La Crosse was founded in 1842 as an Indian trading post on the Mississippi River where the Black and La Crosse rivers meet. Serious development began 10 years later, when settlers from New York, Ohio, and Vermont established sawmills and gristmills, and spurred the arrival of the railroad. When the Civil War closed the Mississippi below the Ohio River, La Crosse provided a major link with the East.

G. Heileman Brewing Co. gives free tours of brewery. The tourist center also has Heileman artifacts and a hospitality room. Tours depart on the hour Mon-Sat 8-4 ph: 608-782-BEER