Yesterday in La Crosse

A history-making inauguration, 80 years ago January 20, 2021
In January of 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first, and so far only U.S. president to be sworn in for a third term. Roosevelt went on to get a fourth term in 1944, and then the constitution was changed to impose a two-term limit on presidents. America was still coming out of the Depression in ’41, […]
A new boss at the Chamber of Commerce, 60 years ago January 15, 2021
In January of 1961, D.J. Petruccelli was introduced to the Thursday Rotary Club as the new manager of the La Crosse Chamber of Commerce. The 32-year-old Petruccelli spoke about a campaign to create a more positive attitude in La Crosse, called “Operation Pride.” Petruccelli became known for bringing famous speakers like Ann Landers and Ronald […]
What do you remember from LAST January? January 11, 2021
It may seem like 12 years ago, but it was only 12 months. In January of 2020, La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat gave a ‘state of the city’ message, predicting progress on the Trane All-Abilities Park, and 6 miles of road repair in La Crosse. The January meeting of the La Crosse park board […]
Showtime at the old courthouse, 56 years ago January 8, 2021
Historic preservation was not a priority in La Crosse during the 60’s and 70’s. In those two decades, the city replaced its turn of the century post office, city hall, and courthouse with newer buildings, and took the old ones down. The domed courthouse was demolished in April of 1965 to make way for a […]
Nobody was saying “Take it all off” at the Ice Bowl game, in 1967 December 31, 2020
Imagine, your college marching band playing the song “The Stripper.” Not hard to imagine in 1967, yesterday in La Crosse. The Stripper was included in the halftime show being planned by the Marching Chiefs of La Crosse State for New Year’s Eve of 1967. Why “The Stripper”? It was part of the band’s salute to songs […]
There was fear of closing Franklin and Roosevelt, 38 years ago December 29, 2020
In 1982, the La Crosse School District was considering more school closings because of declining enrollment. Two elementary schools on the north side, Roosevelt and Franklin, were targeted for shutdown, and 14-hundred people responded by signing petitions to keep them open. Each building was expected to have fewer than 200 students the following fall. School […]
Santa Claus wasn’t the only guy circling the earth at Christmas-time in 1965 December 24, 2020
NASA was busy with two manned space flights in December of 1965, and you could say they sneaked a band aboard one of the capsules. Astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford played ‘Jingle Bells’ on harmonica and bells while orbiting the earth on the Gemini 6 mission. The song came right after Schirra joked he […]
Political intrigue in ‘0-0-4 December 18, 2020
The 2004 presidential election was won by Bush…George W. Bush. He won his first term in 2000 through the electoral college, after narrowly losing the popular vote. Republican Bush seemed assured of a second term with a 3-million vote edge over Democrat John Kerry. But before the Electoral College met in 2004, third-party candidates and Jesse […]
The next president of the U.S.? A good question in 1943 December 14, 2020
In 1943, the U.S. was at war in Europe and the Pacific, and Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt was already a record-holder on his third term in the Oval Office. FDR was prepared to run again in ’44, and New York Governor Thomas Dewey was said to be interested on the Republican side. Dewey had sought […]
December 8th…we read the news that day, oh boy (1980) December 8, 2020
It was on December 8th in 1980 when John Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York apartment building by an obsessed fan who had gotten Lennon’s autograph earlier in the day. The former Beatle was 40 years old, and had a new hit single and album on the charts after a five-year hiatus […]