Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
 Aerial photo of Prairie du Chien | |
 Location of Prairie du Chien in Crawford County, Wisconsin | |
  Prairie du Chien  Prairie du Chien | |
| Coordinates:43°03′06″N91°08′29″W / 43.05167°N 91.14139°W /43.05167; -91.14139 | |
| Municipality | City |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.47 sq mi (16.76 km2) |
| • Land | 5.84 sq mi (15.13 km2) |
| • Water | 0.63 sq mi (1.63 km2) |
| Population | |
• Total | 5,506 |
| • Density | 942/sq mi (363.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 53821 |
| Area code | 608 |
| FIPS code | 55-65050 |
| Website | www.prairieduchien.info |
Prairie du Chien (/ˌprɛəriduˈʃiːn/PRAIR-ee dooSHEEN) is a city inCrawford County, Wisconsin, United States, and itscounty seat. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census.[2] Often called Wisconsin's second-oldest city, Prairie du Chien was established as a European settlement by Frenchvoyageurs in the late 17th century.[4] Its settlement date of June 17, 1673, makes it the fourth colonial settlement by European settlers in theMidwestern United States, afterGreen Bay, Wisconsin;Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; andSt. Ignace, Michigan. The city has many sites showing its rich history in the region.
Prairie du Chien is near the confluence of theWisconsin andMississippi rivers, a strategic point along theFox-Wisconsin Waterway that connects theGreat Lakes with the Mississippi. This location offered early French missionaries and explorers their first access and entrance to the Mississippi River. Early French visitors to the site found it occupied by a group ofMeskwaki led by achief whose nameAlim meantchien inFrench ('dog' in English).[5][6] The Frenchexplorers named the locationPrairie du Chien, French for 'dog's meadow'. Originally, this name applied only to the plain upon which the settlement lay, but it was later applied to the city as well. The city of Prairie du Chien is between the towns ofPrairie du Chien andBridgeport.
The first knownEuropeans to reach Prairie du Chien wereFrench explorersJacques Marquette andLouis Joliet, who arrived by canoe on June 17, 1673, discovering a route to theMississippi River. Later travel betweenCanada and the Mississippi River continued to pass through Prairie du Chien, although routes via theIllinois River were also used. In 1685, the French explorerNicolas Perrot established atrading post in the area as part of the large and lucrative Frenchfur trade industry. AfterJohn Jacob Astor's machinations had closedthe entire government fur trade factory system[7] and the federal factory established in Prairie du Chien in 1815,[8] theAmerican Fur Company became established in the area and later built theAstor Fur Warehouse, an important building in the regional fur trade, which was centered in Prairie du Chien. Prairie du Chien's significance as a center of the fur trade did not diminish until the mid-19th century, when European demand declined, as did game stock.
In 1763, afterGreat Britain defeated France in theFrench and Indian War (part of theSeven Years' War), it took possession of the French territory inNorth America east of the Mississippi River, including Prairie du Chien. During theAmerican Revolutionary War, the city was used as a meeting point for British troops and theirNative American allies. After the American victory, theTreaty of Paris granted the area to the newUnited States, but the British and their Loyalists were slow to withdraw. Only after theWar of 1812 did the city become fully American.
The U.S. was slow to present any authority over Prairie du Chien, but late in the War of 1812, when the government realized the importance of holding the site to prevent British attacks from Canada, it began construction ofFort Shelby in 1814. In July, British soldiers captured the fort during theSiege of Prairie du Chien. The British maintained control over the city until the war's end in 1815. Not wanting another invasion through Prairie du Chien, the Americans constructedFort Crawford in 1816. VeteranJohn Shaw would later lead and fund the construction of a flour mill in 1818, the first in the "northwest".[10]
The fort was the site of the negotiations and signing of the Treaties of Prairie du Chien (1825 and1830), by which theMeskwaki andSauk ceded much of their land to the U.S. Representing them along with the United Nations of theOjibwe,Odawa andPotawatomi in the 1829 negotiations wasBilly Caldwell, of Scots-Irish and Mohawk descent. He became involved with the Potawatomi after moving as a young man to the U.S. from Canada.
In 1829, the army doctorWilliam Beaumont carried out many experiments on digestion in the hospital at Fort Crawford. Beaumont's discoveries are still the basis of current knowledge of the human digestive process.
ColonelZachary Taylor, who later became the 12thU.S. president, was the commanding officer at Fort Crawford during theBlack Hawk War of 1832. Taylor oversaw the surrender of Black Hawk in Prairie du Chien. LieutenantJefferson Davis, who later became president of theConfederate States of America, was stationed at Fort Crawford at the same time. There, Davis met Taylor's daughter,Sarah "Knoxie" Taylor, whom he married in 1835.[11]
Outside the fort's walls, early-19th-century life in Prairie du Chien was still dominated by the fur trade. Prairie du Chien's best-known traders during this time wereMichel Brisbois,Joseph Rolette,Nathan Myrick, andHercules L. Dousman. Dousman built a fortune in the fur trade, which, combined with income from investments in land, steamboats, and railroads, propelled him to become Wisconsin's firstmillionaire. He died in 1868, and his son,H. Louis Dousman, inherited much of his fortune. In 1870, Louis Dousman used his inheritance to construct a luxurious Victorian mansion at the site of the former Fort Shelby. When he died unexpectedly in 1886, his family renamed the home "Villa Louis" in his memory. The Dousman family continued to occupy the home until 1913. In 1952, the mansion became Wisconsin's first state-operated historic site.
After the fur trade declined in the mid-19th century, Prairie du Chien's attention shifted to agriculture and the railroad. Although the city was first connected to theMilwaukee & Mississippi Railroad in 1857, the width of the Mississippi River posed a challenge for further expansion of the railroad into Iowa. This problem was temporarily solved by disassembling the trains at Prairie du Chien and ferrying them across the river to be put back on the tracks on the other side. A better solution was found by Michael Spettel and John Lawler, who designed the permanentPile-Pontoon Railroad Bridge to span the river in 1874. Lawler took most of the credit for this invention, and made a small fortune through its operation. The bridge remained in use until its removal in 1961.
Lawler later donated property to establish two Catholic boarding schools in Prairie du Chien, St. Mary's Institute (nowMount Mary College ofMilwaukee) andCampion High School in the later part of the century. St. Mary's College remained in Prairie du Chien until 1928.[12] Campion High School produced several notable alumni, includingVicente Fox, CongressmanLeo Ryan, GovernorPatrick Lucey, actorsDavid Doyle,George Wendt, andKevin McCarthy, and writerGarry Wills. It closed in 1975.
Prairie du Chien was incorporated as theBorough of Prairie des Chiens on September 17, 1821, by the secretary of theMichigan Territory.[13] It is the only municipality in Wisconsin other thanGreen Bay to have been known as a borough, rather than a city, town, or village.[14] The borough existed for a few years before the government stopped operating in 1825.[15]
In 1828, the Prairie du Chien area became a part of the Town of St. Anthony, which included all ofCrawford County. (Crawford County itself included all of the western part of Michigan Territory.) In 1849, the Town of Prairie du Chien was created, consisting of most of present-day Crawford County. The city of Prairie du Chien was incorporated in 1872.[16]
Prairie du Chien is in the Mississippi River Valley, upon a long triangular plain bounded on the west by theMississippi River, on the south by theWisconsin River, and on the east-northeast by a series of tall bluffs. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 6.47 square miles (16.76 km2), of which 5.84 square miles (15.13 km2) is land and 0.63 square miles (1.63 km2) is water.[17] The city's area encompasses most of the plain upon which it sits, but portions of the plain extend outside city limits. Just north of the city limits, where the plain forms part of the Town of Prairie du Chien, is a small unincorporated settlement known locally as Frenchtown. The plain also extends outside the city southward into Bridgeport. Here the plain ends, becoming the wetlands of the Wisconsin River delta.
Both inside and outside the city limits, backwaters of the Mississippi River occasionally break across the far west side of the plain to form small islands. Most of these islands are too small and flood-prone to have ever been inhabited, but one just west of downtown Prairie du Chien formed the city's fourth ward until a 1965 flood prompted its residents' mandatory relocation to higher ground. During the relocation project, most buildings with no special historical significance were removed. Now called St. Feriole Island, the island serves as a 240-acre (1.0 km2) city park.[18]
Prairie du Chien has recorded Wisconsin's highest temperatures for January, March, May, September, and November.[19]
| Climate data for Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 66 (19) | 70 (21) | 89 (32) | 96 (36) | 109 (43) | 105 (41) | 110 (43) | 106 (41) | 104 (40) | 93 (34) | 85 (29) | 70 (21) | 110 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 46.7 (8.2) | 52.6 (11.4) | 68.6 (20.3) | 79.7 (26.5) | 87.2 (30.7) | 92.1 (33.4) | 93.0 (33.9) | 91.6 (33.1) | 88.5 (31.4) | 82.4 (28.0) | 66.4 (19.1) | 51.9 (11.1) | 95.0 (35.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 27.1 (−2.7) | 32.1 (0.1) | 44.9 (7.2) | 58.6 (14.8) | 70.2 (21.2) | 79.6 (26.4) | 83.1 (28.4) | 81.3 (27.4) | 74.2 (23.4) | 61.7 (16.5) | 45.9 (7.7) | 32.9 (0.5) | 57.6 (14.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.4 (−7.6) | 22.7 (−5.2) | 34.9 (1.6) | 47.6 (8.7) | 59.2 (15.1) | 69.2 (20.7) | 73.1 (22.8) | 71.1 (21.7) | 63.1 (17.3) | 50.9 (10.5) | 37.0 (2.8) | 25.0 (−3.9) | 47.7 (8.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 9.7 (−12.4) | 13.3 (−10.4) | 24.9 (−3.9) | 36.6 (2.6) | 48.2 (9.0) | 58.9 (14.9) | 63.1 (17.3) | 61.0 (16.1) | 52.0 (11.1) | 40.1 (4.5) | 28.2 (−2.1) | 17.1 (−8.3) | 37.8 (3.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −13.5 (−25.3) | −8.1 (−22.3) | 3.5 (−15.8) | 22.4 (−5.3) | 33.2 (0.7) | 45.3 (7.4) | 52.2 (11.2) | 51.2 (10.7) | 37.3 (2.9) | 25.0 (−3.9) | 12.2 (−11.0) | −4.4 (−20.2) | −17.4 (−27.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −37 (−38) | −36 (−38) | −33 (−36) | 0 (−18) | 21 (−6) | 34 (1) | 38 (3) | 35 (2) | 20 (−7) | 4 (−16) | −17 (−27) | −26 (−32) | −37 (−38) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.22 (31) | 1.26 (32) | 2.05 (52) | 4.04 (103) | 4.68 (119) | 5.83 (148) | 4.12 (105) | 4.15 (105) | 3.99 (101) | 2.72 (69) | 2.12 (54) | 1.56 (40) | 37.74 (959) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.0 (23) | 8.6 (22) | 4.3 (11) | 1.4 (3.6) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 1.5 (3.8) | 8.8 (22) | 33.8 (86) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 7.7 | 6.9 | 7.8 | 10.5 | 11.9 | 11.2 | 9.0 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 6.6 | 7.9 | 104.7 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 5.6 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 4.7 | 19.0 |
| Source:NOAA[20][21] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 2,398 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,700 | 12.6% | |
| 1880 | 2,777 | 2.9% | |
| 1890 | 3,131 | 12.7% | |
| 1900 | 3,232 | 3.2% | |
| 1910 | 3,149 | −2.6% | |
| 1920 | 3,537 | 12.3% | |
| 1930 | 3,943 | 11.5% | |
| 1940 | 4,622 | 17.2% | |
| 1950 | 5,392 | 16.7% | |
| 1960 | 5,649 | 4.8% | |
| 1970 | 5,540 | −1.9% | |
| 1980 | 5,859 | 5.8% | |
| 1990 | 5,659 | −3.4% | |
| 2000 | 6,018 | 6.3% | |
| 2010 | 5,911 | −1.8% | |
| 2020 | 5,506 | −6.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[22] | |||
As of thecensus of 2020,[2] the population was 5,506. Thepopulation density was 942.3 inhabitants per square mile (363.8/km2). There were 2,598 housing units at an average density of 444.6 per square mile (171.7/km2). Ethnically, the population was 2.5%Hispanic orLatino of any race. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race, the city was 90.1%White, 4.3%Black orAfrican American, 0.7%Native American, 0.5%Asian, 0.6% fromother races, and 3.8% from two or more races.
The 2020 census population of the city included 514 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities.[23]
According toAmerican Community Survey estimates for 2016-2020, the median income for a household in the city was $46,541, and the median income for a family was $64,315. Male full-time workers had a median income of $42,478 versus $35,313 for female workers. Theper capita income was $25,407. About 10.5% of families and 16.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 30.7% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.[24]
There were 2,306 households, of which 18% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% weremarried couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.3% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.87. Of the population age 25 and over, 92.0% were high school graduates or higher and 15.8% had a bachelor's degree or higher.[25]
The median age in the city was 45.6 years. 16.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.07% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 22.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 54.4% male and 45.6% female.[26]
As of thecensus of 2010,[27] there were 5,911 people, 2,386 households, and 1,367 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,049.9 inhabitants per square mile (405.4/km2). There were 2,594 housing units at an average density of 460.7 per square mile (177.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 4.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.2% of the population.
There were 2,386 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.7% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.86.
The median age in the city was 41.4 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.4% male and 47.6% female.
As of thecensus of 2000,[28] there were 6,018 people, 2,376 households, and 1,473 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,075.9 people per square mile (415.7/km2). There were 2,564 housing units at an average density of 458.4 per square mile (177.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.06% White, 3.61% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.88% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 2,376 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,038, and the median income for a family was $43,444. Males had a median income of $29,595 versus $20,183 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,680. About 6.4% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
Aside from its somewhat larger-than-average tourist trade, Prairie du Chien's economy is similar to most other Midwestern cities of its size. Retail, service, and manufacturing jobs employ most of the city's residents. Major employers include3M andCabela's. State and local government are also major employers, as the city is the site of the Crawford Countycourthouse and offices, as well as a state penitentiary. Prairie du Chien has one of Wisconsin's busiest ports on the Mississippi River. Two railroads and a two-runway municipal airport make the city a transport and shipping hub for the area.
Prairie du Chien has fiveNational Historic Landmarks and nine sites on theNational Register of Historic Places. The five landmarks were the first designated in the state.
It is close toWyalusing State Park in Wisconsin, andEffigy Mounds National Monument andPikes Peak State Park inIowa, sites of natural and manmade wonders. Its rich history and location by the Mississippi River make it a popular tourist destination. The Prairie VillaRendezvous, a gathering to recreate the atmosphere of a 19th-century fur trading camp, has been held annually in the city everyFather's Day weekend since 1975, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.
In 2001, Prairie du Chien gained brief national attention for its first annualNew Year's Eve celebration, during which acarp from the Mississippi River was dropped from a crane over BlackHawk Avenue at midnight. The "Droppin' of the Carp" celebration has been held every New Year's Eve since.
Hunting andfishing have long been popular in the area. The opening ofCabela's fourth outlet store in the city in 1998 firmly established the city as a destination for sportsmen.
The annual seven-day, 500-mile supported bike tour of Wisconsin known as GRABAAWR begins inEagle River and ends in Prairie du Chien.
St. Feriole Island has a long riverfront with a park, connected to a bike path that goes around the island. Shelters can be used for large events. Across from the Villa Louis is a large open field that was once used as ahorse racing track. On the far end of the field are two large soccer fields. Pets are allowed to run in the large fields.
ThePrairie du Chien Area School District is a public school district headquartered in Prairie du Chien. It serves Prairie du Chien and the village ofEastman.[29] The district comprises three schools, all in Prairie du Chien:
The district's administrative offices are at B. A. Kennedy Elementary School.
Prairie Catholic School, a private K-8 school associated with St. Gabriel's and St. John's Catholic Churches, and Prairie Christian Academy, a private K-12 school associated with Bible Baptist Church, are also in Prairie du Chien.
Prairie du Chien's twice weekly newspaper is theCourier Press, which also publishes a weekly shopping supplement distributed to area households and businesses. Other print media in the area include theWisconsin-Iowa Shopping News, which is distributed to 19,297 homes and businesses weekly.[30]
Crawford County is in the La Crosse/Eau Claire broadcast media market as monitored byACNielsen. The localcable system also carries some channels from theMadison market, and some residents receive over-the-air broadcasts from stations in theCedar Rapids/Waterloo/Dubuque market.
Prairie du Chien is home toWQPC, a 36,000-watt radio station broadcasting at 94.3FM. The station is near the banks of the Mississippi River on St. Feriole Island. It has a sister station,WPRE 980 AM. Other stations with strong reception in Prairie du Chien includeWHHI 91.3FM,WGLR 97.7FM andKCTN 100.1FM.
Bus service toLa Crosse is provided three times daily byScenic Mississippi Regional Transit.[31]
Prairie du Chien is served by thePrairie du Chien Municipal Airport (KPDC).
Prairie Du Chien is served by 2 rail lines. The former Burlington Route line to Minneapolis and the former Milwaukee Road line from Chicago that has been abandoned west of the Mississippi River and in segments to Rapid City.
Municipalities and communities ofCrawford County, Wisconsin,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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