Land Use in La Crosse, WI

    La Crosse, first settled in 1841 by fur traders, was formally named after the Ho-Chunk and Sioux game (2). Despite starting small, the city grew as a direct impact of the efficient waterways that surround it and thus, the ease of transportation as a river port. The city features multiple rivers including the La Crosse River and Black River that flow straight into the much larger Mississippi (1). Around the year 1848, the sawmill and lumber industry began to boom within the city pulling in more workers and building the population size, and establishing an internal economy. Farming around the city also saw an intense uprising just as it did throughout nearly all the Midwest. Today, a drive only 10 minutes away from downtown will leave anyone in farmland. 

    As time passed and the sawmill industry saw a decline, the city started to establish itself as a major center for breweries as it now remains. Today, the city is known for its schools the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, Viterbo University, and Western Technical College (which pulls in a spectrum of student social life outside of the abundance of families and workers), historical downtown and riverside, and industries such as the center for the abundant Midwest gas and convenient store Kwik Trip as well as heating and air conditioning manufacturing firms such as Chart and Train and the well-known hospitals Gunderson and Mayo Clinic. The growth of these industries has meant multiple previously natural areas (mostly marshland and prairie) have succumbed to the classic American industrial park that spans for miles added up throughout the city. This phenomenon also goes for the near suburb Onalaska where the local mall/suburb shopping center was designated in the 1980s and still remains. Economically, most wealth is found outside of La Crosse in suburbs where more expansion is possible for newer homes and younger professionals might establish a family in a like community.

     Apart from the current industrial overthrow, other areas (like the Mathy Quarry) that were once harmed by industrialization, are now left alone and are thriving with natural life. Countless short hiking trails are available throughout the bluffs that quickly lead a hiker to beautiful birds-eye views of the city like the Rim of the City and Granddad Bluff.

The city's stunning mixture of natural views year round like the freshwater systems (lakes, rivers, the marsh, and streams) as well as the beautiful bluffs that border the city's east side is much less known to people who have never visited. In my personal opinion, the city is the perfect symbol of the Driftless Region and all the breathtaking beautify of the surrounding area. Lately, the city is not as pressed for ecological issues beyond the continuation of urbanization and destruction of natural land (especially in the sprawling suburbs) as well as the press of climate change on a place that experiences cooler weather due to the river.

Sources:

1) https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/4167/rec/5

2) https://www.britannica.com/place/La-Crosse