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Q: What is the history of the Buzz’s Bikes building at 800 Rose St. on La Crosse’s North Side? Are there any photos of the building showing its original look?
A: The building at 800 Rose Street was built in 1887 and was designed by William Parker, a local architect. Frank X. DeLorea, also of La Crosse, was the contractor. The building housed the Exchange State Bank and served as the temple for North La Crosse Masonic Lodge 190. A small part of the building was also used as office space. The bank moved to a new location at 1300 Rose St. in 1962, but the Masons continued to meet in the building until the 1970s.
After the bank moved out, the building was used primarily for storage until Buzz’s Bikes moved in around 1980.
The Archives Room of the La Crosse Public Library has two pictures of the exterior of the building, probably taken in the 1890s.
Q: When did milk deliveries end to La Crosse households?
A: For the book “Sawmills to Sunfish: A History of Onalaska, Wisconsin,” Hazen Hougom and Herbert Krause, who were involved with Jorstad’s Dairy and Krause Bros. Guernsey Dairy, respectively, were interviewed for a story on local dairying. In the story that came out of this interview, it was mentioned that house-to-house milk routes ended in the 1960s because of rising costs and the availability of milk at local grocery stores.
However, according to a
La Crosse Tribune article from Jan. 31, 1976, the Dolly Madison Dairy in La Crosse was still making home deliveries in the 1970s, but at a greatly reduced level. As late as 1975, Dolly Madison had eight delivery routes, but in 1976 Dolly Madison eliminated half of them. This article stated the elimination of home milk deliveries was becoming a trend among dairies and that Borden had ended home deliveries entirely.
The La Crosse Public Library Archives collection does not contain information stating when home milk deliveries ended in La Crosse, but it’s clear they were on the way out by the late 1970s.
In cooperation with the La Crosse Public Library, the Tribune invites readers to call or e-mail questions of local interest. We’ll try to find the answers and publish them. The phone number for Ask the Trib is (608) 791-8450. Send questions by e-mail to news@lacrossetribune.com.
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