LA CROSSE

city, seat (1851) of La Crosse county, western Wisconsin, U.S. It lies along the Mississippi River at the influx of the Black and La Crosse rivers, 129 miles (208 km) northwest of Madison. The settlement developed around a trading post (1841) on a site that French explorers named Prairie la Crosse, after the game of lacrosse played by the Indians there. A natural river port, it became an important transportation and sawmilling centre and was reached by rail in 1858. With the decline of lumbering around 1900, La Crosse developed diversified industries; products include air-conditioning systems, rubber footwear, and beer. The city is the seat of the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse (1909), Western Wisconsin Technical College (1912), and Viterbo College (1890). Its annual Oktoberfest attracts numerous visitors. Inc. 1856. Pop. (1990) city, 51,140; La Crosse MSA, 116,401; (1994 est.) city, 50,877; (1995 est.) La Crosse MSA, 121,005.