public, a fact of which the average officer
is rarely cognizant even in large cities. The La Crosse police force have shown
themselves active and vigilant in caring for life and property and faithful and just
in enforcing the law.

AS AN AGENT IN PROMOTING moral worth and rectitude in a community, the
church is unquestionably foremost of all working in this age. Its influence on
the lives of men and on the existence and growth of a community cannot even
be conjectured, so wide is its scope, so infinite its ramifications. Early in the
history of La Crosse there were religious services held by itinerant ministers, and
in 1851 the first society was organized. Others soon followed and now there are
ten denominations represented which are organized into thirty-three societies,
thirty of which own edifices. The several congregations have built churches of
which the city may be justly proud, for they compare favorably in architecture,
beauty and in tasteful furnishings and artistic decoration with any similar edifices
of the Northwest. The divines of La Crosse are an able, gifted and progressive
body of men who are, as a rule, aggressive and forceful in their denunciation of
whatever is detrimental to the moral growth of the city, and are always found in
the van of those advocating measures for the improvement and enlightenment of

SCENE ON C.M. & ST. P. RAILWAY, NEAR LA CROSSE

THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS. 9

the public. Intellectually, taken individually or collectively, they are worthy to
be champions of the great truths given to humanity from the hand of the Creator.

The Y. M. C. A. is also an important agent in church work. The rooms are
on Main street over 423 and 425. There is also an association on the North Side.
Both are well supported by the community and afford pleasant places for young
men to pass their evenings.

NEXT TO THE CHURCH in power and importance among the great social agents
characteristic of nineteenth century civilization is the education of the masses.
The common schools, though supported by taxation, give much more to the state
than they receive from it. For intelligent citizens are the only safeguard of our
existence as a nation, and whatever is spent for educational purposes is, if wisely
invested, the best use the state can make of funds. The schools of La Crosse,
which were established on such a liberal scale in 1856, have justly been the pride
of her people. A comprehensive course has been laid out which, if pursued,
gives a pupil an excellent foundation for a complete education or fits him well for
business life. Thirteen commodious, well lighted and thoroughly ventilated
buildings are owned by the city, which are conveniently located in the several
school districts. The High School is in the Fourth district building, Eighth and
Main streets. There were enrolled last year 3,879 pupils in all the grades.
Seventy-one teachers were employed. For some years the schools have been
under the direction of Prof. Albert Hardy, who has shown himself in this
responsible position an able and competent educator, familiar with all the advanced
methods of instruction. Mention must also be made of the school for deaf
mutes. It is organized under a state law passed two years ago. Mutes are
taught to use their vocal organs, and in time are able to speak as plainly as those
who hear. This school is open to pupils from all parts of the state. The public
schools are controlled by the Board of Education, composed at present of Messrs.
G. C. Hixon, president; Albert Hardy, secretary; W. L. Crosby, S. S. Burton,
W. L. Osborne, C. A. Marquardt, William Morris and Fred. Tillman.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH supports a number of excellent parochial
schools. These are under the charge of the Franciscan Sisters of the Convent
of St. Rosa de Vitero. This convent deserves more than a passing notice, being
a training school for teachers and nurses, the Sisters having charge of the nursing
in St. Francis Hospital and the United States Marine Hospital. They also
manage St. Michael's Orphan Asylum, an institution containing at present
seventy-six homeless children, who are here being trained and educated for the
battle of life. This asylum is supported entirely by private gifts.

Excellent parochial schools are also maintained by the German Lutheran
Church.

A description of the educational facilities of the city would be wanting if the
La Crosse Business College were overlooked. This flourishing institution was
established in 1868, and during its twenty years' of existence has turned out
many who have since become able business men. The public in this section has
always been alive to the advantages of a business education as being supplementary.

10 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

to that gained in the public schools and other institutions. For thirteen
years this college has been under the charge of Professor J. L. Wallace, a teacher
of long experience as well as a practical accountant. Those who pursue the
prescribed course in mathematics, book keeping and penmanship at this institution
are well qualified to enter business life, the instruction being made thoroughly
practical in ever detail. Many trusted clerks and also quite a number of successful
business men of La Crosse are numbered among the graduates of this college.

LA CROSSE BUSINESS COLLEGE.

SOCIAL LIFE IN LA CROSSE is blessed by not having any distinguishing
characteristics. As far as possible in this imperfect world of ours, society
here seems to havs reached the golden mean. Music, art and literature each have
their devotees, but these have the good taste to so broaden their culture that it is
impossible for them to make hobbies of any particular one. Intelligence is the
predominating trait in all who enjoy social standing.

PROMINENT AMONG the organizations which go to make social life a success is
the La Crosse Club. Its elegantly furnished and well-appointed rooms are at the
corner of Fifth and Main streets. Its members are men of the highest social and
business standing. The literary spirit of the community finds expression in the
Nineteenth Century Club and the Hamilton Club, both organizations whose
meetings are made lively and interesting by the discussion of current topics of
interest. The societies of the religious bodies and the secret society lodges, of
which there are a great number in the city, also contribute largely to the social
festivities. The Norden Society and the Deutscher Verein are flourishing social
organizations whose members mostly came from homes beyond the sea.

THE STAGE HAS ALWAYS BEEN liberally patronized by the people of La Crosse,
the McMillan Opera House affording them for many years a superior class of
entertainments. There were also the concerts of the Deutscher Verein and other
efforts of local talent, which show how much interest is taken in such affairs.
The completion of the La Crosse Theatre, which is to be opened in January, will
give the city a place of amusement equal to any in the Northwest. The building
is absolutely fire proof and has a stage equipped with all the latest devices for the
production of startling scenic effects.

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, corner Main and Eighth streets, grew out of a
bequest of $50,000 given for the purpose of founding it by the late Governor
C. C. Washburn. This was augmented by the Young Men's Library Association
giving the sum of $2000 in cash and what books they had acquired. The
building, which was lately dedicated with appropriate ceremonies, is built of red
pressed brick and is architecturally an ornament of which the city may be proud.
The shelf capacity is ample,
the reading rooms
airy and well lighted,
and in the upper story is
a hall with a seating capacity
of 300. In every
way the building is complete
and is a credit to
the architect and the
trustees of the fund. The
library now contains, exclusive
of works of reference,
7560 volumes,
which show for themselves
that they were purchased
by persons of
broad and cultivated
tastes. The fund yields
a sufficient income to
permit a considerable
sum to be annually expended
for periodicals, newspapers, etc. and for
the purchase of new books. This institution is
indeed a fitting monument to the memory of
Cadwallader C. Washburn by whose munificence
it has been established. A library of such a
character is an agent of great power in the
education of the masses. Such use of wealth is indeed praiseworthy, and the
world is ready and anxious to revere one who places the thoughts and fancies of
great minds in reach of all.

SCENE ON C.M. & ST. P. RAILWAY,
NEAR LA CROSSE

THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS. 13

AMIONG THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS of La Crosse, the Court House, as being the
oldest, deserves attention first. Erected in I867, it is a perfect specimen of the
practical ideas that were prevalent at that time. But little attention was paid to
adornment, durability and utility being the qualities most sought after and they
were fully attained. Built of cut limestone, plainly but substantially finished in
the interior, well lighted, it has served the needs of the community well since its
erection. The grounds surrounding it are shaded by stately trees, and high
above them on the dome is a statue of Justice, blindfolded, and holding the
traditional scales. It presents a quaint but not unpleasing contrast with the new
government building just across from it, on the corner of Fourth and State
streets, which embodies the cultivated notion of what is useful and beautiful. It
is of the Romanesque style of architecture, modified to meet the needs of modern
life. The materials used are red pressed brick with trimmings of Joliet stone and
iron, so it will be entirely fire proof. The steps to the entrance will be granite.

RESIDENCE OF HON. ALEXANDER M'MILLAN.

14 THE INDIUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

Ground was broken for it last May, and before a year has passed it will doubtless
be ready for occupancy. The amount of money appropriated is $150,000. Ex-Senator Cameron and Hon. G. M. Woodward, who was in the lower house, were
instrumental in securing the passage of the bill appropriating $100,000 for this
building, and that amount being insufficient, Hon. O. B. Thomas, the present
congressman, secured $50,000 more. The first floor will be used exclusively as
a post-office. On the second will be the United States Circuit Court room,
customs offices and land offices, and on the third the internal revenue office,
signal service office, jury rooms, etc. This building was sadly needed by La
Crosse for a long time, but Uncle Sam is atoning for the delay by the way he has
hurried it to completion.

HERE A WORD MAY NOT be out of place concerning the beauty of La Crosse
and her surroundings. The residence streets are all lined with spreading trees
(some one has called them the lungs of a city) which stand along terraces gently
sloping from the comfortable homes of which the city is so proud. A walk
along these shaded avenues reminds one much of a sylvan scene. Almost
encircling the city are the great bluffs, which mark the channel of the Mississippi
in bygone ages. These lift their heads above the plain on which the city stands
as if to guard it from the cold winter winds that sweep so fiercely across the
prairies. Few prettier pictures are to be seen than that made by the city and
river when viewed in the soft light of an autumn sunset from the bluffs on the
Wisconsin side. At one's feet is Oak Grove cemetery, a spot made beautiful by
nature and the hand of man, while a little further in vivid contrast with the city
of the dead, are the homes of the living and the smoking chimneys of the
factories so distinctly outlined against the western sky, telling how eagerly and
earnestly humanity is seeking wealth. Unmindful of the bustling city the Father
of Waters sweeps majestically on toward the sea, the placid surface undisturbed
except for the ripple caused by a passing steamboat. The whole scene is lighted
by the last beams of the setting sun as he sinks behind the bluffs of the
Minnesota shore, his last rays giving their rich autumn tints a brighter golden
hue.

THE PRESS

MENTION has already been made of the establishment of the first newspaper,
the Spirit of the Times, in La Crosse in 1852, by the LaDue brothers. This
enterprise succumbed to a chattel mortgage very soon after its inception. The
city is rich in the memories of "Brick" Pomeroy whose lurid editorials were the
delight and joy of Democrats in all parts of the United States. The phenomenal
circulation attained by the La Crosse Democrat is a marvel to this day. Ninety
thousand copies were sent out and Pomeroy was perhaps one of the most bitterly
denounced men in the country. The La Crosse Republican, conducted by Charles
Seymour, was then, too, very prosperous and was continually waging war with
Pomeroy's Democrat. George W. Peck, now famed far and wide as a writer of
droll and witty sayings, began his journalistic career here. He is recalled by a
handsome drinking fountain on the corner of Main and Fifth streets which he

M'MILLAN OPERA HOUSE.

16 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

presented to the city. Inscribed on a silver plate, which also bears his name,
is a sentence characteristic of his humor, "Boys, this drink is on me."

La Crosse now supports two daily newspapers, both of which publish full
associated press reports. They are the Morning Chronicle and the Republican
and Leader. The former is Democratic in politics but is for the interests of the
city before anything else. The proprietor is Ellis B. Usher who as chairman of
the Democratic State Committee made an energetic and aggressive fight during
the last campaign. It is a journal well conducted and its policy is to keep well
up with the times in newspaper enterprise.

The Republican and Leader is owned and edited by W. R. Finch who is an
able and enterprising journalist. It is an afternoon publication and in its well-
filled columns the people of the city can read important telegraphic news at the
teatable. As its name indicates it is Republican in politics. This journal has
always been warm in its advocacy of any movement having for its end the
forwarding of the city's interest.

The Nord Stern is a weekly (German) publication of which Adolf Candrian
is editor and proprietor. It has a large circulation among the Germans of the
city and is very ably conducted. It is independent in politics.

The North La Crosse News is conducted by Mahoney, Alexander & Mahoney.
It is published weekly and devotes its attention principally to affairs on the
North Side.

The Varden is a non-political Norwegian weekly published by P. O. Evenson.
This has many readers among those who still cling to the language of their home.

The last venture in the journalistic field of this city is the Patriot, a German
Democratic paper. It is controlled by the Excelsior Printing Company, of
Milwaukee, and is very ably edited.

TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.

THE EXTENT and diversity of the exchange of commodities between
peoples more or less widely separated is a distinguishing characteristic
between man in a civilized state and man in a barbarous state. Man's
wants and desires are increasing constantly and to satisfy them he has
brought to him the products of the uttermost parts of the earth. This is called
commerce, and by it a large proportion of the human race gain a livelihood.
The prosperity and wealth of a city is largely determined by its ability to gain a
share of the world's commerce. In this respect La Crosse occupies a position
second to no city of the Northwest. By means of three great railway systems
whose lines reach every point of importance between Chicago and the Rocky
Mountains, and the great natural highway for commerce furnished by the Mississippi
and tributaries the merchants and manufacturers of La Crosse have unequaled
facilities for receiving and shipping goods. A vast territory, already rich
though comparatively undeveloped, naturally looks to this city as a market in
which to exchange the products of the fertile prairies for merchandise.

The first railroad to reach La Crosse was the La Crosse & Milwaukee,
opened in 1856, which has since been absorbed by the Chicago, Milwaukee &,St.
Paql system. Of four divisions of this corporation, which is second to none in
the Northwest in wealth and importance, La Crosse is the centre, namely: the
River division extending along the Mississippi from St. Paul and Minneapolis to
La Crosse; the Southern Minnesota division extending westward through a section
unsurpassed in fertility as far as Aberdeen, Dakota, thus bringing the wheat fields
of that section within easy reach of La Crosse; the Dubuque division extending
southward along the river and tapping the fertile districts of Northern Iowa by
branches; and the La Crosse division extending eastward to Milwaukee. The
policy of the Milwaukee is always progressive and the early extension of the
Southern Minnesota road to the Black Hills will soon be an accomplished fact,
thus affording a new field for La Crosse enterprise and placing her in communication
with that rich mineral district. At St. Paul this road connects with the
Manitoba and Northern Pacific for points in the far Northwest and at Chicago its

18 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

trains make close connections with those of the great trunk lines for the east. Its
numerous branches place La Crosse in communication with all points of importance
within the state. This company proposes to erect extensive repair shops at
North La Crosse which will further increase the population of that flourishing
addition. Already 180 men are employed by the company in the yards and at
the round house. The equipment of this excellent road has a world-wide fame
on account of its superior character. The finest Pullman coaches are run and the
"Vestibuled Limited" is well known as being the fastest train between Chicago
and St. Paul. The employes are courteous and affable and everything possible is
done to make traveling pleasant. Very naturally the share of this road in the
freight and passenger business centering here is very large. La Crosse has a
local pride in the St. Paul as it is distinctively a Wisconsin corporation, the general
offices being at Milwaukee. A great number of her citizens are large shareholders
in the road and Mr. J. C. Easton is a director. The St. Paul at present
controls 5,706 miles of track and is yearly increasing its mileage and are long will
reach the Rocky Mountains and possibly extend beyond them.

The second great trunk line to reach La Crosse was the Chicago & Northwestern.
This happened in 1876 and was an important event in the history of the
commercial progress of the city. Besides giving a second route to Chicago its

SCENE ON C. M. & ST. P. RAILWAY
NEAR LA CROSSE

THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS. 19

coming opened up connection to a great area south and west heretofore not
in direct communication with the city. The enterprise of this wealthy corporation
is too well known to need mention in these pages. It, too, like the St. Paul, is
reaching westward through Minnesota and Dakota towards the mines of the Black
Hills and the intervening wheat-growing districts of Dakota. It is in the future
destined to be an important factor in developing this region so rich in agricultural
resources. The Winona & St. Peter railroad, controlled by this company, has
opened a fertile and prosperous country for the merchants and lumbermen of La
Crosse, contributing largely to the increased jobbing trade. The Northwestern
is a popular route and justly so for the facilities it offers for pleasant and easy
travel are unsurpassed by any rival line.

The "Burlington" was the last of the great systems of the West to extend its
tracks to La Crosse, but since its coming two years ago it has had a large share
of the freight and passenger traffic centreing here. The completion of the
Chicago, Burlington & Northern gave to the city another route to Chicago and more
direct communication with the great commercial centres of the South-west, St.
Louis, Kansas City and Omaha, than was heretofore enjoyed. The important cities
along the river from Minneapolis and St. Paul to St. Louis are reached by the
"Burlington," an advantage of great importance to this city. In other ways
besides affording greater facilities to merchants and manufacturers for the shipment
of goods, the C., B. & N. has been beneficial to the city. The company has
erected a round house and repair shops at North La Crosse, where employment is
given to two hundred men. At Grand Crossing a club house for the employes,
containing a billiard room, a reading room furnished with choice periodicals, a
gymnasium, baths, and all the other conveniences of a well appointed club house.
Railroad men can here secure lodging for a very small sum. Such liberality
toward employes should go a great ways in the solution of the difficulties continually
cropping out between labor and capital. The cheap homes which laboring
men can secure at North La Crosse make this city the best location for the shops
of the company, and from this source a large increase of population may be
expected. The terminal facilities of the "Burlington" are the finest of any
road entering La Crosse. The passenger depot, on the corner of Second and
Pearl streets, is an ornament to the city. It is built of red brick, with marble
trimmings and presents a very neat and attractive appearance, besides being
admirably suited to the needs of the public and the company. The "Burlington"
being the river route to Chicago is quite naturally a favorite road with travelers.
Its Pullman trains are acknowledged to be unsurpassed in the luxurious elegance
of their equipment by any on the continent, and as for scenery none is more
grandly picturesque than that traversed by the "Burlington."

The Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railroad was completed in 1876, entering
the city that year by using the terminal facilities of the North-western. This road
runs through the great lumber regions of Wisconsin and is destined to become
a part of the great Lackawana system. It is important to La Crosse because it
reaches the lakes at a point considerably nearer the great cities of the east than
Milwaukee or Chicago.

20 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

But by far the most important and advantageous road for La Crosse is the
Canada, La Crosse & Western, to be built from Sault Ste. Marie to La Crosse and
thence to St. Joseph, Missouri, which will be its southern terminus. This road
will give La Crosse more direct communication with the east, via the lakes, than
she has yet had, and thus will become an important competitor with the trunk
lines for through freight. The greatest benefit the city will reap is the large
lumber trade which must at once spring up on account of the vast treeless sections
in the south-west which will be traversed by this road. The saw mills of La
Crosse will then be taxed to their utmost and Wisconsin lumbermen will reap
golden harvests. La Crosse enterprise and capital has much to do with this road
and will doubtless be pushed to a successful issue in the near future.

It is hard to realize the importance of the Mississippi in its relation to the
transportation facilities of La Crosse. Its influence on the freight rates can hardly
be estimated. As affording a way for the marketing of lumber it is of incalculable
importance. A large portion of the through traffic on the river is in the hands of
the St. Louis and St. Paul Packet Line, which was established in 1880, by
W. J. Davidson and A. N. Hutchinson. It is of special interest to this city,
since the president, Mr. P. S. Davidson, is a prominent lumberman here. The
secretary and treasurer is Mr. E. E. Davidson, of St. Paul, where the general
offices are located. The capital stock of the company is $100,000. The fine
steamers of this line during the summer season make regular trips between St.
Louis and St. Paul carrying many passengers and immense amounts of freight.
They are six in number, viz: War Eagle, Gem City, St. Paul, White Eagle,
Centennial, and Flying Eagle.

The local office of the Diamond Jo Line is near the corner of Front and
Main streets. This is the oldest line running between St. Louis and St. Paul and
its elegant boats are great favorites with tourists during the summer season, who
are traveling for pleasure. Its passenger and freight business are very large and
it is an important factor in determining rates of freight and passenger travel to
points along the river.

Mention must also be made here of the lumber rafts which are sent out from
the La Crosse saw mills. A large fleet of boats are engaged in towing these rafts
to different points on the river. In conclusion it may be said that want of
free intercourse with other parts of the country can never become an obstacle in
the way of the prosperity of La Crosse.

THE BANKS.

WHEREVER commerce is carried on between civilized peoples a certain
amount of capital is required and there must also be an easy and rapid way
for merchants to meet their obligations even in a distant land. Both these purposes
are admirably served by banks, and no town of importance is without these
institutions. Their condition accurately indicates the volume of business trans-
acted, and also the amount of capital in the community not actively employed.
There is no regularly established clearing house in La Crosse, but each of the
four chartered banks takes turns in performing the functions of such an institution.
The clearances in course of a month amount to nearly $1,500,000. The
banks of La Crosse are controlled by residents, as are all enterprises of
importance in the city.

THE BATAVIAN BANK

Occupies an enviable position among the old and reliable monetary institutions of
the Badger State. Organized in 1861 under the state banking law, it furnished
commercial facilities for the early business growth of the city and has since been
a strong factor in all the financial operations of importance in the city. The bank
building on Main street, between Third and Fourth, is, architecturally, one of the
handsomest in the city. It is completely and elegantly fitted up with all modern
conveniences, an elevator, electric light, steam heating apparatus, etc. The bank
occupies the first floor, which is furnished in a style only equaled in large cities.
The basement furnishes a well lighted and desirable store room. On the upper
floors are some sixteen offices, large, well lighted and elegantly finished in oak,
the most desirable rooms for the purpose in the city.

The institution was reorganized in 1883 to meet the rapidly growing commercial
necessities of the city, and its capital increased to $200,000, several of the
most prominent and wealthy business men of the city becoming stock holders.
The last report of the condition of the bank shows over a half a million due in
loans and discounts, $230,000 due from other banks, real estate, etc., valued at
$80,000. Funds to the amount of $765,ooo are deposited with it, showing that
it stands high in the confidence of the business men of the city. The institution
has as correspondents the Hanover National and the House of Schulz & Ruckgaber,

22 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

of New York; the Revere National, of Boston; the Union, First and
Commercial National, of Chicago; Marshall & Ilsley Bank and National
Exchange Bank, of Milwaukee; Northwestern National and Security Bank of
Minnesota, of Minneapolis; and Merchants' National, of St. Paul. The bank
does a large general business and deals extensively in domestic and foreign
exchange. Mr. G. Van Steenwyk, who, from its establishment, has been connected
with the institution, is eminently qualified for the office of president. He
organized the bank in 1861, coming here from Madison. While a citizen of that
place he filled the honorable and responsible position of State Bank Controller.
In 1873 he was mayor of this city, which office he administered acceptably,
bringing to it the liberal ideas which have distinguished his business career. Mr.
Van Steenwyk is treasurer of the Linseed Oil company and an officer and stock
older in various other enterprises of the city. Few men in any community are
so highly esteemed and trusted as Mr. Van Steenwyk is by those who have had
business relations with him.

The vice president of the bank, Mr. A. H. Davis, is known to the public as
a large minded business man, always ready to help along any enterprise for the
city's good. He is president of Davis, Medary & Platz Co. and of the Wallis
Carriage Co., and largely interested in many other important financial enterprises.
He was for many years a partner in the leather house of Davis & Medary. Mr.
Davis has been intimately connected with the affairs of the bank since its reorganization
in 1883. The accommodating and efficient cashier, Mr. E. E. Bentley,
has resided in La Crosse since 1855, removing at that time from New York.
Being connected with the bank for more than twenty years, he is eminently
qualified to perform the duties of his present responsible position. He is ably
seconded by Mr. M. B. Greenwood, the assistant cashier, a young man of unusual
business talent and abilities. The directors, besides Messrs Van Steenwyk,
Davis and Bentley, are, Abner Gile, a prominent and wealthy logger and lumberman,
also of Gile & Goodland, packers, James McCord, the wholesale druggist,
Michael Funk, President of the Funk Steam Boiler Co., Geo. F. Gund, of John Gund
Brewing Co., James J. Hogan, wholesale grocer, S. Y. Hyde, of Hodges & Hyde,
commission merchants, all men of recognized worth and standing.

THE LA CROSSE NATIONAL BANK,

Besides being one of the strongest and best conducted institutions of the state is
the oldest National Bank in the city and within a radius of thirty miles. Organized
in 1876, it has ever since been a useful aid to the commercial enterprises of
the city. The cautious and faithful way in which the institution has been managed
has secured to it not only a large patronage and the unlimited confidence of
its customers, but has also made it a rich institution and a power in the financial
transactions of La Crosse. The capital stock is $200,000; the surplus, $40,000.
The bank occupies a red brick building, trimmed with cut stone on the corner of
Main and Third streets which at once attracts the attention of a stranger by the
neatness and beauty of its appearance. The bank gives special attention to bank

THE INDUSTRIES OF LA COSSE., WIS. 23

collections, which it can make very promptly. Its correspondents are the Chemical
National, of New York; National Bank of Redemption, Boston; First National
Bank, of Chicago; First National Bank, of Milwaukee, and First National, of
St. Paul. If further assurance were desired besides the institution's unblemished
record as to its responsibility, the character and standing of the officers would
readily satisfy the most insistent. The president, Mr. G. C. Hixon, is a man
whose worth and talent have been shown to the entire community during the thirty
years that have passed away since he came to La Crosse from Massachusetts.
He was elected to the State Senate where his course was marked by the same
wisdom and forethought that have characterized his actions in private and business
life. He is at present acceptably filling chairmanship of the city school board.
Mr. Hixon's interests in the lumber business are important, and he is also an
owner in other enterprises. His entire career has been one well worthy of
imitation by young men who wish to command the respect of the community.
The vice president, Mr. G. R. Montague, is likewise a native of Massachusetts
and an old resident of the city. He is vice president and a large stockholder in
the Wallis Carriage Co.; president of the Brush Electric Light Co.; and a large
owner in the Gas Light Company. He is a man whose long experience and

LA CROSSE NATIONAL BANK

24 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

high standing are a strong guarantee of the solidity of the bank. Hon. S. S.
Burton, the cashier, is a lawyer by profession, having attained prominence at the
bar many years ago. He is a native of Vermont, having come to La Crosse in
1856. He has been elected to the State Assembly and was Judge of the La Crosse
County Court for some years. He was also Receiver of the Land Office and
Receiver of the First National Bank. He is now president of the La Crosse
Knitting Co.; treasurer of Wallis Carriage Co.; and largely interested in manufacturing
and other enterprises of the city. Mr. Burton's great financial tact and
ability have been potent factors in contributing to the success of the La Crosse
National. His whole business and professional career has been such as to gain
the plaudits of all who have come in contact with him. The assistant cashier,
Mr. Geo. W. Burton, is also a Vermonter, coming from an Eastern college nine
years ago to accept the position which he has so ably and acceptably filled.

The directors in addition to Messrs. Hixon, Montague and S. S. Burton, are
B. B. Healy, W. W. Cargill, John Paul, and Chas. Michel, all men of tried business
qualifications and of sound financial standing.

THE STATE BANK OF LA CROSSE

Grew out of the large private house of Messrs. Holley & Borresen, which was
established in 1879. These gentlemen, having had large experience in banking
and therefore possessing the confidence of the public, very rapidly increased their
business, so that in 1883, the house was incorporated under its present title with a
capital stock of 500,000. As a corporation the bank bas been quite as successful
as it was when a private institution, its last statement showing a surplus of
$20,000, loans amounting to more than $175,000, and nearly $20,000 due from
other banks. That the bank has the confidence of the public is shown by the
fact that 8225,000 is deposited with it. Among the correspondents of the
institution are the Mercantile National, of New York; the National Bank of
Illinois, of Chicago; the well-known house of Houghton Bros., Milwaukee; and
the Christiana Bank and Kredit Kasse, of Norway. The president of the institution
is Mr. D. D. McMillan, a native of Canada, but for thirty years has resided in
La Crosse and been firmly identified with every movement for forwarding the
commercial importance of the city. He is secretary of the Linseed Oil Co.;
secretary of the Black River Improvement Co.; and interested in other important
enterprises. His fellow-citizens, appreciating his high qualities, elected him
alderman. Mr. Borresen, the vice president, like so many others of our most
enterprising and most respected citizens, is a native of Norway. Before
establishing his private banking house he was for nine years connected with the
Batavian Bank. He is known to every one as a man of fine business ability,
a quality proved by long years of service in exacting and responsible positions.
Mr. Holley, the cashier, is a native of New York, but for twenty years has been in
La Crosse. His experience in banking, gained in Milwaukee and in the
Batavian Bank of this place, together with a natural aptitude for business,
peculiarly qualify him for the responsible position of cashier. The directors
besides these officers are Messrs. G. H. Ray, H. Goddard, J. W. Weston, and H.

THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS. 25

A. Salzer, men honored and trusted by the people of La Crosse. The bank
occupies and owns a neat, tasteful and admirably arranged building, No. 311
Main street.

JOHN LIENLOKKEN, BANKER,

Steamship, Real Estate and Loan Agent, does business at 309 Pearl street. He is
a native of Norway, but has resided in La Crosse County since 1860, and in the
city since 1874. For ten years he was treasurer of the county, performing the
duties of that honorable and responsible position in such a cautious and careful
manner as to win the entire confidence of the people. Being so universally
trusted, well known and respected, his business as a Banker will certainly be a
success, and he merits the patronage he will get by prompt attention to whatever
is entrusted to him. His correspondents are the Seaboard National, of New
York; Haugan and Lindgren, Chicago; Merchants' Exchange, Milwaukee. Before
embarking in his present enterprise Mr. Lienlokken was for several years assistant
cashier of Union National Bank. In addition to his banking enterprise, he
represents the great Transatlantic Steampship lines, being agent for the White
Star, Anchor, Guion, National, Inman, Allan, State, Hamburg and North German
Lloyd, handles real estate and negotiates and places loans. Though Mr.
Lienlokken only began business on September 1st, last, he has already a trade
that is very flattering to his future prospects.

THE EXCHANGE BANK
HENRY P. MAGILL, BANKER.

Was estalished in 1884 at North La Crosse by H. P. and E. B. Magill. In October
of this year Henry P. bought the interest of the latter. This bank has been
carefully and ably managed and is an inestimable benefit and convenience to the
people of the North side. A savings department is run in connection with it for
the especial accommodation of the workingmen. Mr. Magill has as correspondents
the Batavian Bank, La Crosse, Merchants' Exchange Bank, of Milwaukee,
Metropolitan National Bank, of Chicago, Chase National, of New York. He also
conducts a large real estate and loan business and is a partner in the firm of
Magill Brothers, insurance agents. Mr. Magill transacts the largest business in
real estate loans of any firm in the city. For the accommodation of his South
side customers he has an office under the Batavian Bank. Both as a banker and
as a dealer in real estate he has been very successful and is highly honored by
the public generally. Being a resident of the North side he has taken a prominent
part in every movement for the benefit of the interests of that flourishing
part of the city.

THE UNION NATIONAL BANK

Was established in 1886. It has a capital of $100,000 and a surplus of $25,000.
The officers are the following: President, Hon. Angus Cameron; first Vice
President, Mons Anderson; second Vice President, C. E. Barron; Cashier, I. N.
Perry. The directors, besides above-mentioned officers, are J. W. Losey, L. Coren
and Josiah Little.

26 THE INDIISTRIES OF LA CROSSE. WIS.

PROMINENT among the capitalists who have done much for the development
and advancement of the city of La Crosse is Hon. Alexander
McMillan, to whose enterprise and liberality she owes many costly
improvements. Coming to La Crosse in 1852 he began logging and pushing
this business with more than common energy his success was assured from the
first. He is now a large stockholder in the Black River Improvement company
and Linseed Oil company and one of the directors of the Canada, La Crosse &
Southwestern Railroad; also, a large owner of city business property. Many
years ago he remodeled the Opera House block which was erected by "Brick"
Pomeroy in the days of his
prosperity and made of it a
comfortable and cosy theatre.
The four-story brick building
on the corner of Main and
Third known as the old Postoffice
block is his property and
though erected a long time
since yet compares favorably
with newer buildings. His last
contribution to the city's architectural
adornments is the
solid stone building bearing his
name on the corner of Fourth
and Main streets, which was
built two years ago. It is a
complete office building in
every respect, having an elevator,
steam heat and all other
modern luxuries and conveniences
usually expected only
in metropolitan buildings. His residence on South Seventh street is, in the
matter of interior arrangements and decoration, one of the finest in the city. The
conservatory contains rare and beautiful plants from all parts of the world. At
West Salem, Wisconsin, Mr. McMillan owns and manages a stock farm where
blooded horses and fine cattle are bred His flouring mill, also at Salem, is
equipped with the most improved roller machinery and turns out one hundred
barrels per day. One of the best water powers in the state drives it. Mr. McMillan
has been frequently elected to public office, having been Mayor of the city.
chairman of the County Board, president of the Board of Trade, and member of
the State Legislature. During his honorable and useful life he has always been-ready to assist whatever seemed to be of advantage to the commercial interests
of La Crosse.

HON. ALEXANDER M'MILLAN

LOGS AND LUMBER.

THE PRODUCTS of the forest seem to be necessary for the comfort and
sustenance of mankind since our first parents clothed themselves in the leaves
of the fig tree. The savage makes his home in the woods because there
the animals of the chase abound and he is at no loss for materials of which
to make his rude weapons, nor does he need to labor to collect fuel. The
same trees among which the aborigines used to roam, barely eking out a
scanity living, are now felled by the woodman's axe, floated miles on the rivers
which were once undisturbed save by the solitary plash of the red man's canoe,
cut by the mills and then applied to the multifarious uses which civilized man
makes of wood. Forests hundreds of years in growing have been utilized to
furnish homes for the millions who now people the fertile valley of the Upper
Mississippi. Logging and lumbering now give employment to thousands of men,
and millions of capital are thus invested.

La Crosse is very favorably situated for receiving logs from that large and
rich region of the Wisconsin belt drained by the Black, the Chippewa and St.
Croix rivers, the first joining the Mississippi at this point. As a point from which
to ship it has splendid advantages. Timber can be rafted at any point on the
river while the treeless districts to the west and southwest, where the demand is
necessarily very large, are traversed by lines of railway which place them in
direct communication with La Crosse. With such circumstances in its favor it is
not to be wondered at that a large portion of the city's population is engaged in
logging and lumbering,

The cut of the La Crosse mills is annually from 200,000,000 to 250,000,000
feet of lumber, 100,000,ooo of shingles, 40,000,000 to 50,000,000 of lath. The logs
are cut for the most part in the Black river district, from 150,000,000 to 200,000,000
feet passing through the boom annually. The amount of money such a trade
must bring to the city is enormous. The greater part of it remains here, being
paid for labor and supplies for the logging camps.

The profits that accrue remain in the hands of local capitalists and are always
handled by them in such a way as will still further benefit the trade of the city.
The lumbermen of La Crosse are the men who have always been foremost in
promoting those plans which have placed her in the present proud position
she occupies.

THE BLACK RIVER IMPROVEMENT COMPANY was organized in 1864 with a
capital of $100,000 for the purpose of improving the Black river and driving the

28 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

logs cut along its banks. This company is composed of local loggers and
lumbermen, D. D. McMillan being president, S. I, Nevins, secretary and treasurer.
From fifty to one hundred men are employed during the rafting season. The
company delivers the logs to their owners at the mouth of the river and for this
service receives a toll prescribed by their charter. This organization has been of
great service to the lumbermen, greatly facilitating the rafting of the logs.

MANUFACTURERS

THE manufacturing establishments of La Crosse are for the most part
of comparatively recent growth and establishment. But even in their
present state of development they make a showing which tells of
success and prosperity. They possess that one element of growth
which is important above all others-diversity. There are now
established here so many different kinds of industries that each one
needs only to develop a little to make the gain to the city very large. Few firms,
if any, employ five hundred hands, yet there were last year (1887) 8000 men
engaged in manufacturing who received $2,385,000 ill ages, and produced
articles estimated to be worth more than $13,000,000. The most important contributors
to this grand total, outside of the lumber mills, were the flour mills and
breweries. The former made 511,103 barrels of flour valued at $1,737,000, which,

30 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

by the way, was an increase of 156,248 barrels over the product of the previous
year. The breweries made 88,983 barrels of beer, an increase of over 11,000
barrels. To one looking at the matter casually this may seem to be a very fair
showing for a city of 30,000, which is not known abroad as a manufacturing
center. But if the great advantages which surround any manufacturing establishment
which is located here are taken into consideration it will easily be seen that
the showing is not nearly so good as it ought to be. In the first place La Crosse,
as is fully shown in another chapter, has the best transportation facilities in all
directions that could possibly be afforded This fact has an important bearing,
not only upon securing a market for the manufactured articles, but also upon
procuring raw materials. Then, too, the country immediately tributary to the city
is now rich and will in the couse of a few years grow richer and more densely
populated. Another important item is fuel, of which an abundance can be had
cheap from the waste of the saw mills. On the La Crosse river near the city is a
splendid water power which is yet to be utilized. The Board of Trade treats all
enterprises willing to locate here in a very liberal manner. A site can be secured
for little or nothing, and everything the business men can do to help along what
is likely to prove a benefit to the city is gladly and cheerfully done.

An important material in the manufacture of thousands of useful articles is
wood, and this can be secured here in unlimited quantities. There are millions of
feet of hard wood standing in the forests which could be manufactured into various
forms at La Crosse more cheaply than anywhere else. Hickory, oak, maple and
birch could be used for making many useful articles which will at once suggest
themselves to the mind of the reader. Iron can be procured by boat from
Pittsburg, so no railroad pool could ever force up freight rates high enough to
interfere with the prosperity of any machine shop located in La Crosse. Right
in the bluffs east of the city is
clay for making crucibles and
sand for making glass. The
last is about to be utilized,
Mr. Peter Nelson being now
engaged in building a factory.
It will employ at the start
thirty hands and after getting
in running order will give
work to a hundred or more.
It is hoped that the coming of
this enterprise may make a
new epoch in the history of
the manufactures of the city.
A manufacturer erecting
his buildings here will find any material he may choose to use at a cost that will
astonish him. Lumber is to be had at the mills and is, of course, lower than
when it must be transported hundreds of miles. There are two brick yards near
at hand producing an excellent quality of brick and a few miles up the river and

THE INIDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS. 31

in the bluffs near the city, splendid building stone may be quarried. The quality
of lime burned by the local kilns is not surpassed in whiteness and purity. As
stated in another chapter rents and the cost of living are low here, and therefore
wages are not so high as they are elsewhere Homes too can be owned by the
workingmen, which is always of great advantage to an employer.

Although the manufacture of flour is now far from being an unimportant
industry, there is every reason that it should make great strides within the next
few years. The city is as favorably situated as any in the west, in regard to the
wheat producing districts of Southern Minnesota and Dakota, and the opportunities
for milling in transit are unsurpassed. That capitalists will long overlook
the opening here offered is not at all probable.

A subject which deserves the most careful consideration of all interested in
the future welfare of La Crosse is the establishment of packing houses on a large
scale. The rich region surrounding La Crosse must soon be given to stock
instead of wheat farming. Cattle and hogs could be slaughtered here just
as well as in Chicago. The three great railroad systems furnish ample
facilities for receiving and forwarding freight, and there is no lack of suitable sites
for such an establishment. An ample supply of ice can be gathered from the
river at a low cost, an advantage not possessed
by towns further south. Everything seems
favorable for the complete success of such an
exterprise, and whoever is first in the field will
have the best chance to gain the golden fruit.

It is scarcely possible that such advantages
as are possessed by this city will go long
unimproved. Thus far all the progress made
in this line has been brought about by local
enterprise and capital-a fact of which the
city is justly proud. But at present the
opportunities are beyond the reach of the
citizens and are awaiting the touch of outside capital and energy to yield a rich
harvest Correspondence is invited by Mr. R. Calvert, secretary of the Board of
Trade, with all those who wish to learn fully of the inducements offered by this
body for the location of manufacturing establishments. The glass factory is but
the forerunner of numerous industries that will, sooner or later, surround the
present city. Soon hundreds of tall smoking chimneys will dot the plain and the
whiz and whirr of machinery will tell how thousands of skilled eyes and trained
hands are carefully engaged in directing its wonderful operation. The value of
the articles produced will be many times doubled and thousands of workingmen
will occupy such comfortable homes as can be secured only in this city.

THE WHOLESALE TRADE.

THE REV. SPENCER CARR who, in 1854, published a very interesting
sketch of the settlement of La Crosse, pointed out then very clearly what
has since occurred. He predicted for the "Gateway City" a future that at
that time must have seemed well nigh impossible, yet if he erred at all it was on
the side of moderation. The mighty forward strides La Crosse has taken since
he wrote do not seem wonderful because of the growth of the Northwest. Her
progress is but a part of that which has marked the history of this section for the
past twenty-five years. It is something to hold a prominent position in such a
mighty development of natural resources.

La Crosse is the natural trade centre for a fertile district of considerable
extent in Wisconsin and for the rich prairies of Southern Minnesota and Northern
Iowa. She is also, by means of the railways stretching into the Dakota wheat
fields, placed in an advantageous position to compete for the large trade of that
country which is as yet only partially developed. Southern Minnesota and
Northern Iowa have not yet become so rich as they will be when once the farmers
raise stock more generally than they now do and instead of burning the straw to
get rid of it use it to fertilize their land. The farms in these sections are yet too
large to be handled with as much profit as they can be when they are divided.
In all probability the increase in population of these districts will be very large
within the next ten years.

As to the volume of trade done by the merchants the following statistics
taken from the annual report of the secretary of the Board of Trade gives a very
accurate idea:

MERCHANDISE HANDLED IN 1887.

Agricultural implements, $103,500; ammunition and sporting goods, $9,500;
boots and shoes, $325,275; books and stationery, $103,250; building materials,
$360,000; candies and confectionery, $114,700; carriages, sleighs and other
vehicles, $51,000; crockery, china and glassware, $79,500; coal and salt, $129,990;
cigars, tobacco and smokers' articles. $170,500; dry goods and clothing,
$1,731,700; drugs, oils and paints, $594,000; furniture, $115,100; flour and feed,
$1,702,640; fruits (native and imported), $137,425; fish, game, poultry, etc.,
$55,420; fine art and musical merchandise, $82,550; groceries, $3,407,410;

THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS. 33

hardware, $475,475; hats and caps, $22,000; hides, pelts and tallow, $95,590;
ice, $55,000; liquors, $6 1,9oo; meat markets, $339,960; notions and varieties,
$75,250; pork, beef and lard, $345,890; saddlery, $ 88,500; watches and jewelry,
$72,ooo. Total in I887, $11,554,935; total in I886, $10,229,350; increase,
$1,325,585.

It must be stated in justice to the wholesale trade that of the total increase
$989,00o belongs to it.

The amount of freight handled by the railroads, which is given below, is a
reliable indicator of the commercial activity of the city and the showing of 1887
over 1886 is very satisfactory.

FREIGHT HANDLED BY ALL THE RAILROADS IN 1887.

Wheat, received 3,008,050 bushels, forwarded 1,647,195 bushels; barley and
other grains, received 854,450 bushels, forwarded 305,230 bushels; flour, received
1,450 barrels, forwarded 50o,ooo barrels; bran and other feed, received 70 tons,
forwarded 6,200 tons; flax seed, received 445,560 bushels, forwarded 52,650
bushels; other agricultural products, received 3,600 tons, forwarded 1,480 tons;
hides, pelts, wool, etc., received 760 tons, forwarded 695 tons; barrel stock, received
950 tons, forwarded 55 tons; dressed hogs, pork lard, etc., received 5000
tons, forwarded 1,525 tons; coal, received 37,500 tons, forwarded 2,490 tons; manufactured
articles, iron, etc., received 1,185 tons, forwarded 1,315 tons; building
materials, received 700 tons; bark, received 2,650 cords; lumber, received
56,276,600 feet, forwarded 84,947,300 feet; beer, forwarded 38,725 barrels;
miscellaneous goods, received 51,600 tons; forwarded 28,700 tons; total carried
in 1887, received 286,887 tons, forwarded 285,280 tons; total carried in 1886,
received 251,626 tons, forwarded 235,331 tons; increase, received 35,259 tons, forwarded
47,949; increase, 17 per cent; aggregate of ticket sales, 1887, $203,905,
an increase of 14.31 per cent; aggregate pieces of baggage handled, 1887,
96,135, an increase of 20 percent.

The money order business of the Post Office also shows a handsome increase
over the previous year and a balance in favor of La Crosse trade of nearly
$100,000.

In concluding this chapter it is no more than just to speak of the work done
by the Board of Trade in the matter of advancing and promoting the commercial
interests of the city. This body includes among its 200 members almost every
busine-s man in the city. Organized in 1868, it has since devoted itself to
forwarding whatever seemed to be for the general good. The large increase in the
volume of trade done in this city during the last twenty years may or may not be
attributed to its efforts, but at any rate the constant aim of the body has been to
aid in every way possible all projects having for their end the benefit of the city.
An unselfishness has characterized its actions, which proves how sincerely its
members are in their desire to promote the general welfare. The officers for 1888
are G. R. Montague, president; C. F. Klein, vice president; R. Calvert, secretary.

34 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

To the last named, who has filled that office for seven years, the publishers are
greatly indebted for the valuable information he has so courteously given them.

A few years ago the Manufacturers' and Jobbers' Union was organized
to forward the interests of its members, which are apart from those
remaining members of the Board of Trade. The officers are Joseph Clarke,
president; A. Hirshheimer, vice president; Geo. F. Gund, treasurer; R. Calvert,
secretary.

REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE.

THE VALUE of real property in La Crosse has never been forced up for
speculative purposes. This is attributable to two causes The first is the
large area of unoccupied land suitable for building purposes which surrounds
the city making it next to impossible for any syndicate to control
it. The second is the high character of those men who have handled the
different additions made to the city in the past. To-day statistics show
that lots are selling lower here than in any city of its size in the Northwest. They
are thus placed in easy reach of men of moderate means and even workingmen
are thus enabled to own their homes. This fact recommends La Crosse real
estate as a sound and safe investment on which one can be sure of realizing a fair
return and at the same time run no risk worth mentioning. The future of La
Crosse has the promise of having all the substantial progress of the past assured
beyond a doubt, and unless all human foresight avails nothing, the good times
that are coming will far surpass anything the "Gateway City" has ever before
seen. Many of the most prominent capitalists here have invested large sums in the
many additions which are springing up all around the city, and this is a guarantee
that a speculative spirit will have but little to do with determining its value. New
factories, new saw mills, new flouring mills, more elevators, new railroads, large
packing houses, the growth in wealth of the city's tributary territory which must
of necessity follow the substitution of stock farming for cereal, all these and not
the greed of speculators, will make real estate steadily and substantially increase
in value. The county register's records show that from January 3, 1888, to the 1st
of December of the same year there were about 1,300 transfers of city property.
This shows a healthy activity which augurs well for the future. The building
operations for the year of 1887 amounted to $938,000. According to the report of
the secretary of the Board of Trade more than half of this sum was devoted to the
erection of buildings of a public nature, such as schools, churches, factories, etc.,
the remainder being used for the erection of dwellings.

MARSHALL CONANT, Real Estate and Loans, does business in the Gile block
corner of Fourth and Main streets. He has resided here since 1867, coming to
La Crosse from New York. He is agent for large tracts of lands in Southern

36 THE INDUSTRIES OF LA CROSSE, WIS.

Minnesota and has a considerable amount of city property for sale. His house-renting
business is also large, some of the most desirable property in the city being
controlled by him. Mr. Conant is highly esteemed by the community and during
his long and useful career has made many friends.

S. T. SMITH'S SONS, Real Estate, Insurance and Loans, have their offices 209
and 211 McMillan building. W. Scott and Gus. Smith succeeded to the business
established by their father in 1853. Under his care it prospered for many years
and his sons have both been for a long time familiar with it in all its branches.
The real estate business of this firm is second to none in the city since they control
exclusively the Loomis & Harvey, the L.C.Smith and Smith &