5. Civil War Monument

This gray granite structure, also referred to as the G.A.R. (Grand Army of Republic) Monument, is a memorial to La Crosse area veterans of the Civil War. It features a granite statue of a Union soldier. Inside the monument, an airtight box contains the names of all who contributed to the memorial and the names of the members of the Wilson Colwel Post that promoted the idea. The monument was dedicated on Memorial Day 1913.

Flanking the monument are two 12-pound solid brass Civil War era cannons that were placed on the site in 1916. Each cannon weighs 1,200 pounds and had a range of about one mile. Four types of projectiles could be fired by this cannon and it was used by both sides in every major battle of the Civil War.