West Salem in La Crosse County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Hamlin Garland House
May 20, 2025
1. Hamlin Garland House Marker
Under the provisions of the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935 this site possesses exceptional value in commemorating or illustrating the history of the United States
U. S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
1972
Erected 1972 by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music. In addition, it is included in the National Historic Landmarks series list.
Location. 43° 53.935′ N, 91° 5.154′ W. Marker is in West Salem, Wisconsin, in La Crosse County. It is on West Garland Street east of North Oak Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 357 Garland St W, West Salem WI 54669, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Western Wisconsin. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, in the Corn Belt, in the Driftless Area Bluff Country, and in the Great River
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Hamlin Garland (approx. one mile away); Village of Neshonoc (approx. 1.1 miles away); Veterans Memorial Park (approx. 1½ miles away); Stanley R. Christianson (approx. 1½ miles away); a different marker also named Hamlin Garland (approx. 1.7 miles away); The Mindoro Cut (approx. 5.2 miles away); The Valley View Site (approx. 6 miles away); Prairie restoration (approx. 7.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in West Salem.
Also see . . .
1. The Garland Homestead - West Salem Historical Society. (Submitted on June 1, 2025.)
2. Hamlin Garland House - Wikipedia. (Submitted on June 1, 2025.)
3. Wisconsin NHL Garland, Hamlin, House | National Archives Catalog. National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form (1971).
From the Statement of(Submitted on August 9, 2025.)Significance:May 20, 20252. Hamlin Garland House & Marker
"Although Hamlin Garland's fiction has been hailed as 'the finest regional work American literature has produced,' equally if not more important was his contribution to the development in this country of literary naturalism. Hampered by 'a traditional optimism reinforced by prudery,' American literature has still failed to interpret the human experience with the depth of Tolstoy, Zola, and Hardy in Europe until the advent of the work of Garland, as well as of Crane, Norris, and London, at the turn of the century. Thus Garland became one of the pivotal figures in shaping the technique and philosophy of serious modern American fiction.
"The West Salem house which Garland as a thirty-three year old bachelor purchased for his parents in 1893, lay near his birthplace in the rolling Coulee region of southwestern Wisconsin. He lived and worked in Chicago and elsewhere, but a significant portion of his writing was done on his regular visits to West Salem, particulary after his marriage in 1899. During the early 1900's, Garland returned for four or five months each year to the 'plain spacious old house,' as he recalled it,on the edge of the village. ... [H]e always considered the village his home, and the region's life was that described in most of his fiction, particularly the Middle Border series. The initial draft for much of the series, although revised and published several years later, was composed during Garland's summer stays at the West Salem house prior to 1916."May 20, 20253. Hamlin Garland House & Marker, from the northeast
Additional keywords. Garland Homestead
May 20, 2025
4. Hamlin Garland House & Marker, from the northwest
Credits. This page was last revised on August 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 1, 2025. This page has been viewed 226 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 1, 2025.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A link to the National Register of Historic Places Nomination form for the house with a citation for its historical significance. • Can you help?
