What is the history of La Crescent, Minnesota?
Sitting on the banks of the Mississippi River, La Crescent, Minnesota is surrounded by beautiful bluffs with spectacular views of the river. It’s no wonder then that humans have inhabited this area, abundant with wildlife, for thousands of years. The most recent inhabitants before the White settlers were the Dakota Indians, who were a branch of the Sioux, and the Winnebago. Following the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, Nathan Boone, youngest son of Daniel Boone was among the early surveyorsurveyors of this area. The various Indian tribetribes who had lived here were moved out in the 1840’s to accommodate White settlement. La Crescent was founded in 1851 by Peter Cameron and was originally called, “Camerons”. Peter and his wife, Emma, were two of the town’s most colorful characters. Peter tried to dig a canal to change the flow of the Mississippi River so it would flow closer to La Crescent and bypass La Crosse, Wisconsin across the river. He died 10 weeks before its scheduled completion in 18
