Amy Vach

Catalog Number 2020.002.01

I'm sure that you have probably heard someone say that "We are living in unprecedented times." And it's true, we are.

As the curator at the La Crosse County Historical Society, I have been thinking about what this means for our artifact collection and how to preserve this moment in time. As the last Things that Matter of 2020, I wanted to look back at an artifact representative of this year.

One of the first things LCHS collected relating to COVID-19 is this empty plastic hand sanitizer bottle from La Crosse Distilling Co.

Earlier this year, hand sanitizer was a difficult item to find in La Crosse and across the U.S., with many stores being sold out or only receiving limited quantities. In response, in late March, La Crosse Distilling Co. announced that it was halting its normal production of liquor and spirits to focus entirely on producing hand sanitizer for the community.

In addition to distributing these 2-ounce bottles, the company also produced and distributed many large containers to local first responders, police, firefighters, nursing homes, food banks, homeless shelters, and other organizations in the community. Throughout this past year, La Crosse Distilling Co. has produced and donated over 800 gallons of hand sanitizer to benefit the La Crosse community.

This small bottle of hand sanitizer is much more than an antibacterial produced and used during a pandemic. It tells the story of a La Crosse-based business giving back to its customers, community, and state in an unprecedented time, which is one positive way to look back on 2020.

This article was published in the La Crosse Tribune on December 24, 2020.