La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of Rush County, Kansas, United States. La Crosse proclaims itself the "Barbed Wire capital of the world.
History
La Crosse was founded in 1876, was named after the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin. La Crosse subsequently became the intended county seat, and county records were transferred there from the temporary county seat, nearby Rush Center. A county seat war ensued between the two communities, lasting until La Crosse was declared the permanent county seat and the construction of the county courthouse in 1888.
In the 1960s, La Crosse became a regional center of barbed wire collecting, leading to the establishment of the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum and the nicknaming of the city as "The Barbed Wire Capital of the World".
Tornado of 2012
On May 25, 2012, an EF-1 tornado caused about four blocks of significant damage, and two businesses were destroyed. A third of the businesses sustained major damage. No injuries were reported.
Geography
La Crosse lies in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains, approximately south of the Smoky Hill River and north of Walnut Creek, a tributary of the Arkansas River. Sand Creek, a tributary of Walnut Creek, flows southeastward around the southwestern and southern portions of the city. Mule Creek, a small tributary of Sand Creek, flows southeastward through the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
Climate
On average in La Crosse, July is the hottest month, January is the coldest and driest month, and May the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in La Crosse was 115 °F (46 °C) in 1954; the coldest temperature recorded was -24 °F (-31 °C) in 1989.