Title: La Crosse, Wisconsin, Committee on Streets and Alleys, Resolutions and Reports Relating to Streets and Alleys
Date: 1852-1932

Creator:

• La Crosse (Wis.). Committee on Streets and Alleys.

Unique Identifier: La Crosse Series 011

Quantity: 19.0 cubic feet

Physical Description: 43 archives boxes, 3 oversize boxes

Repository:

La Crosse Public Library
Contact Information

Archival Location:

La Crosse Public Library (Map)

Abstract:

Records of a Common Council committee containing recommendations to the Council and subsequent resolutions regarding La Crosse, Wis., streets and alleys. The series also contains documents dealing with other topics such as paving streets, and reports from the committee. There are also maps of some of the opening/paving proposals. The series is organized alphabetically by street name with a general streets and subject file.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.lcpl-lacrosseseries011

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42450751

(Accession nos. 1982.011, 1996.004) Donated by Aubrey Kroner, City Clerk, 1982; additions received as a result as part of the Mayor’s Special Committee on Historic Records, Dec. 1996

Materials in this collection are available for patron use.

[Identification of item], La Crosse, Wisconsin, Committee on Streets and Alleys, Resolutions and Reports Relating to Streets and Alleys, La Crosse Series 011, La Crosse Public Library Archives, La Crosse, WI

Processed by Amy Groskopf and Peggy Beedle, Jan. 1988; additions processed and interfiled by Jaime Dechant, July 1998; inventory rewritten by Anita Taylor Doering, Aug. 1998

Common Council resolutions and reports began to be organized by a numbering system in Dec. 1932. Before that time the resolutions were kept folded up in chronological order, roughly by subject or Council committee (such as Parks, Judiciary, Fire, Police, etc.). This set of pre-1932 resolutions represents those labeled as Streets & Alleys, and date from 1852-1932.

The original order of these documents was not maintained. In arranging this series, the resolutions were grouped alphabetically together by the street name; therein, chronologically. Documents without a date are filed before those that have dates. These resolutions provide information on the opening, grading and paving of streets, alleys, and sidewalks, and on their use and maintenance, including street cars, traffic regulations, and installation of telegraph poles. The papers have been categorized into five sections: Financial Reports, Streets (alphabetical and numerical), Alleys, Sidewalks, and Subject Files.

The Reports section consists mainly of monthly financial statements of money spent by the committee. The reports are in chronological order and date from 1874-1895. Information available includes cost of materials and labor as well as names of many persons hired to complete the work.

The Streets section (1852-1932) contains information about the opening and paving of individual streets. Papers which pertain to only one street are filed alphabetically by street name. Numbered streets are filed separately, in numerical order. Resolutions for street improvements sometimes involve only one or two streets, while at other times they consist of blanket resolutions authorizing the opening or paving of many different streets. As a result, all of the available information about a specific street will not necessarily be found filed under that street name. Further data may be found in files that cover cross streets, as well as in the chronologically arranged general streets file which contain papers with information about more than one street. Generally speaking, information dating prior to 1880 will be filed by street name. After 1880 resolutions tended to include more than one street so it becomes more important that researchers also check the general streets file. Data available in the streets series includes street opening, paving, grading, and sidewalks.

Note: all the documents pertaining to specific streets have been filed by street name, while papers with information on many streets have been placed in the general streets file. The same pattern or arrangement has been followed for topics other than street openings. For example, a document relating to the installation of sidewalks on Main Street is filed under the street name, while an item that authorized sidewalk installation on half a dozen streets is filed under sidewalks.

The Alleys section contains information on the opening, paving, and grading of alleys. The alleys are described either with the legal description of the block (i.e. Block 5 of Esperson and Burns Addition to the city of La Crosse), or in terms of the block bounded by specific streets. Other topics which occur in the alleys series generally relate to obstructions such as barns and other outbuildings blocking the alleys. The documents in this series date from 1857-1932.

Resolutions in the Sidewalks section (1860-1932) deal specifically with the construction and maintenance of wood and concrete sidewalks. They are arranged in chronological order. Other information about sidewalks can be found in the streets series under the name of the specific street.

The Subject Files contains information on a variety of areas which fell under the jurisdiction of the streets and alleys committee. Topics include additions to the City of La Crosse (i.e. Mons Anderson addition); boulevard trees, Courthouse Square (1863-1889); curbs & gutters; equipment, highways, paving and maintenance, public utilities (mainly telephone), street fairs, names and numbering; streetcars (1887-1928); traffic regulations; and miscellaneous.

On March 14, 1856, La Crosse was officially incorporated as a city in the State of Wisconsin. In 1857, work on city streets, authorized by resolutions passed by the Common Council, generated papers regarding La Crosse’s streets and alleys. The first official opening of streets in La Crosse was 1857. Acting on resolutions passed by the Council, legal proceedings were undertaken to view the land in question, vote on the openings, and assess the benefits and damages to the property owner, before contracts for the work could be awarded. This was a lengthy process, with petitions filed, and funding and weather delays.

The Common Council formed the Committee on Streets & Alleys to deal with various aspects of opening and paving the streets of La Crosse. One of the functions of the committee was to study the merits of proposed openings, either from citizen’s petitions or proposed Council resolutions. The committee considered each proposal and then sent a recommendation to the Mayor and Council, which then voted on the matter. The committee’s recommendations were not always followed. The Committee on Streets & Alleys also examine the bills sent by individuals and companies to the city then sent orders for them to be paid to the Common Council. The first committee recommendation was dated 1858. The members of that committee were George Scharpf, Bob A. Rogers, and E. G. Hanscome.

When a resolution to open a certain street was passed, the City Attorney petitioned the County Judge to appoint a jury of disinterested citizens to view each piece of land in question, who then voted on whether or not the land should be condemned for street use. The verdict of the jury was sent to the Judge, who then discharged the jury. Three commissioners “freeholders and residents of La Crosse and disinterested parties in the land” were then appointed to ascertain the damages and benefits to the landowners. Notices were sent out to owners and occupants, and a series of meetings were held, during which individuals could protest the amounts charged to them, or elect to accept the judgment. The commissioners then made their final report to the Council, who decided the final assessments. The Board of Public Works often did this step on behalf of the Council.

There were major groups of street openings in 1885, 1906, 1911, 1918, and 1924. In the period between 1885-1906, the major effort of the City was to pave opened and new streets with brick.

(La Crosse Series 023)

La Crosse, Wisconsin, Committee on Street Lighting Resolutions and Reports

(La Crosse Series 024)

La Crosse, Wisconsin, Committee on Bridges Resolutions and Reports

• La Crosse (Wis.). Committee on Streets and Alleys.
• La Crosse (Wis.). Common Council.
• Municipal government--Wisconsin--La Crosse
• Public records--Wisconsin--La Crosse
• Streets--Wisconsin--La Crosse--Maintenance and repair

Box 1	Financial reports, 1874-1895
	Streets
	Alphabetical
Box 2   Folder 1-2	Adams, 1886-1929
Box 2   Folder 3-4 Oversize 1   Folder 1	Avon, 1887-1931
Box 2   Folder 5 Oversize 1   Folder 2	Badger, 1858-1929
Box 2   Folder 6	Bantam, 1922-1926
Box 2   Folder 7	Barlow, 1922-1924
Box 2   Folder 8	Bennett, 1905-1924
Box 2   Folder 9	Berlin, 1887-1918 Historical Note Renamed Liberty Street
Box 2   Folder 10	Bliss Road, 1914-1931 Related Materials Grandad Bluff Road file
Box 2   Folder 11	Bostwick Valley Road, 1888-1890
Box 3   Folder 1-3	Caledonia, 1877-1930
Box 3   Folder 4-7	Cameron Avenue, 1867-1931
Box 3   Folder 8-9 Oversize 1   Folder 3	Campbell Road, 1872-1931
Box 3   Folder 10 Oversize 1   Folder 4	Carr, 1905-1930
Box 4   Folder 1-3 Oversize 1   Folder 5	Cass, 1859-1931
Box 4   Folder 4-7	Causeway (original), 1884-1932
Box 4   Folder 8 Oversize 1   Folder 6	Causeway (second), 1921-1930
Box 4   Folder 9	Cemetery Road, 1880
Box 5   Folder 1-3	Charles, 1888-1931
Box 5   Folder 4	Clinton, 1887-1929
Box 5   Folder 5 Oversize 1   Folder 7	Copeland Avenue, 1923-1931 Historical Note Previously Mill Street
Box 5   Folder 6	Cross, 1876
Box 6   Folder 1	Dayton, 1905-1922
Box 6   Folder 2-3	Denton, 1887-1927
Box 6   Folder 4-6	Division, 1871-1930
Box 6   Folder 7 Oversize 1   Folder 8	East Avenue, 1922-1931
Box 6   Folder 8	Everett, 1905-1921
Box 6   Folder 9	Farnham, 1885-1930
Box 6   Folder 10	Farwell, 1887-1928
Box 7   Folder 1-2 Oversize 1   Folder 9	Ferry, 1859-1932
Box 7   Folder 3 Oversize 1   Folder 10	Forest Avenue, 1887-1931
Box 7   Folder 4	Fremont, 1911-1931
Box 7   Folder 5-7 Oversize 1   Folder 11	Front, 1854-1932 Scope and Contents Including what is thought to be the footbridge over Front St. at Segelke-Kohlhaus factory complex
Box 8   Folder 1	George, 1889-1932
Box 8   Folder 2-4 Oversize 1   Folder 12	Gillette, 1888-1932
Box 8   Folder 5	Gohres, 1891-1924
Box 8   Folder 6-7	Gould, 1884-1922
Box 8   Folder 8	Grandad Bluff Road, 1928-1931 Related Materials Bliss Road folder
Box 9   Folder 1	Grandview Place, 1922-1928
Box 9   Folder 2 Oversize 1   Folder 13	Green Bay, 1881-1932
Box 9   Folder 3	Grove, 1890-1931
Box 9   Folder 4	Gund's Hill, 1900-1917
Box 9   Folder 5 Oversize 1   Folder 14	Hagar, 1881-1932
Box 9   Folder 6	Hayes, 1896-1922
Box 9   Folder 7	Hood, 1893-1926
Box 9   Folder 8	Horton, 1905-1923
Box 9   Folder 9 Oversize 1   Folder 15	Island, 1883-1927
Box 9   Folder 10-11 Oversize 1   Folder 16	Jackson, 1886-1930
Oversize 1   Folder 17 Box 9   Folder 12	Jay, 1874-1931
Box 9   Folder 13	Johnson, 1885-1927
Box 10   Folder 1-3	Kane, 1888-1931
Box 10   Folder 4-8 Oversize 1   Folder 18	King, 1870-1931
Box 11   Folder 1-3 Oversize 1   Folder 19	La Crosse, 1871-1931
Box 11   Folder 4	Liberty, 1923-1932 Historical Note Previously Berlin Street
Box 11   Folder 5	Livingston, 1914-1932
Box 11   Folder 6 Oversize 1   Folder 20	Logan, 1888-1931
Box 11   Folder 7	Loomis, 1892-1929
Box 11   Folder 8-9 Oversize 1   Folder 21	Losey Boulevard, 1884-1931
Box 12   Folder 1-2	Madison, 1887-1930
Box 12   Folder 3-7 Oversize 1   Folder 22	Main, 1857-1930
Box 13   Folder 1	Maple Place, 1926
Box 13   Folder 2-9 Oversize 1   Folder 23	Market, 1872-1928
Box 13   Folder 10	Michel, 1896-1910
Box 14   Folder 1-2	Mill, 1872-1923 Historical Note Later renamed Copeland Avenue
Box 14   Folder 3	Milwaukee, 1912-1926
Box 14   Folder 4-6 Oversize 1   Folder 24	Mississippi, 1874-1931
Box 14   Folder 7	Monitor, 1911-1932
Box 14   Folder 8	Moore, 1889-1924
Box 14   Folder 9	Mormon Coulee Court, 1925-1929
Box 14   Folder 10-11 Oversize 1   Folder 25	Mormon Coulee Road, 1872-1922
Box 15   Folder 1	Mount Vernon, 1879-1930
Box 15   Folder 2	North, 1889-1924
Box 15   Folder 3	Oakland, 1899-1931
Box 15   Folder 4	Onalaska Avenue, 1906-1929
Box 15   Folder 5	Palace, 1896-1927
Box 15   Folder 6 Oversize 2   Folder 1	Park Avenue, 1896-1931
Box 15   Folder 7 Oversize 2   Folder 2	Pearl, 1856-1930
Box 15   Folder 8	Petty, 1905
Box 15   Folder 9-10	Pine, 1857-1931
Box 15   Folder 11	Plank Road, 1866-1887
Box 15   Folder 12	Prospect, 1892-1932
Box 16   Folder 1	Redfield, 1888-1928
Box 16   Folder 2-4 Oversize 2   Folder 3	Rose, 1875-1931
Box 16   Folder 5-6	Rublee, 1896-1928
Box 16   Folder 7-8 Oversize 2   Folder 4	St. Andrew, 1880-1931
Box 17   Folder 1	St. Cloud, 1883-1930
Box 17   Folder 2 Oversize 2   Folder 5	St. James, 1874-1932
Box 17   Folder 3	St. Paul, 1870-1923
Box 17   Folder 4	Shelby, 1930
Box 17   Folder 5	Sill, 1875-1932
Box 17   Folder 6	Silver, 1883-1921
Box 17   Folder 7	South Avenue, 1912-1931
Box 17   Folder 8	State Road, 1870-1921
Box 17   Folder 9-11 Box 18   Folder 1-2 Oversize 2   Folder 6	State, 1857-1930
Box 18   Folder 3 Oversize 2   Folder 7	Sumner, 1893-1927
Box 18   Folder 4	Townsend, 1905
Box 18   Folder 5	Travis, 1923-1924
Box 18   Folder 6	Tyler, 1859-1901
Box 18   Folder 7-10 Oversize 2   Folder 8	Vine, 1857-1931
Box 19   Folder 1	Wall, 1879-1930
Box 19   Folder 2	Water, 1904-1906
Box 19   Folder 3-6 Oversize 2   Folder 9	West Avenue, 1888-1932
Box 19   Folder 7	Weston, 1925-1932
Box 20   Folder 1	Windsor, 1891-1929
Box 20   Folder 2 Oversize 2   Folder 11	Winnebago, 1871-1930
Box 20   Folder 3	Wood, 1890-1932
Box 20   Folder 4 Oversize 2   Folder 12	Zeisler, 1889-1928
	Numerical
Box 21   Folder 1-2	2nd (Second), 1857-1932
Box 21   Folder 3-6 Oversize 2   Folder 13	3rd (Third), 1852-1932
Box 22   Folder 1	3rd and 4th (Third and Fourth), 1883-1884
Box 22   Folder 2-5 Oversize 2   Folder 14	4th (Fourth), 1857-1932
Box 22   Folder 6-7 Oversize 2   Folder 15	5th (Fifth), 1857-1932
Box 23   Folder 1-4 Oversize 2   Folder 16	6th (Sixth), 1867-1930
Box 23   Folder 5	7th (Seventh), 1871-1931
Box 23   Folder 6	8th (Eighth), 1874-1932
Box 24   Folder 1-4	9th (Ninth), 1857-1930
Box 24   Folder 5-7 Oversize 2   Folder 17	10th (Tenth), 1870-1932
Box 24   Folder 8-10 Oversize 2   Folder 18	11th (Eleventh), 1872-1924
Box 25   Folder 1-2 Oversize 2   Folder 19	12th (Twelfth), 1876-1927
Box 25   Folder 3-4 Oversize 2   Folder 20	13th (Thirteenth), 1884-1932
Box 25   Folder 5-8	14th (Fourteenth), 1888-1932
Box 25   Folder 9-10	15th (Fifteenth), 1892-1925
Box 26   Folder 1-3 Oversize 2   Folder 21	16th (Sixteenth), 1888-1931
Box 26   Folder 4	17th Place (Seventeenth Place), 1919-1923
Box 26   Folder 5-8	17th (Seventeenth), 1888-1923
Box 26   Folder 9	18th (Eighteenth), 1921-1927
Box 27   Folder 1-3 Oversize 2   Folder 22	19th (Nineteenth), 1888-1928
Box 27   Folder 4-5	20th (Twentieth), 1888-1932
Box 27   Folder 6 Oversize 2   Folder 23	21st (Twenty-First), 1887-1932
Box 27   Folder 7 Oversize 2   Folder 24	22nd (Twenty-Second), 1888-1931
Box 28   Folder 1-2 Oversize 2   Folder 25	23rd (Twenty-Third), 1898-1931
Box 28   Folder 3	24th (Twenty-Fourth), 1916-1932
Box 29-34 Oversize 3   Folder 1-7	Resolutions mentioning multiple streets, 1857-1932
Box 36-37 Box 38   Folder 1 Oversize 3   Folder 8-9	Alleys, 1857-1932
Box 38   Folder 2-7	Sidewalks, 1857-1932
	Subject files
Box 38   Folder 8-9 Oversize 3   Folder 10	Additions to the City of La Crosse, 1857-1928
Box 38   Folder 10	Boulevard trees, 1877-1918
Box 38   Folder 11	Courthouse Square, 1863-1889
Box 39   Folder 1	Curbs and gutters, 1921-1930
Box 39   Folder 2-4	Equipment, 1875-1927
Box 39   Folder 5	Highways, 1870-1931
	Ordinances
Box 39   Folder 6	Billboards, 1882-1906
Box 39   Folder 7	Restraining animals on city streets and city pound, 1871-1893
Box 40 Box 41   Folder 1-3 Oversize 3   Folder 11	Paving and maintenance, 1857-1931
Box 41   Folder 4 Oversize 3   Folder 12	Public utilities, 1880-1925
Box 41   Folder 5	Street fairs, 1883-1918
Box 41   Folder 6	Street names, 1887-1888
Box 41   Folder 7	Street numbering, 1883-1887
Box 41   Folder 8	Streetcars, 1895-1928
Box 41   Folder 9 Box 42   Folder 1	Traffic regulations, 1884-1932
Box 42   Folder 2	Miscellaneous, 1873-1930