Time for a new county building, 54 years ago

Starting on June 17th of 1963, La Crosse County would begin building its new courthouse on 4th Street.  The nearly two million dollar courthouse and jail would open in 1965.  It was used by the county for government offices until the end of last year, and is now being converted into student housing.  The Tribune reported in ’63 that the local historical society wasn’t interested in saving the existing courthouse, and neither was the public.  Belle Square now stands on the site of that old courthouse. 
 
The pope died that June, from stomach cancer.   John XXIII had served as pope for less than five years.  Viterbo University in La Crosse has given an annual service award in his memory since the 1970’s.  It’s now known as the Saint John XXIII Award. 
 
La Crosse Bishop John Treacy presided over the laying of a cornerstone, completing an addition to St. Francis Hospital.  The new section of the Catholic hospital cost five million dollars. 
 
On Friday nights that summer, you could watch Channel 8 to see “Rawhide,” “The Flintstones,” “Ben Casey,” “Route 66,” and “77 Sunset Strip.”  In 1963, 54 years ago, yesterday in La Crosse.