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65-564: The Astor Fur Warehouse is a historic fur warehouse located at Bolvin and Water Streets on St. Feriole Island in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin . Jean Joseph Rolette , an agent of the American Fur Company , built the warehouse in 1828. The warehouse was used until the mid-19th century; it has since been incorporated into the Villa Louis museum. The building, now a National Historic Landmark ,

130-456: A National Historic Landmark in 1960 and opened as a historical museum in 1976. Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin Prairie du Chien ( / ˌ p r ɛər i d u ˈ ʃ iː n / PRAIR -ee doo SHEEN ) is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin , United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Often called Wisconsin's second-oldest city, Prairie du Chien

195-601: A growing number were Metis (a slur used for a person of both European and Native American descent). The North West Company was particularly influential in the city, as it built an office and warehouse there circa 1805. In 1816, however, a new U.S. Law blocked foreign participation in the fur trade within the Louisiana Territory , greatly limiting British and Canadian firms' roles in the Mississippi River trade. John Jacob Astor 's American Fur Company took advantage of

260-410: 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

325-513: 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 the Courier Press , which also publishes a weekly shopping supplement distributed to area households and businesses. Other print media in the area include

390-744: A reservation in east central Kansas in 1845 via the Dragoon Trace . The Dakota Sioux called the Meskwaki who moved west of the Mississippi River the "lost people" because they had been forced to leave their homelands. Some Meskwaki remained hidden in Iowa, with others returning within a few years. Soon after , the U.S. government forced the Sauk to a reservation in Indian Territory present-day Oklahoma. In 1851

455-553: A route to the Mississippi River . Later travel between Canada and the Mississippi River continued to pass through Prairie du Chien, although routes via the Illinois River were also used. In 1685, the French explorer Nicolas Perrot established a trading post in the area as part of the large and lucrative French fur trade industry. After John Jacob Astor 's machinations had closed the entire government fur trade factory system and

520-477: A separate fur trading business, also called the American Fur Company, from the original company in 1842; the new company rented the warehouse from its parent firm. Over the next two decades, the fur trade began to decline in Prairie du Chien, and Rolette's company ultimately closed its warehouse. The building was variously used as a warehouse, store, and machine shop over the next century. It was designated as

585-563: A single political unit, despite their distinct identities. The Meskwaki gained control of the Fox River system in eastern and central Wisconsin. This river became vital for the colonial New France fur trade through the interior of North America between northern French Canada , via the Mississippi River, and the French ports on the Gulf of Mexico . As part of the Fox–Wisconsin Waterway ,

650-557: 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

715-423: 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. Bus service to La Crosse is provided three times daily by Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit . Prairie du Chien

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780-519: Is served by the Prairie du Chien Municipal Airport (KPDC). Fox Indians The Meskwaki suffered damaging wars with the French and their Native American allies in the early 18th century, with one in 1730 decimating the tribe. Euro-American colonization and settlement proceeded in the United States during the 19th century and forced the Meskwaki/Fox south and west into the tall grass prairie in

845-412: Is the only known surviving fur trade warehouse in the upper Mississippi valley. The two-story warehouse was built from locally extracted limestone . The three- bay front facade faces the Mississippi River . A wooden beam, which was possibly inspired by Greek Revival designs, separates the first- and second-story front windows. Quoins mark the corners of the building. A staircase on the north side of

910-643: The Black Hawk War over homelands in Illinois. After the Black Hawk War of 1832, the United States officially combined the two tribes into a single group known as the Sac & Fox Confederacy for treaty-making purposes. The United States persuaded the Sauk and Meskwaki to sell all their claims to land in Iowa in a treaty of October 1842. They moved to land west of a temporary line (Red Rock Line) in 1843. They were removed to

975-748: The French and Indian War (part of the Seven Years' War ), it took possession of the French territory in North America east of the Mississippi River, including Prairie du Chien. During the American Revolutionary War , 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 of America , but

1040-769: The Indian Removal Act of 1830 passed by Congress, authorizing US removal of eastern American Indians to lands west of the Mississippi River. The act was directed mainly at the Five Civilized Tribes in the American Southeast, but it was also used against tribes in what was then called the Northwest as well, the area east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio River. Some Meskwaki were involved with Sac warriors in

1105-545: The Sauk-Fox-Kickapoo language spoken by the Sauk, Meskwaki, and Kickapoo . It belongs to the Algic language family , and thus descended from Proto-Algic . The Meskwaki and Sauk peoples are two distinct tribal groups. Linguistic and cultural connections between the two tribes have made them often associated in history. Under US government recognition treaties, officials treat the Sac (anglicized Sauk term) and Meskwaki as

1170-522: The United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 6.47 square miles (16.76 km ), of which 5.84 square miles (15.13 km ) is land and 0.63 square miles (1.63 km ) 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,

1235-650: 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 system also carries some channels from the Madison market, and some residents receive over-the-air broadcasts from stations in the Cedar Rapids / Waterloo / Dubuque market. Prairie du Chien

1300-549: The census of 2020 , the population was 5,506. The population density was 942.3 inhabitants per square mile (363.8/km ). There were 2,598 housing units at an average density of 444.6 per square mile (171.7/km ). Ethnically, the population was 2.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race, the city was 90.1% White , 4.3% Black or African American , 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

1365-555: The American Midwest. In 1851 the Iowa state legislature passed an unusual act to allow the Fox to buy land and stay in the state. Other Sac and Fox were removed to Indian territory in what became Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. In the 21st century, two federally recognized tribes of "Sac and Fox" have reservations , and one has a settlement . The name is derived from the Meskwaki creation myth, in which their culture hero , Wisaka , created

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1430-544: The British and their Loyalists were slow to withdraw. Only after the War 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 of Fort Shelby in 1814. In July, British soldiers captured

1495-574: The Fox River allowed travel from Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes via Green Bay to the Mississippi River system. At first European contact in 1698, the French estimated the number of Meskwaki as about 6,500. By 1712, the number of Meskwaki had declined to 3,500. The Meskwaki fought against the French, in what are called the Fox Wars, for more than three decades (1701–1742) to preserve their homelands. The Meskwaki resistance to French encroachment

1560-548: The French allies. The Sauk and Meskwaki allied in 1735 in defense against the French and their allied Indian tribes. Descendants spread through southern Wisconsin, and along the present-day Illinois - Iowa border. In 1829 the US government estimated there were 1,500 Meskwaki along with 5,500 Sac (or Sauk). Both tribes relocated southward from Wisconsin into Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. There are accounts of Meskwaki as far south as Pike County, Illinois . The Anishinaabe peoples called

1625-592: The French increased their pressure on the tribe to gain access to the Fox and Wolf rivers. Nine hundred Fox (about 300 warriors and the remainder mostly women and children) tried to break out in Illinois to reach the English and Iroquois to the east, but they were greatly outnumbered by a combined force of French and hundreds of allied Native Americans. On September 9, 1730, most of the Fox warriors were killed; many women and children were taken captive into Indian slavery or killed by

1690-487: The French name by using its translation in English as "Fox." This name was also used officially by the United States government from the 19th century. Historically the Meskwaki used Triodanis perfoliata as an emetic in tribal ceremonies to make one "sick all day long," smoking it at purification and other spiritual rituals. They smudge Symphyotrichum novae-angliae and use it to revive unconscious people. They used Agastache scrophulariifolia , an infusion of

1755-475: The Iowa legislature passed an unprecedented act to allow the Meskwaki to buy land even though they had occupied it by right before and stay in the state. American Indians had not generally been permitted to do so, as the U.S. Government had said that tribal Indians were legally not US citizens. Only citizens could buy land. In 1857, the Meskwaki purchased the first 80 acres (320,000 m ) in Tama County ; Tama

1820-570: The Meskwaki Odagaamii , meaning "people on the other shore", referring to their territories south of the Great Lakes. The French had adopted use of this name, and transliterated its spelling into their pronunciation system as Outagamie . This name was later used by Americans for today's Outagamie County, Wisconsin . The Meskwaki and Sac were forced to leave their territory by land-hungry American settlers. President Andrew Jackson signed

1885-666: The Mississippi in Iowa ". The jurisdictional status was unclear. The tribe had formal federal recognition with eligibility for Bureau of Indian Affairs services. It also had a continuing relationship with the State of Iowa due to the tribe's private ownership of land, which was held in trust by the governor. For the next 30 years, the Meskwaki were virtually ignored by federal as well as state policies, which generally benefited them. Subsequently, they lived more independently than tribes confined to Indian reservations regulated by federal authority. To resolve this jurisdictional ambiguity, in 1896

1950-587: The State of Iowa ceded to the Federal government all jurisdiction over the Meskwaki. By 1910, the Sac and Meskwaki together totaled only about 1,000 people. During the 20th century, they began to recover their cultures. By the year 2000, their numbers had increased to nearly 4,000. In World War II , Meskwaki men enlisted in the U.S. Army. Several served as code talkers , along with Navajo and some other speakers of uncommon languages. Meskwaki men used their language to keep Allied communications secret in actions against

2015-595: The U.S. Representing them along with the United Nations of the Chippewa , Odawa and Pottawatomie in the 1829 negotiations was Billy Caldwell , of Scots-Irish and Mohawk descent. He became involved with the Pottawatomie 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

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2080-577: The Villa Louis is a large open field that was once used as a horse racing track. On the far end of the field are two large soccer fields. Pets are allowed to run in the large fields. 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: The district's administrative offices are at B. A. Kennedy Elementary School. Prairie Catholic School,

2145-420: 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

2210-462: 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

2275-487: The area. The opening of Cabela'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 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

2340-470: 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 of 1832. Taylor oversaw the surrender of Black Hawk in Prairie du Chien. Lieutenant Jefferson Davis , who later became president of the Confederate States of America , was stationed at Fort Crawford at

2405-491: The city every Father's Day 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 celebration, during which a carp 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 and fishing have long been popular in

2470-414: The city included 514 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities. According to American 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. The per capita income was $ 25,407. About 10.5% of families and 16.2% of

2535-549: The city is the site of the Crawford County courthouse 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 five National Historic Landmarks and nine sites on the National Register of Historic Places . The five landmarks were

2600-495: 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 include 3M and Cabela's . State and local government are also major employers, as

2665-535: The city was 54.4% male and 45.6% female. 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 1,049.9 inhabitants per square mile (405.4/km ). There were 2,594 housing units at an average density of 460.7 per square mile (177.9/km ). 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

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2730-418: 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 km ) city park. Prairie du Chien has recorded Wisconsin's highest temperatures for January, March, May, September, and November. As of

2795-510: The city. The population density was 1,075.9 people per square mile (415.7/km ). There were 2,564 housing units at an average density of 458.4 per square mile (177.1/km ). 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 were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 2,376 households, out of which 29.3% had children under

2860-697: The confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, a strategic point along the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway that connects the Great 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 of Fox Indians led by a chief whose name Alim meant chien in French ('dog' in English ). The French explorers named

2925-520: 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 defeated France in

2990-529: 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 , 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

3055-466: The first humans out of red clay. They called themselves Meshkwahkihaki in Meskwaki, meaning "the Red-Earths". The name Fox later was derived from a French mistake during the colonial era: hearing a group of Indians identify as "Fox", the French applied what was a clan name to the entire tribe who spoke the same language by calling them "les Renards." Later the English and Anglo-Americans adopted

3120-549: 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 Fox and Sauk ceded much of their land to

3185-525: 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 , and writer Garry Wills . It closed in 1975. Prairie du Chien was incorporated as the Borough of Prairie des Chiens on September 17, 1821, by

3250-549: The law by opening a post in Prairie du Chien in 1817, and it soon became the dominant trading firm on the Upper Mississippi. Jean Joseph Rolette was the company's first agent in the city, and he built the warehouse circa 1828. In the 1820s and 1830s, the American Fur Company continued to control the Upper Mississippi fur trade and expanded its influence throughout the Louisiana Territory. Rolette and two partners split

3315-455: 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 town of Prairie du Chien and the town of Bridgeport . The first known Europeans to reach Prairie du Chien were French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet , who arrived by canoe on June 17, 1673, discovering

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3380-412: 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 ) and Campion High School in

3445-484: The population were below the poverty line , 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 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

3510-440: 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

3575-503: 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

3640-405: The root used as a diuretic , also using a compound of the plant heads medicinally. They eat the fruits of Viburnum prunifolium raw and cook them into a jam. They make the flowers of Solidago rigida into a lotion and use them on bee stings and for swollen faces. Meskwaki are of Algonquian origin from the prehistoric Woodland period culture area. The Meskwaki language is a dialect of

3705-670: The same time. There, Davis met Taylor's daughter, Sarah "Knoxie" Taylor , whom he married in 1835. 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

3770-485: The secretary of the Michigan Territory . 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

3835-420: The warehouse leads to an entrance on the second floor. The interior consists of three one-room floors; a hoist system moved fur between the floors. Prairie du Chien became a fur trading center in the 18th century, largely due to the French and Canadian fur trade on the Mississippi River. After 1763 the trade came to be controlled by British firms, although many of the traders were men of French descent, although

3900-560: 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. Prairie du Chien is in the Mississippi River Valley, upon a long triangular plain bounded on the west by the Mississippi River , on the south by the Wisconsin River , and on the east-northeast by a series of tall bluffs. According to

3965-436: 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 the census of 2000 , there were 6,018 people, 2,376 households, and 1,473 families residing in

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4030-473: 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

4095-470: 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 , after Green Bay, Wisconsin , 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

4160-521: Was highly effective. The First Fox War with the French lasted from 1712 to 1714. This first Fox War was purely economic in nature, as the French wanted rights to use the river system to gain access to the Mississippi. After the Second Fox War of 1728, the Meskwaki were reduced to some 1500 people. They found shelter with the Sac, but French competition carried to that tribe. In the Second Fox War,

4225-513: Was named for Taimah , a Meskwaki chief of the early 19th century. Many Meskwaki later moved to the Meskwaki Settlement near Tama . The U.S. government tried to force the tribe back to the Kansas reservation by withholding treaty-right annuities. Ten years later, in 1867, the U.S. finally began paying annuities to the Meskwaki in Iowa. They recognized the Meskwaki as the " Sac and Fox of

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