On Tuesday, April 8, La Crosse historian Robert Taunt will present his program, “Indian Place Names in Wisconsin”, covering the source and meaning of many names. The event will be held at 7PM at the History Center. Note the change from our usual date (which is an election day).
One of the ways in which Native American heritage affects the daily life of all Wisconsinites is through place names. Many place names in our state are based on words from different American Indian languages, with varying degrees of accuracy. But some Wisconsin place names were just made up to sound like American Indian words. It’s possible that the name of Viroqua, the largest city in Vernon County, is one of these.
Come learn more about Wisconsin place names with Native origins at this interesting program!