La Crescent ( ) is a city in Houston and Winona counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 5,276 at the 2020 census.
La Crescent is located in the northeast portion of Houston County; the northern edge of the city falls into Winona County. The city is known as the "Apple Capital of Minnesota" because [[John S. Harris (horticulturalist)|
John S. Harris]] planted apple trees here, resulting in many orchards in the present-day city. It is recognized as a 'Tree City' by the Arbor Day Foundation, and a 'Minnesota GreenStep City' by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
History
Lying on the west bank of the Mississippi River, the city is surrounded by bluffs with views of the river and abundant wildlife. Humans have inhabited this area for thousands of years. The most recent inhabitants before the arrival of white settlers were the Dakota people, a branch of the Sioux, and the Ho-Chunk, or Winnebago.
Following the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, Nathan Boone, youngest son of Daniel Boone, was among the early surveyors of this area. The various Indian tribes who had lived here were forced out and relocated in the 1840s to accommodate white settlement.
La Crescent was founded in 1851 by Peter and Emma Cameron, who called it "Camerons". The Camerons were two of the town's most colorful characters; he 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 1857, and the canal was never finished, although the canal can still be seen in aerial photographs of the city. The Presbyterian missionary Sheldon Jackson lived in La Crescent prior to 1872, when he moved westward to Denver and later Alaska.
The second name of La Crescent was "Manton", named by William and Harvey Gillett, after they cleared the downtown area for settlement for Peter Cameron. In quick succession, the town's name was changed again by a somewhat unscrupulous land speculation venture, the Kentucky Land Company. They wanted a more romantic-sounding name for the town to attract settlers and came up with "La Crescent", after the bend or "crescent" shape of the Mississippi River around the town. La Crescent incorporated in 1857.
Horticulturalist John S. Harris arrived in La Crescent in 1856, who helped give the town its identity of "Apple Capital of Minnesota", a title that the city copyrighted in 2002. Despite the belief of "99 out of 100 people that apples could not grow in Minnesota", Harris planted the area's first apple trees in 1857, experimenting until he grew trees hardy enough to withstand Minnesota winters. He planted thousands of apple trees and hundreds of varieties, a full half of which he said were total failures. Harris became known as "Father of the Orchardists" in Minnesota, and was a founding member of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society.
Geography
thumb|[[La Crosse Rail Bridge|La Crescent MN swing bridge opened to river traffic]]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ; is land and is water.
La Crescent sits three miles southwest across the Mississippi River from Onalaska, Wisconsin and west of the northern part of La Crosse. Winona, Minnesota is 21 miles to the northwest of La Crescent. It is the largest city in Houston County and the second largest in Winona County.
Bluffs
La Crescent is known for having more bluffs than most Minnesota cities. It lies on the side of a large bluff, with other large hills within the city. Since La Crescent is below the normal level of the rest of the area, the bluffside provides some protection from winds.
Lake
La Crescent sits next to Blue Lake, which the US Fish and Wildlife Service lists as a high quality wetland, due to its diverse species, with year-round fishing. Most visible around the lake are migratory bird species such as Wood Ducks, Ruddy Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, Least and American Bitterns, Common Morrhends, Night Herons, Sandhill Cranes, and Tundra Swans. In the early spring, the water appears clear, before natural aquatic vegetation grows over.