Prairie du Chien ( ) is a city in

Crawford County, Wisconsin Crawford County is a county in the southwest part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,113. Its county seat is Prairie du Chien. History Along with Brown County, Crawford County is one of Wisconsin ...

, United States, and its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Often called Wisconsin's second-oldest city, Prairie du Chien was established as a European settlement by French voyageurs in the late 17th century. Its settlement date of June 17, 1673, makes it the fourth colonial settlement by European settlers in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

, after

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...

; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; and St. Ignace, Michigan. The city has many sites showing its rich history in the region. Prairie du Chien is near the confluence of the

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

and

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

rivers, a strategic point along the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway that connects the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

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 of Meskwaki led by a chief whose name meant in French ('dog' in English). The French explorers named the location ''Prairie 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 of Prairie du Chien and Bridgeport.

History

The first known

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

ans to reach Prairie du Chien were French explorers

Jacques Marquette Jacques Marquette, Society of Jesus, S.J. (; June 1, 1637 – May 18, 1675), sometimes known as Père Marquette or James Marquette, was a French Society of Jesus, Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan's first European settlement, Sault Ste. M ...

and Louis Joliet, who arrived by canoe on June 17, 1673, discovering a route to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. Later travel between

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and the Mississippi River continued to pass through Prairie du Chien, although routes via the

Illinois River The Illinois River () is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River at approximately in length. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, the river has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins with the confluence of the Des Plaines ...

were also used. In 1685, the French explorer Nicolas Perrot established a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory in European and colonial contexts, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically a trading post allows people from one geogr ...

in the area as part of the large and lucrative French

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...

industry. After John Jacob Astor's machinations had closed the entire government fur trade factory system and the federal factory established in Prairie du Chien in 1815, the American Fur Company became established in the area and later built the Astor 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, after

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

defeated France in the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

(part of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

), it took possession of the French territory in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

east of the Mississippi River, including Prairie du Chien. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, the city was used as a meeting point for British troops and their Native American allies. After the American victory, the Treaty of Paris granted the area to the new

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, but the British and their Loyalists were slow to withdraw. Only after the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

did the city become fully American. Vertefeuille

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 of Fort Shelby in 1814. In July, British soldiers captured the fort during the Siege 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 constructed Fort Crawford in 1816. The fort was the site of the negotiations and signing of the Treaties of Prairie du Chien ( 1825 and 1830), by which the Meskwaki and Sauk ceded much of their land to the U.S. Representing them along with the United Nations of the

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

, Odawa and Potawatomi in the 1829 negotiations was Billy 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 doctor William 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. Colonel Zachary Taylor, who later became the 12th U.S. president, was the commanding officer at Fort Crawford during the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...

of 1832. Taylor oversaw the surrender of Black Hawk in Prairie du Chien. Lieutenant

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...

, who later became president of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...

, was stationed at Fort Crawford at the same time. There, Davis met Taylor's daughter, Sarah "Knoxie" Taylor, whom he married in 1835. Prairie du Chien map 1870

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 were Michel Brisbois, Joseph Rolette, Nathan Myrick, and Hercules 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 first millionaire. 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 the Milwaukee & 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 permanent Pile-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 (now Mount Mary College of

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

) and Campion High School in the later part of the century. St. Mary's College remained in Prairie du Chien until 1928. Campion High School produced several notable alumni, including Vicente Fox, Congressman Leo Ryan, Governor Patrick Lucey, actors David Doyle, George Wendt, and

Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician who served as the List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 55th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from January until he was Remova ...

, and writer Garry Wills. It closed in 1975.

History of municipal government

Prairie du Chien was incorporated as the ''Borough of Prairie des Chiens'' on September 17, 1821, by the secretary of the

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit ...

. It is the only municipality in Wisconsin other than Green Bay to have been known as a borough, rather than a city, town, or village. The borough existed for a few years before the government stopped operating in 1825. In 1828, the Prairie du Chien area became a part of the Town of St. Anthony, which included all of Crawford 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.

Geography

Prairie du Chien is in the Mississippi River Valley, upon a long triangular plain bounded on the west by the

, on the south by the Wisconsin River, and on the east-northeast by a series of tall bluffs. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water. 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 city park.

Climate

Prairie du Chien has recorded Wisconsin's highest temperatures for January, March, May, September, and November.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 5,506. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 2,598 housing units at an average density of . Ethnically, the population was 2.5%

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race, the city was 90.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 4.3%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. The 2020 census population of the city included 514 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities. According to

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

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. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $25,407. About 10.5% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 30.7% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over. There were 2,306 households, of which 18% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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. 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.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,911 people, 2,386 households, and 1,367 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,594 housing units at an average density of . 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.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, 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 Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.08% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.88% of the population were

or Latino 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.

Economy

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 include 3M and Cabela's. State and local government are also major employers, as the city is the site of the Crawford County

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

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.

Arts and culture

Prairie du Chien has five

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

s and nine sites on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The five landmarks were the first designated in the state. It is close to Wyalusing State Park in Wisconsin, and Effigy Mounds National Monument and Pikes Peak State Park in

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, sites of natural and manmade wonders. Its rich history and location by the Mississippi River make it a popular tourist destination. The Prairie Villa ''Rendezvous'', a gathering to recreate the atmosphere of a 19th-century fur trading camp, has been held annually in the city every

Father's Day Father's Day is a day set aside for honoring one's father, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. "Father's Day" complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Mother's Day and, in som ...

weekend since 1975, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. In 2001, Prairie du Chien gained brief national attention for its first annual

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...

celebration, during which a

carp The term carp (: carp) is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family (biology), family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized game fish, quarries and a ...

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 Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

have long been popular in the area. The opening of Cabela's fourth outlet store in the city in 1998 firmly established the city as a destination for sportsmen.

Parks and recreation

The annual seven-day, 500-mile supported bike tour of Wisconsin known as GRABAAWR begins in Eagle 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 a

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

track. On the far end of the field are two large soccer fields. Pets are allowed to run in the large fields.

Education

The Prairie du Chien Area School District is a public school district headquartered in Prairie du Chien. It serves Prairie du Chien and the village of Eastman. The district comprises three schools, all in Prairie du Chien: * B. A. Kennedy Elementary School (

early childhood education Early childhood education (ECE), also known as nursery education, is a branch of Education sciences, education theory that relates to the teaching of children (formally and informally) from birth up to the age of eight. Traditionally, this is ...

– grade 1). * Bluff View Intermediate School (grades 2–8) * Prairie du Chien High School (grades 9–12) 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.

Media

Prairie du Chien's twice weekly newspaper is the ''Courier Press'', which also publishes a weekly shopping supplement distributed to area households and businesses. Other print media in the area include the ''Wisconsin-Iowa Shopping News'', which is distributed to 19,297 homes and businesses weekly. Crawford County is in the La Crosse/ Eau Claire broadcast media market as monitored by ACNielsen. The local

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

system also carries some channels from the Madison market, and some residents receive over-the-air broadcasts from stations in the

Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in u ...

/ Waterloo/

Dubuque Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...

market. Prairie du Chien is home to WQPC, 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 include WHHI 91.3FM, WGLR 97.7FM and KCTN 100.1FM.

Transportation

Bus service to La Crosse is provided three times daily by Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit. Prairie du Chien is served by the Prairie 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.

Notable people

* Matthew Antoine (b. 1985), bronze medalist in men's skeleton at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia * William Beaumont, Army doctor in 1820s, carried out experiments on human digestion system at Fort Crawford hospital * Barbara Bedford (1908–1981), silent film and Western actress * Nicholas Boilvin (1761–1827), 19th Century frontiersman * Pat Bowlen (1944–2019), owner of the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

* Michel Brisbois (1759–1837), voyageur * Benjamin Bull, lawyer and Wisconsin State Senator * Walter Bradford Cannon (1871–1945),

physiologist Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out chemical and ...

who first developed concepts of fight or flight and

homeostasis In biology, homeostasis (British English, British also homoeostasis; ) is the state of steady internal physics, physical and chemistry, chemical conditions maintained by organism, living systems. This is the condition of optimal functioning fo ...

* William D. Carroll, Wisconsin State Senator *

, president of

, was stationed at Fort Crawford in the 1830s * Hercules Louis Dousman (1800–1868), real estate speculator and Wisconsin's first millionaire * Alexander Faribault, trading post operator and Minnesota territorial legislator *

Johann Georg Hagen Johann (John) Georg Hagen (March 6, 1847 – September 6, 1930) was an Austrian Society of Jesus, Jesuit priest and astronomer. After serving as Director of the Georgetown University Astronomical Observatory, Georgetown University Observator ...

(1847–1930), Jesuit priest and astronomer * Buel Hutchinson, lawyer and politician * Daniel Harris Johnson, state Representative * Edward I. Kidd, Wisconsin state legislator and businessman * Wiram Knowlton (1816–1863), Wisconsin Supreme Court judge * Daniel W. Lawler, mayor of

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...

* Henry Leavenworth (1783–1834), U.S. army officer in

and against Plains Indians * James Henry Lockwood (1793–1857), lawyer, merchant, fur trapper * Patrick Joseph Lucey (1918–2014), U.S. diplomat; 38th Governor of Wisconsin (1971–1977) *

Frederic O. MacCartney Frederic O. MacCartney (November 2, 1864 – May 25, 1903) was an American Christian Unitarianism, Unitarian minister and socialism, socialist politician. MacCartney is best remembered for having been elected to four terms of office in the Massac ...

(1864–1903), Unitarian minister and Massachusetts socialist state legislator * Thomas Mower McDougall (1845–1909), U.S. Army officer *

John Muir John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the national park, National Parks", was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologi ...

(1838–1914), conservationist and founder of

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization with chapters in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded in 1892, in San Francisco, by preservationist John Muir. A product of the Pro ...

, employed at boarding house in Prairie du Chien before attending

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

* John Powers, NFL player * Leo Ryan (1925–1978), U.S. Representative from

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

* Rodney J. Satter, state Representative * Paul Scherrman, Iowa state legislature * Daniel Bartlett Stevens, state Representative * Joseph M. Street (1782–1840), U.S. Army officer and U.S. Indian agent to the Winnebago, Sauk, and Meskwaki tribes after the

* Jeremiah Burnham Tainter (1836–1920),

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

who invented Tainter gate * Ormsby B. Thomas, U.S. Representative * William Miller Wallace (1844–1924), U.S. Army general * Wapello (1787–1842), Native American chief of the Meskwaki * George Wendt (b. 1948), actor who portrayed Norm Peterson in television series ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American television sitcom, created by Glen and Les Charles, Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows, that aired on NBC for eleven seasons from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/C ...

'', attended Campion High School in Prairie du Chien * Brad Williams, memory specialist

References

External links

City of Prairie du Chien

Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce
* Sanborn fire insurance maps
18841892189919051912
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Crawford County, Wisconsin Wisconsin populated places on the Mississippi River County seats in Wisconsin Populated places established in 1673 1673 establishments in New France