The One Wisconsin Town That’s So Perfectly Midwestern
Folks from either coast like to scoff about the Midwest and tout their own superiority, but those of us who live here know that being in the Midwest means friendliness, charm, affordable living and easy commutes!
I’m only partly kidding. But really, to perfectly sum up the Midwest is to look at the people and the industry and find that special mix of attitude and welcoming. Our short summers make us extra appreciative and we maximize our fun and outdoor time. We may begrudge the winters a bit, but we always find a way to make them more bearable. We might have a lot of farmland that doesn’t make for the best scenery, but that just means we have access to the freshest ingredients and the best food. In the Midwest, it’s all about finding balance and that’s why LaCrosse is a perfectly Midwestern town.
With a population of just more than 50,000 people, LaCrosse is that perfect mix of city and town, something you see all over the midwest . It has the amenities of being a bit bigger but all the charm of a small Midwestern town.
Located on the Mississippi River and near the confluence of it, the Black and LaCrosse Rivers, the area that would become LaCrosse was first visited by Europeans in the late 1600s as part of the fur trade. It was important in the logging industry and then in the beer industry - all things synonymous with the midwest.
With gorgeous bluffs that overlook the city and the river, the landscape is gorgeous and makes for perfect hiking, biking and camping. And the leaves in the fall are worth the trip.
Most folks think of southern cities when imagining the Mighty Mississippi, but the river springs up here in the north and has shaped the people, landscape and industry of the midwest for centuries.
We like roadside attractions in the midwest and the biggest six pack to ever exist is in LaCrosse. But more than that, there's a long history of brewing here that goes back to the German immigrants who settled the Midwest and gave it the character it has now.
Though the city was officially settled by fur traders, Native Americans were the first people living in and around LaCrosse and the city makes sure to honor the ancestors who lived there first.
Beyond Oktoberfest, LaCrosse revels in the Midwestern tradition of enjoying every minute of our nice weather and then throwing parties to survive the cold.
The Northwoods League is the largest summer wood-bat baseball league in the country. LaCrosse participates, housing college players for the summer and sharing some of their Midwestern hospitality.
LaCrosse folks are friendly and welcoming and eager to share their charming and unique home with visitors, something you don't find much on either coast.
If America is wholesome as apple pie, then that saying has to describe the Midwest. And you can't get more American than bald eagles. LaCrosse welcomes them to nest and hatch their eggs in the early spring.
