LA CROSSE HISTORY
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THE LA CROSSE AREA'S HISTORY, DIGITIZED

World War I


Resources

—World War I—


Description:
Henry Keimowitz was born in Hungary. He moved to the U.S. after serving in WWI. He discusses many topics, including his childhood in Hungary, his Jewish heritage, experiencing antisemitism and Facism during and in between the World Wars, his experience as a POW,
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Author:
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Oral History Program
Subject:
Norcross, Henry -- Interviews
Oral history
Oral history -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
Interviews -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
La Crosse (Wis.) -- History
Recreation -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
Railroad engineers -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
Railroads -- Employees
Labor unions -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
La Crosse (Wis.) -- Social life and customs
Description:
Henry Norcross (b. 1899) describes his family background and life on French Island. Topics include but are not limited to: German ancestry, festivals, Milwaukee Railroad, farming, French Island and La Crosse tensions, education, winter, drowning accidents, diseases and quarantine (mumps, measles, chicken pox), Frank Powell and Buffalo Bill Cody, circus, summer fairs, Mary Hauck (doctor), early electric cars, Dr. McLoone and Bessie Moore murders, home remedies, Rubber Mills, railroad engineer, anti-German propaganda during WWI, Prohibition, bootleggers, tobacco usage, Great Depression, unemployment, being member of Ku Klux Klan (KKK) (audio cuts out here in the middle of his story), Lodge 754, union strikes and involvement, anti-Black racism and his perceptions of white working-class discrimination. Content warning: this interview contains racist ideas and language.
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Description:
Hoeschler touches on many subjects, but mainly focuses on his family history and his professional career. He also spends quite a bit of time talking about his uncle, Frank Hoeschler, who was a known dentist and developer in La Crosse.
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Author:
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Oral History Program
Subject:
Gilbertson, John P. -- Interviews
Oral history
Oral history -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
Interviews -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
La Crosse (Wis.) -- History
Postal service -- Employees
Postal service -- History
Letter carriers -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
Postmasters -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
Recreation -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
La Crosse (Wis.) -- Social life and customs
Description:
John P. Gilbertson begins his interview by discussing his Norwegian family history. His interview largely focuses on La Crosse social life and recreation, as well as his career as a letter carrier. Topics include but are not limited to: saw mills, railroads, Coon Valley, family working-class occupations, the Great Depression, history of the La Crosse Post Office, steamboats, La Crosse Inter-State Fair, farm technology, newspaper and press industry, education in La Crosse, Wisconsin Business University, the circus, segregation from Ho-Chunk community and community racism, Bartl Brewery, anti-Black racism and interracial marriage, river and lumber industries, Goosetown, gambling houses and City policies, anti-German discrimination, WWI, automobiles, federal government, development of the La Crosse Normal School (now UW-L), Hoeschler family, medical history, Adolf Gundersen, early Ho-Chunk community members, early Black American community members, La Crosse Historical Society, Nathan Myrick, local politics, Wisconsin Progressive Movement, corruption in La Crosse Police Department, personal sentiments towards communities with different identities than his own (Indigenous, Black American, and Jewish).
Note: This interview has sections of poor audio quality.
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Author:
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Oral History Program
Subject:
Rynning, Rolf -- Interviews
Oral history
Oral history -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
Interviews -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
La Crosse (Wis.) -- History
Families -- Wisconsin
Work -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
Recreation -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
La Crosse (Wis.) -- Social life and customs
Description:
Mr. Rynning discusses the following topics: Personal history, 1900s -- Family Norwegian ancestry, Direct decent of Bishop Bech crowning Norwegian King 1818 -- Immigration from Norway, 1870s -- Surname spelling and pronunciation change -- paternal immigration, 1876, civil engineering degree from Sweden -- Fathers career at Holway Lumber, La Crosse, Wisconsin; Rynning and Pedrson Clothing store, 727 Rose Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin; Exchange State Bank, La Crosse, Wisconsin 1892 -- Fathers death, Dr. Adolf Gundersen performed surgery, 1895 -- Statement to La Crosse paper, Allegations against Gundersen for malpractice 1895 -- Brothers civil engineer degree, University of Wisconsin-Madison, accident in St. Louis, death in 1909 -- Attempt to deferral from draft, World War One (1915-1918) -- Drafted into World War One (1915-1918): July 8, 1918, Promotion to Sargent: September 15, 1918 -- Left position at Exchange State Bank, 1920, reasoning due to hiring cheap labor after WWI -- W.A. Roosevelt Company, employment, 1920-1953 -- Fathers memories of La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1880s to 1890s -- Ballard Drug Store, 3rd and Pearl Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin -- Maternal immigration, Norway, 1870s -- Fathers education, language; German, French, English, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish -- Holway Lumber Mill, St. Cloud Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin -- Union National Bank, Main and 4th Streets, La Crosse, Wisconsin -- Making currency exchange, transporting $10,000 through town, carried gun for insurance -- Union National Bank, staff picture, 1911 -- North side neighborhood living, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1922 -- Black River, swimming with neighborhood kids, 1910s.
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Subject:
World War, 1914-1918 -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
World War, 1939-1945 -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
Creator:
Pifer, Richard L.
Description:
A master's thesis. Introduction -- Chapter I. The setting: Wisconsin and the nation -- Chapter II. La Crosse: neutrality to intervention -- Chapter III. Preparedness -- Chapter IV. La Crosse and the world wars -- Chapter V. Select groups and the world wars -- Chapter VI. The search for security -- Conclusion
Subject:
Editorials
La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wis.)
Treaty of Versailles (1919)
Creator:
Moderski, Audrey
Description:
UW-L Seminar Paper