LACROSSE, WI 8-16-2017

I may be a Wisconsin native but frankly, I don’t know much about some cities and LaCrosse is one of them.  The largest city on the west coast of Wisconsin, the population swells to 52,000 people when 20,000 college students blow into town for the school year.  It was christened “LaCrosse” by the pioneers who watched the Indians playing a game with sticks that were cruciform in shape but the town really became an item during the days of white pine logging.  Much wealth was created in the days of the timber barons.

Our first stop in town was a visit to the St. Rose Convent, Mary of the Angels Chapel and Perpetual Adoration Chapel.  In the early part of the 19^th century when religious persecution began to grow once again in Europe, a group seeking religious freedom left Ettenbeuren in Bavaria and landed in Milwaukee, WI.  This small group included a few women who were Franciscan nuns.  Their goal was to build as large a chapel as their meager funds would allow and to create an eternal devotion called “Perpetual Adoration,” in which there would always be someone in prayer in the chapel, without interruption.  As a few of the sisters would arrive at the chapel a few others would leave but never was the chapel or God left unattended.  Kind of a “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” for these guys.  As the group in Milwaukee grew, tensions caused some of the group to split away and move to LaCrosse to form their own sect.  They began the construction of the St. Rose Convent and the chapel and many craftsmen and artisans contributed their goods and talents to the project. 

The green pillars are painted concrete

The green pillars in the pictures look like marble but funds were limited and they are really polished concrete and painted to appear to be marble.  Some of the carvings, statues and the Stations of the Cross are sculpted from Beachwood and then, bronzed or gold-leaved.  The sisters were poor and donations were a primary source of funding for their grandiose plans.  Our sister guide said, “We prayed for money and somehow, it flowed in.”  (I have started praying.)

Altar

The altar is real marble from Italy

Sister practicing her harp playing

St. Rose Chapel and convent

We continued our tour to the Hixon House.  Gideon Hixon was born in Vermont in 1826.  He decided to try making a living moving west and found the timber industry in LaCrosse.  He had married Ellen by then and they came here and built a small house.  As babies began to arrive (five sons total, ultimately), they expanded their home three times.  Gideon was very successful in the lumber business and his wealth grew.  (He may have prayed for money, they didn’t say.)  He wound up founding a bank and when they couldn’t provide a loan, Gideon would loan it out of his own private stash.  Ellen, an east coaster and graduate of Oberlin, did a lot of traveling and buying of beautiful art pieces and furniture and had artists paint the walls with murals on burlap.  The artist’s autograph is still visible.  Gideon died at the young age of 66 and Ellen lived in the house until death 21 years later.  A niece moved in with her and for a while the house became a small girls’ dormitory.  Ultimately, the family decided they could not care for the residence anymore and donated it to the National Historic Society.  But here’s the interesting part:  when they did that, they left everything as it was, lock stock and barrel.  Everything in the house belonged to the Hixons, every stick of furniture, all the books in their vast library, even checks that Gideon had written but hadn’t negotiated.  They simply put everything in its place, turned the key and walked away.  Even the servants’ little aprons and white hats, those lacy little numbers that look like shower caps, are carefully laid over the kitchen chair.  The refrigerator (ice box) is clean, the pantry and beautiful old wood stove are shined and clean.  I can’t provide many pictures of the inside of Hixon House because picture-taking is not allowed.  I think they pray you will visit the gift shop and buy the book.

The house of Ellen and Gideon Hixon

Rob and I departed the tour downtown and found a good restaurant called The Steinhaus.  They had a cold beer, giant pretzel, brats and potato salad with our names on them, designed for the weary travelers.  That finished, we strolled onward toward the boat.  Later the American Queen sailed away as we bid farewell to LaCrosse, WI.

Rob and the American Queen