Prairie du Chien Historical Society

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Prairie du Chien Historical Society A historic site with a combination of medical, military and local history. Fort Crawford stood guard over Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, from 1816 until 1856.

Now, the Fort Crawford Museum displays the history of the fort, its city, and the many lives that crossed here. Visit us May through October for a self-guided tour or attend one of our upcoming events.

🍂 History comes to life tomorrow! Join the Prairie du Chien Historical Society on Saturday, October 3, for “Visit With O...
10/02/2026

🍂 History comes to life tomorrow! Join the Prairie du Chien Historical Society on Saturday, October 3, for “Visit With Our Ancestors,” featuring three historic cemeteries and four historic homes. 🪦🏡

Hear stories at the graves of Jean Joseph Rolette and Basile Giard in Frenchtown Cemetery, Rev. Lucien Galtier and Strange Powers in St. Gabriel’s Cemetery, and Col. Willoughby Morgan in Fort Crawford Cemetery—with local presenters bringing their stories to life!

Tours depart at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Reservations are required—call 608-326-6960.

Congratulations to our Quilt Raffle winner, Barb Myers! 🎉A heartfelt thank you to everyone who purchased tickets and par...
10/02/2026

Congratulations to our Quilt Raffle winner, Barb Myers! 🎉

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who purchased tickets and participated in this fundraiser benefiting the Prairie du Chien Historical Society. Your support helps us continue preserving and sharing the rich history of Prairie du Chien.

And a very special thank you to Cindy Noel, who generously donated this beautiful quilt and made the fundraiser possible. We are so grateful for Cindy’s generosity—and for everyone who supported the raffle!

Congratulations, Barb, and thank you all for supporting the PdC Historical Society! ❤️

🪦😂 They say cemeteries have fences because people are just DYING to get in…Well, on October 3, the Prairie du Chien Hist...
09/24/2026

🪦😂 They say cemeteries have fences because people are just DYING to get in…

Well, on October 3, the Prairie du Chien Historical Society will actually let you in! 👻⚰️😂

Their annual "Visit With Our Ancestors" is back — and this year they’re not just digging up the past in our local cemeteries! 🪦⛏️

You’ll visit three of Wisconsin’s oldest cemeteries AND get a rare peek inside four of Prairie du Chien’s oldest and most historic homes 🏠🔑 — including private residences you normally don’t get the chance to see! 👀

Along the way, you’ll hear the stories of the pioneers, military officers, entrepreneurs, and families who helped shape Prairie du Chien. 📜🇺🇸

🗓️ **October 3**
🕤 **Tours at 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM**
🎟️ **$40 per person**
📞 **Reservations required: 608-326-6960**

⚠️ Space is limited, so don’t wait until the "dead-line" to reserve your spot! 💀☎️

It promises to be a grave time… with plenty of history that’s just waiting to be unearthed! 🪦👻🏠😂

Journey Through Prairie du Chien’s Past! 🏡🍂The Prairie du Chien Historical Society invites you to step back in time duri...
09/09/2026

Journey Through Prairie du Chien’s Past! 🏡🍂

The Prairie du Chien Historical Society invites you to step back in time during our Historic Cemetery & Home Tour on October 3rd!

Visit four historic homes, explore three of Wisconsin’s oldest cemeteries, and hear the captivating stories of the pioneers, military officers, entrepreneurs, and families who helped shape Prairie du Chien’s history. Historic (3).pdf

Tours will be offered at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

🎟 $40 per person
📞 RSVP required: (608) 326-6960
👥 Tours are limited to 25 guests
🔹 Open to guests ages 12 and older

Space is limited, so make your reservation and join us for a fascinating journey through some of Prairie du Chien’s most historic places!

Please share and help us spread the word!

08/04/2026

🍷 A taste of the finer things at Fort Crawford?

During archaeological excavations at Second Fort Crawford in 1999, researchers discovered this w**e 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 w**e now known as Château Lafite Rothschild.

It was an expensive w**e in the 19th century, just as it is today — which raises an interesting question: How did a bottle of such fine w**e 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. 👇

What a weekend for Prairie du Chien! As Blues Fest brought music and visitors to our community, teams driving solar-powe...
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.

The Prairie du Chien Historical Society is grateful to the Gordon Peckham family for their generous donation of an origi...
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!

🧵 Win a Beautiful Handmade Quilt & Support Local History! 🧵Take a chance to win this gorgeous 62" × 70" handmade quilt, ...
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! 🍀

Stop in today at the Fire Department on Saint Feriole Island shelter for our annual pie fundraising auction at noon - ov...
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!!

📣 Help Wanted: Join the Prairie du Chien Historical Society Team!🏛️ Looking for a fun part-time job with a little histor...
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!

Address

717 S Beaumont Road
Prairie Du Chien, WI
53821

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+16083266960

Website

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