Prairie du Chien Historical Society

08/04/2026

🍷 A taste of the finer things at Fort Crawford?

During archaeological excavations at Second Fort Crawford in 1999, researchers discovered this wine bottle seal in the Enlisted Men’s Quarters. And it wasn’t from just any bottle — the seal reads “Chateau Lafitte,” associated with the famous French wine now known as Château Lafite Rothschild.

It was an expensive wine in the 19th century, just as it is today — which raises an interesting question: How did a bottle of such fine wine find its way into the enlisted men’s quarters at a frontier Army post in Prairie du Chien?

It’s one of the many small archaeological discoveries that give us a fascinating glimpse into everyday life at Fort Crawford.

Read more from the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center’s “Site Snippets” below. 👇

07/27/2026

What a weekend for Prairie du Chien! As Blues Fest brought music and visitors to our community, teams driving solar-powered race cars passed through town on their journey across the country.

For generations, Prairie du Chien has been a crossroads for transportation—by canoe, steamboat, horse-drawn carriage, railroad, automobile, and now solar-powered vehicles. It’s a wonderful reminder that while technology continues to evolve, our community remains a place where the past, present, and future intersect.

07/27/2026

The Prairie du Chien Historical Society is grateful to the Gordon Peckham family for their generous donation of an original ink and watercolor painting depicting the excursion boat *Avalon* passing beneath the former suspension bridge in Prairie du Chien, circa the 1940s.

Gordon Peckham was a talented local artist, historian, and preservationist whose paintings beautifully captured Prairie du Chien's people, places, and history. Through both his artwork and his dedication to preserving our community's heritage, he left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire today.

Pictured with the painting are Gordon's daughter-in-law, Mary Welsh Peckham, and his granddaughter, Sarah Vandre, standing in front of Gordon Peckham's painting of Second Fort Crawford, which hangs in the Fort Crawford Museum.

Thank you to the Peckham family for helping preserve and share Prairie du Chien's rich history with future generations!

07/15/2026

🧵 Win a Beautiful Handmade Quilt & Support Local History! 🧵

Take a chance to win this gorgeous 62" × 70" handmade quilt, lovingly crafted by Cindy Noel, a member of the Fort Crawford Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a dedicated Prairie du Chien Historical Society Board Member.

🎟 Raffle Tickets
• 1 ticket – $5
• 5 tickets – $20

Every ticket helps support the Prairie du Chien Historical Society General Fund, preserving and sharing the rich history of our community.

📅 Drawing: October 1
📍 Need not be present to win.

Purchase tickets at the Prairie du Chien Visitors Center, or if you're out of town, give us a call and we'll make arrangements.

Thank you for supporting local history—and good luck! 🍀

07/11/2026

Stop in today at the Fire Department on Saint Feriole Island shelter for our annual pie fundraising auction at noon - over 45 pies to be sold!!

07/09/2026

📣 Help Wanted: Join the Prairie du Chien Historical Society Team!

🏛️ Looking for a fun part-time job with a little history, a lot of friendly people, and buildings that have been standing longer than most family trees?

We're hiring a Guest Services Associate for 2–3 days a week.

You'll help welcome visitors, answer questions, sell admissions and gift shop items, and occasionally solve mysteries such as:

🗺️ "Where do we start?"
👻 "Has anyone ever seen a ghost in here?"
🧲 "Do you have magnets?"
🚻 "Where's the restroom?" (This one comes up more than you'd think.)

We're looking for someone who's friendly, dependable, enjoys meeting people, and appreciates a good story—especially if it's true.

Long-haired freaky people are encouraged to apply.
Short-haired, curly-haired, no-haired, and hat-wearing history buffs are welcome, too.

Perks include:
✔️ Flexible part-time hours
✔️ Meeting visitors from around the world
✔️ Working with a great volunteer and staff team
✔️ Spending your day surrounded by local history
✔️ The occasional cookie (availability not guaranteed).

Interested? Send us a Facebook message or stop by the museum to learn more. We'd love to meet you!

07/07/2026

Have you noticed clouds of insects gathering around lights, bridges, and riverside trees lately? It’s one of the Upper Mississippi River’s most fascinating annual events—the mayfly hatch!

Known locally as mayflies, shadflies, or even fishflies (though “fishfly” is also used for a different type of insect), these remarkable creatures belong to the insect order Ephemeroptera, a name derived from the Greek word meaning “lasting only a day.”

Most of their lives are anything but brief. Mayflies spend one to three years living beneath the surface of the Mississippi River as aquatic nymphs, feeding on algae and organic matter while helping keep the river ecosystem healthy. Then, almost as if on cue, millions emerge over just a few evenings.

As adults, they don’t even have functioning mouths—they never eat. Their sole purpose is to mate, lay eggs on the water, and begin the cycle anew. Many survive for less than 24 hours, making them among the shortest-lived adult insects on Earth.

The spectacular hatches seen around Prairie du Chien are most often the Giant Burrowing Mayfly (Hexagenia limbata) and its close relative Hexagenia bilineata. These insects are an important food source for fish, birds, turtles, bats, and countless other wildlife.

While they may coat sidewalks, bridges, and windshields for a few days each summer, these annual visitors are actually a reason to celebrate. Because mayflies are highly sensitive to pollution, a large hatch is one of nature’s best indicators of a healthy Mississippi River.

Have you spotted this year’s hatch? Share your photos in the comments—we’d love to see them!

07/05/2026

A great story of the early importance of Fort Crawford and Prairie du Chien!!

Long before Wisconsin became the nation’s 30th state and decades before the Declaration of Independence was signed, Prairie du Chien had already emerged as one of the Upper Mississippi River’s

07/04/2026

🇺🇸 Happy Independence Day from the Prairie du Chien Historical Society! 🇺🇸

As our nation continues commemorating America's 250th anniversary, Independence Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the people, places, and events that have shaped our country's remarkable story.

Here in Prairie du Chien, that story stretches back long before statehood and includes Native nations, explorers, soldiers, traders, settlers, and generations of families who helped build this community along the Mississippi River.

By preserving local history, we help ensure that these stories—and the lessons they carry—will continue to inspire future generations.

We wish everyone a safe and meaningful Fourth of July as we celebrate the enduring ideals of liberty, service, and community.

🇺🇸 Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸

06/16/2026

Thank you to everyone who helped make our 30th Anniversary Weekend and Cannons at the Fort such a success!

We are grateful to our volunteers, reenactors, musicians, sponsors, members, and supporters whose hard work made the event possible. Thank you as well to everyone who attended and helped us celebrate 30 years of the Prairie du Chien Historical Society.

We couldn’t do it without the support of this wonderful community! 🇺🇸🎉🏛️