John Nolen and La Crosse Parks

Amy Vach

Catalog Number: 2015.fic.195

Copyright La Crosse County Historical Society

More than a century ago, the recently developed park commission of La Crosse and Mayor Dr. Wendell Anderson invited John Nolen to discuss the potential for the development of parks in the city.

Nolen’s plans made way for creating some of the beautiful parks that we enjoy in La Crosse today, such as Riverside, Poage, Powell and Houska parks.

At age 34, Nolen and his wife sold their home and used the money for Nolen to enroll in the recently opened Harvard School of Landscape Architecture. Throughout the pursuit of his master’s degree, he studied under Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., whose father, Frederick Law Olmsted, was considered the father of American landscape architecture. A few years later, Nolen earned his degree and opened his firm.

Before Nolen came to La Crosse, the city established Ordinance No. 479 establishing a Board of Park Commissioners and creating Park Districts in the city of La Crosse. The first citizens appointed to serve on the commission were Joseph Hixon, Lucian Easton, Edward Colman, Fred Schnell and Henry Gund.

In 1908, Nolen first visited La Crosse and announced preliminary ideas for proposed parks for the city. An article in the La Crosse Tribune quoted Nolen “[...] I am convinced that La Crosse has an opportunity to acquire and develop a system of parks of unusual beauty, equaled by few other cities.” Nolen and the city were both excited about the potential that existed in La Crosse. Today, the city of La Crosse Parks and Rec Department boasts more than 1,400 acres of park space.

In addition to his work in La Crosse, Nolen also planned a Wisconsin state park system and plans for the city of Madison.

In Madison, Nolen advised widening streets, planting trees and regulating the height of buildings near the Capitol to emphasize it as the centerpiece.

Throughout his career as a landscape architect, Nolen and his firm completed more than 450 projects, and his impact on the city of La Crosse as well as Wisconsin will not be forgotten. This print of Levee Park, now known as Riverside Park, is preserved at La Crosse County Historical Society, as Nolen envisioned it.

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune on October 6, 2018. 

This object can be viewed in our online collections database by clicking here.

1961 Oktoberfest Button

Frankie Bjork

Catalog Number:1990.087.266

Copyright La Crosse County Historical Society

The original Oktoberfest in Germany started on Oct. 12, 1810, to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in Bavaria, Germany.

For the first few years, it was an event used to boost agriculture in Bavaria. These first Oktoberfests didn’t include any amusement, except horse races, until a carousel and two swings were added in 1818.

In 2010, the horse races were brought back to honor the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest in Germany. Festival organizers have also set up a museum tent that allows attendees to see how the festival would have been celebrated in the past.

Oktoberfest didn’t find its way to the United States until the 20th century.

It was first celebrated in La Crosse in September 1961. It is the longest-running Oktoberfest in the Midwest.

Oktoberfest was brought to La Crosse by G. Heileman Brewing Co., the La Crosse Chamber of Commerce and many others that wanted to bring Munich to La Crosse. The La Crosse Oktoberfest celebration was described as “one of the most authentic Oktoberfest celebrations in the U.S.” by USA Today in 2010.

When it was first celebrated here in 1961, people attending Oktoberfest purchased this button for admittance to the grounds. It could be used every day of the celebration. Those buttons were only $1 to purchase, which is the equivalent of $8.33 today. This year, however, festival has decided to use a printed pass for admittance to the South Side grounds.

The original Oktoberfest celebration in La Crosse in 1961 offered boat rides, helicopter rides, archery competitions, pig-dressing contests, a pie-eating contest, a Protestant service, a Catholic Mass and many more events. Many stores and businesses in La Crosse used to have special sales on Oktoberfest weekend. You could even buy houses cheaper during 1961 because of an “Oktoberfest Special.”

In keeping with tradition of maintaining international relationships, the city of La Crosse organized a soccer match at Memorial Field between the Milwaukee Bavarians and the St. Paul Soccer Club. To celebrate the first year of this celebration, Mayor Milo Knutson and Oktoberfestmaster Carl Mertens invited Burgomeister Bayerle, the mayor of Munich, Germany, to attend. He was not able to accept the invitation.

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune on September 29, 2018.

This object can be viewed in our online collections database by clicking here.

Carl Rau’s Grandad Bluff painting

Emily Patwell

Copyright La Crosse County Historical Society

Every La Crosse native knows famous Grandad Bluff, which overlooks the eastern side of the city.

A popular tourist attraction, the bluff provides excellent hiking trails and a breathtaking view of the Mississippi River Valley. It has been the inspiration of many artists.

One local artist, Carl Rau, painted this landscape of Grandad Bluff. Specializing in biblical scenes, figure painting and landscapes, Rau presented this painting as a Christmas gift to a friend, Judge Edward Higbee, in 1920.

Carl Rau was born in Germany Nov. 3, 1858. His father, Gottfried Rau, died when Carl was a boy, and he was raised by his widowed mother. As a child, Carl had a strong love for art, and, along with manual work training, he studied art and mechanical drawing while in Germany.

At age 13, he and his mother migrated to the United States, settling in Dubuque, Iowa.

There he found work in a shop, where he continued to receive art and drawing lessons.

A diligent worker, Rau opened the shop every morning and close it every night. Unfortunately for Rau, the proprietor of the shop couldn’t keep allowing him the privilege of taking lessons instead of working, and so Rau halted his lessons.

Later, as a young man, Rau continued to pursue his education in art and eventually received formal training.

He took an interest in art literature, and in his free time befriended local artists and found opportunities to enjoy the art of others.

After he and his mother moved to La Crosse in the fall of 1878, Rau sought local art teachers for lessons. While he specialized in painting, he soon found another artistic passion: pictorial photography.

When he moved to La Crosse, Rau took up employment at R.G. Dun & Co. He continued to work for R. G. Dun & Co. after he found employment at John Gund’s Empire Brewery as a bookkeeper in May 1880.

He eventually left R.G. Dun & Co. and later Empire Brewery. He joined the John A. Salzer Seed Co. in 1886, becoming the company’s secretary and treasurer.

Rau and Salzer became quite close, likely bonding over their German heritage. While working for Salzer, Rau met and began courting his daughter, Anna Amalia. The two married in 1887, and had a son they named Wilbert Carl.

Rau also joined Salzer’s church, the Salzer Memorial Methodist Church, and taught Sunday school there for more than 30 years. Trusted by his father-in-law, Rau eventually took over the John A. Salzer Seed Co. as president, serving until his retirement on July 1, 1932.

Rau was not only a talented artist in the La Crosse area but a patron to the arts. He was known for his generosity toward young men who showed artistic talent but struggled to find work. Until his death Dec. 29, 1940, he continued to give his works to friends and support local artists in La Crosse.

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune on September 22, 2018.

This object can be viewed in our online collections database by clicking here.