La Crosse, Wisconsin, Engineering Department Records

Contents List

Container Title
(Series 1)
Series: Administrative Records

Scope and Contents

The Administrative Records series includes contracts (1901-1961), correspondence (1887-1937), cost estimates, an Engineer’s field book, and some stray files.

Contracts sometimes include monthly cost estimates and certification by the contractor that the work was completed. Some contracts are copies; some are labeled “original.” In many cases, a signed and notarized copy of the contractor’s bonded status and/or insurance coverage is included. Other correspondence related to the project may also be included. Rarely are plans attached to the contract. A separate index is attached to this inventory of the contracts arranged by subject; therein alphabetically by contract date.

Outgoing correspondence (1881-1937) is arranged alphabetically in bound letter press volumes. Cost estimates for the oldest period, 1887-1928, can be found mixed in the correspondence subseries and are therefore arranged chronologically in the volume. A volume of cost estimates, 1929-1939, is a chronological list and many different types of projects are included.

Contracts, 1901-1906
Box 1
Bridges and viaducts
Box 2
  Folder 1-4
Docks and boat launches
Box 2
  Folder 5-8
Dredging and dams
Box 3
Lighting
Box 4
  Folder 1
Parks
Box 4
  Folder 2
Paving
Box 4
  Folder 3-4
Schools
Box 4
  Folder 5-24
Traffic signals
Box 5-8
Correspondence (outgoing), 1887-1937
Cost estimates
Box 9
  Folder 1
Black River Bridge, 1916
Box 9
  Folder 2
Estimates, 1929-1939
Box 9
  Folder 3
Engineer's field book, circa 1887-1889
Box 9
  Folder 4-5
Job assignments, 1893-1900
Box 9
  Folder 6
Mississippi River Bridge traffic, 1927
Box 9
  Folder 7
Pollution reports regarding La Crosse River Basin, 1965-1966
Box 9
  Folder 8
Ramp on Jay Street, 1973-1980
Box 9
  Folder 9
Traffic regulations, circa 1953
(Series 2)
Series: Subject Files
Scope and Contents

The Subject Files series contain materials related to specific types of projects and are arranged by subject, such as grading, plats, parks, paving, sanitary sewer, water main, and the like.

The highlight here is a volume under the subject “Grading” that contains the certification by City Surveyor of work completed, plus a record of street grades, profiles, etc., dating from the city’s beginning in 1856-1860; 1867. This volume is a good record of what the city surveyor’s office was expected to do. Another gem is an “index to plats in vault” which includes profiles of streets, sewer plans, water works plans, bridge plans and river survey, architectural plans and maps & plats of surveys, paving & more. There is no date on this volume, but it is very early (circa 1860s) and probably spanned a good chunk of time.

Grading
Box 10
  Folder 1
Certification by City Surveyor of work completed, plus record of street grades and profiles, 1856-1967
Box 10
  Folder 2
Cost estimates of street and sidewalk grading and macadamizing, 1879-1881
Box 10
  Folder 3
Street, sidewalk and some sewer grading, 1888-1890
Plats
Box 11
  Folder 1
Index to plats in vault, undated
Scope and Contents

Includes profiles of streets, sewer plans, water works plans, bridge plans and river survey; architectural plans and maps and plats of surveys, paving, and other assorted items

Box 11
  Folder 2
Field books of plats, undated
Box 11
  Folder 3
Sanitary sewer connections, 1888-1902
Box 11
  Folder 4
Storm sewer manholes and catch basin list, circa 1907
Box 11
  Folder 5
Water main hydrants and measurements by street, undated