Posted 3:18 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, 2024
October tours reveal the heart of La Crosse’s Northside
Hop on your bike, board a trolley or slip on your walking shoes. It’s time to learn about history while touring La Crosse’s Northside.
UW-La Crosse’s Hear, Here oral history project is showcasing its new Northside stories through a series of engaging tours throughout the month of October. Whether you prefer biking, trolley rides, or walking, these tours provide an immersive experience into the vibrant past of this historic neighborhood.
The Hear, Here project will feature five distinct tours, each highlighting different facets of Northside history. From memories of a bustling commerce center on Caledonia Street to tales of childhood adventure at the La Crosse River Marsh, these tours promise a diverse array of stories and experiences.
Anyone can register for the tours on the La Crosse Public Library website.
“People say ‘Northside Rules!’ and that has two meanings,” notes UWL History Professor and Hear, Here Executive Director Ariel Beaujot,“they mean it rules as in it rocks, and that there are ‘Northside rules,’ those rules being that the Northside people are a community who help each other out.”
Beaujot highlights that the stories featured in the project emphasize this community spirit. Hear, Here aims to capture local narratives often overlooked in traditional history books. Participants will learn about early Syrian/Lebanese immigrants, a founding African American family with a long legacy in barbering, and working-class residents who contributed significantly to the city's growth. The stories range from nostalgic childhood memories, like hosting a lemonade stand, to unique jobs such as rounding up cows to bring to pasture for a penny each.
Stories in the October tours are drawn from UWL student interviews from classes Exhibition Development and Design I and II and from the Oral History Program at UWL. The tours will be guided by community members and students as well as by Beaujot herself.
While the tours focus on various aspects or locations related to the Northside, the project in its entirety includes about 70 Northside stories and many more visual and educational elements courtesy of various campus collaborations.
October Northside Tour schedule
Five tours are free and open to all, but some have limited capacity. Register early to secure a space. Brunch is optional and paid for by individual attendees.
Sunday, Oct. 6, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Mid-Century Memories Trolley Tour
Followed by 11 a.m. Brunch at The Damn Tasty
Ask any Northsider who grew up during the 1950s, 1960s, or 1970s what the city was like, and they just might talk about familiar icons, like The Sweet Shop. They might mention going to school at "Old" Logan, or working at the Autolite or Rubber Mills. They also might mention the groovy tunes at the famed Avalon Ballroom, or the infamous flood of 1965. Join Hear, Here for a bus tour of the Northside and hear about all of these places, and more.
Meeting location: 1200 Block of Caledonia St, La Crosse.
Register on the La Crosse Public Library event calendar.
Sunday, Oct. 13, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Walking Tour of Caledonia Street
Followed by 11 a.m. Brunch at The Damn Tasty
Step back in time on one of the Northside's most iconic streets: Caledonia Street. Once a bustling center of commerce and community for North La Crosse residents, this street is now much quieter but no less important to those who call this place home. On this tour, we will hear stories that span a century, learning a little more about this humble but self-sufficient neighborhood and the strength of community.
Meeting location: St. James the Less Roman Catholic Church,1032 Caledonia St.
Register on the La Crosse Public Library event calendar.
Sunday, Oct. 20, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Oral Histories from the Archives Trolley Tour
Followed by 11 a.m. brunch at The Damn Tasty.
Memories of the Northside go back... they go way back to when factories were bustling, sawmills dotted the landscape and children played and worked and grew up amongst it all. Thanks to the Oral History Program we have recordings of people who once lived on the Northside telling us what it was like long ago. Join us on this tour to hear some of their stories.
Meeting location: 1200 Block of Caledonia St, La Crosse.
Register on the La Crosse Public Library event calendar.
Sunday, Oct. 27, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Northside Education Walking Tour
Followed by brunch at The Damn Tasty
What do unlit candles melting in December, controversies around swimming pools, snowball fights, free clothes for teens, and the exclamation "Freeze or Fry at Logan High!" have in common? All of these come from Hear, Here stories about schools on the Northside. Join us for a walking tour to learn about "old" Logan High, "new" Logan High, Logan Middle, Providence Academy, and education in La Crosse as a whole.
Meeting location: In front of the auditorium doors at Logan Middle School, 1450 Avon St. La Crosse.
Register on the La Crosse Public Library event calendar.
Wednesday, Oct. 2, 5-9 p.m. - Labor and Industry on Northside Bike Tour.
This leisurely biking tour with CRAP (Cheeseburgers, Ride, Ales, and Pins) starts at Pearl Street Brewery where you can enjoy a cold beer while listening to the history of Rubber Mills in La Crosse. From there, the tour continues to Northern La Crosse, where the themes of labor and industry will be explored with two additional bar spots with Hear, Here stories about local bars. The tour concludes, where you can dig into a cheeseburger, all while listening to the history of barbery in Northern La Crosse. CRAP is a local group that meets every Wednesday at Pearl St. Brewery, then bike to a local bar for a beer, and then bike to a local bar/restaurant for dinner.
Meeting location: Inside Pearl Street Brewery, 1401 St Andrew St, La Crosse.
No registration required.
More information: Go to Cheeseburgers, Rides, Ales, and Pins (CRAP) Facebook page or contact LPL Archives staff member Jenny D. at 608.789.7135 for more information closer to ride.
The project is possible through a partnership between UWL’s Hear, Here project and the City of La Crosse.
“Northsiders know they are unique and wonderful,” says Beaujot. “This project will bring that out for community and tourists to see as well.”
For more details and to register for tours, visit the La Crosse Public Library website.
About Hear, Here
The original Hear, Here project started in downtown La Crosse in 2015. Developed by UWL History Professor Ariel Beaujot and her students, Hear, Here captures audio stories from people of all backgrounds at specific city locations, accessed by dialing a toll-free number at orange street signs. Now expanding to the Northside of La Crosse, the project will include about 70 North Side stories and many more visual and educational elements courtesy of new campus collaborations.
Educational resources
New k-12 curriculum for art and social studies classes surrounding both downtown and Northside La Crosse stories is available for free use on the Hear, Here website at as of Sept. 30, 2024. This content was developed by UWL Associate Professor of Art Lisa Lenarz and her students.