LaCrosse has grown on a broad terrace above the Mississippi and below the bluffs and hilly upland of southwestern Wisconsin. Today's downtown district covers the city's initial site downstream from the marshy confluence of the LaCrosse River with the navigable Mississippi. New parkland and buildings had replaced some of the early port and warehouse area on the riverfront when this picture was taken in 1986. The marina and recreational boating reflect a major and growing use of this scenic valley. Photo copyright 1986, Western Wisconsin Technical Institute, LaCrosse.