La Crosse in La Crosse County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Hanifl Market
The Hanifl family name is a well-known one in La Crosse, with at least four generations calling the community home over the last century. Alex Hanifl owned a butcher shop in town and married Caroline, "Lena," Koschnizke in 1903. Lena was an avid gardener. The couple had four sons, two of whom settled in La Crosse -- Lloyd and Roland. These two sons worked several trades early in their adult lives, among them commercial fishing and the tool and die business, but Lloyd's heart was always in owning a nursery. For years Lloyd and Roland and their wives, Albina ("Albie") and June, enjoyed gardening together at their homes on Green Island. They delighted friends and family with the beautiful flowers and vegetables they brought to their tables.
In the late 1940s Albie started as a full-time teacher at Central High School, and within a few years she and Lloyd were able, with this extra income, to open the Green Island Greenhouses. Lloyd, with the help of their sons, constructed the greenhouses using materials that came from the recently closed Salzer Seed Company buildings. At one time, La Crosse's Salzer Seed Company was considered the largest mail-order seed company in the country.
Lloyd and Albie ran their greenhouses for twenty-five years. Holiday flowers were an especially important part of their business, as were annual flowers and vegetable plants. The greenhouses became a place for Green Island's retired seniors to meet, share a cup of coffee, and dispense advice about gardening to novice shoppers. A several-generation love of plants and flowers created and nurtured a community-gathering place. Today this legacy has been continued with the family's recent gift of the Hanifl Market.
Top right photo caption:
Lena and Alex Hanifl with their four sons, Ervin, Lloyd, Howard, and Roland in front of their Green Island cottage, 1940. Greenhouses were built behind them. Courtesy the Hanifl Family.
Bottom left photo caption:
Lloyd and Albina Hanifl in front of their nursery, 1960. Courtesy the Hanifl Family.
Market Square
The first organized outdoor market in La Crosse was established in 1874, when a two-block section around Pearl, Jay, and Fourth Streets was formally set aside for farmers to sell their produce and grain. Before this time, farmers and hunters would simply peddle their vegetables, meat, or game wherever they could find space on the city streets. Over the course of the next twenty years, the city purchased the lots that would become Market Square, directly behind you, to the north of Cameron Park. This city block also contained the city scales, used to weigh and measure hay, grain, seed, pork, coal, and other commodities.
After the turn-of-the-century Market Square diversified by renting its space to a variety of medicine, tent, and revival shows and hosting political speeches. In 1909 a temporary hall accommodating nearly 3,000 people was erected for the Northwestern Saengerfest. Over the years improvements were made to the market including construction of a shed to cover the produce stalls, a "comfort station," and parking spaces. Business flourished through mid-century. Eventually parking pressures forced the city to reconsider the function of this city block, and in 1957 the farmers market here was eliminated. A parking ramp took its place.
Since that time farmers markets have sprung up around the city, most recently near the Courthouse and here in Cameron Park. The gift of the Hanifl Market facility has not only revitalized the area, but also complemented the local grocery stores and fostered a sense of neighborhood. Hanifl Market continues the tradition established across the street in Market Square.
Top right photo caption:
Wood for Sale, c. 1905. Market Square was used for decades by farmers and hunters from both sides of the Mississippi. Before the first bridge went up, Minnesota farmers selling harvested wood in winter would simply drive their sleds across the ice to reach the market in La Crosse. Cameron Park is in the distant right of the photo. Courtesy Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin La Crosse.
Bottom left photo caption:
President Theodore Roosevelt at Market Square, April 4, 1903. Courtesy Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin La Crosse.
Bottom right photo caption:
Ferrai Bros. Show, Merchants Carnival, July 1905. Note the early Ferris wheel. Courtesy Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin La Crosse.
Cameron Park
An idyllic green space set amidst the bustle of downtown, Cameron Park has a long and sometimes contested history. The park was part of a large parcel of land originally purchased in 1847 by Peter Cameron, an early settler in La Crosse; the tract stretched from Pearl Street to Division, and from the river to Sixth Street. A few years after purchase, Peter deeded half the property to his brother, Daniel, but retained power of attorney to develop the land on behalf of his brother with a public landing, streets, and blocks. Peter died in 1855, but sometime before his death a clerical error occurred which muddied the waters of ownership of the north half of Block 15, present-day Cameron Park. On the original 1851 deed, the words "Fourth Street Park" were scratched out and "Public Square" was written in its place.
Thirty-five years later, this change would result in a controversy of enormous proportions. Daniel filed suit against the City of La Crosse in 1890, seeking to reclaim the property. He won the case, but the City appealed three times, unsuccessfully, until Daniel's death in 1899 forced settlement. The City purchased the park from Daniel's heir for $6,000 and paid all the attorney fees, resulting in what many have calculated to be La Crosse's most expensive park. In 1903 the City Council adopted the name "Cameron Park" in honor of both Peter Cameron and Angus Cameron, Peter's brother and a highly-respected state and U.S. senator.
In the intervening years, much debate has occurred regarding the highest and best use of the park. During the 1930s, local businessmen requested conversion of the land to a municipal parking lot to relieve congestion of parked vehicles in the area. Creation of a large playground was also proposed, as was construction of a bandstand, but in the end, maintaining "a restful bit of green" remained the priority. The Cameron Park Market Association was founded in 2001 to help promote local food, arts, crafts, and culture, and its Friday evening community market is a highly successful weekly event. The association, along with local farmers, artists, and entertainers, has succeeded in establishing the park as a popular community gathering space.
Photo caption:
"Watching the World," 1887. This view from 5th and King Streets shows the densely planted park with its single light tower, one of several such towers strategically placed around the city. It was part of the city's first large-scale public lighting project. Courtesy Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin La Crosse.
Erected by City of La Crosse Parks, Recreation, & Forestry.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1960.
Location. 43° 48.594′ N, 91° 15.057′ W. Marker is in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in La Crosse County. Marker is on King Street, 0.3 miles west of State Route 35, on the right when traveling east. Located in north-central Cameron Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 400 King St, La Crosse WI 54601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 4th and Main (approx. 0.2 miles away); Wesley United Methodist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); 8th and King (approx. ¼ mile away); La Crosse Players (approx. 0.3 miles away); First Building in La Crosse (approx. 0.4 miles away); Front and State (approx. 0.4 miles away); Spence Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); Freedom Is Not Free (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in La Crosse.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 1, 2021. This page has been viewed 176 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 1, 2021. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.