La Crosse received a charter from the Wisconsin legislature as a city in 1856. During these early times, meetings were held in the La Crosse County Courthouse. The city owned or rented space as was needed for various functions. A lot was purchased in 1863 on the northeast corner of 4th and Main Streets as a location for the first city hall. This building also served as the first Fire Station (Engine House). Construction began in 1869.(1) Even as late as 1881 only some of the city officers had office space in the Thomas B. Stoddard Engine House on Main Street; namely, City Clerk, Police Justice, Chief of Police, and the Council Chambers. The City Treasurer and Mayor maintained their offices at their “respective places of business.”(2) The old building is referred to as the “city building” and the site as the “city lot” in the resolutions.
This building and lot were sold in about 1887, but city offices continued to occupy the space until January 1892 when the new City Hall opened.(3) The second City Hall building was constructed in 1891 and was located at Fifth and State Streets. The dedication for the cornerstone of the building was held July 4, 1891, the same day as the dedication of the original wagon bridge across the main channel of the Mississippi River.
The 1891 building was constructed in 1891 at a cost of $54,000 and was dedicated Feb. 11, 1892. It was designed by Stoltze and Schick while Joseph Schwalbe and Son were the builders. The building served as La Crosse’s city hall until 1970 when the present City Hall was completed. The stately 1891 building was razed as part of the Harborview Urban Renewal project, under direction of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of La Crosse in 1970.
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(1) “City Hall Building Planned 50 Years Ago; Replaced Combination Main Street Structure,” La Crosse Tribune 6 July 1941.
(2) History of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, containing... (Chicago, IL : Western Historical Co.), 1881:501.
(3) “La Crosse’s First City Hall is No More,” La Crosse Tribune 25 Jul 1995 : A-1. The building was torn down to make way for the expansion of the State Bank parking lot.
