1930 Map of La Crosse

About this map

The Mississippi River and Black River converge at La Crosse in this 1930 edition, which highlights a landscape of deep coulees and dramatic bluff formations. The city's industrial and transport identity is defined by a dense network of railroads, including the Chicago Milwaukee and St Paul and the Chicago Burlington and Quincy. Rising above the river flats, Grand Dad Bluff and Cliffwood Bluff overlook a series of rural townships where agricultural life centers around local schools and the specialized institutions of the era, such as the County Asylum near West Salem and the Poor Farm in Shelby. The map reveals the intricate drainage patterns of the Driftless Area, with named valleys like Miller Coulee and Sand Lake Coulee cutting through the uplands. This survey demonstrates the region's reliance on both rail transit and emerging road systems like State Trunk Highway No 16.