St. Feriole Island

Crawford Co.

WISCONSIN

INTRODUCTION

St. Feriole Island is a class C location, and is located on the west side of Prairie du Chien, on a small island in the Mississippi River, just north of the confluence with the Wisconsin River. It is not a ghost town per se, but a ghost section of an active city.

The island was the original site of Prairie du Chien, but due to continued flooding by the Mississippi River, the town spread east to higher ground in the 1860s, leaving an interesting collection of historic structures behind. Due to that same continued flooding, the island's buildings were condemned by the US Army Corps of Engineers. In the 1960s, hundreds of structures were either demolished or relocated to other parts of town. But enough remain to make this an interesting place to visit.

IN THE BEGINNING

The island's settlement began with a French fur-trading center in 1673. It was followed by four different military posts from 1685-1831, established by France, England and the USA as ownership of the site changed hands.

The next major structure was built around 1812, when the American Fur Company built a huge stone warehouse to store furs for shipping. In 1814, Fort Selby was built by American soldiers. It was taken over by the British in 1815, and in 1816 was burned and replaced by Fort Crawford, and the area was now firmly in American hands. The site of Fort Crawford was flooded several times in the 1820s, so it was relocated to higher ground.

In 1826, an agent for the American Fur Company, Hercules Louis Dousman, arrived. He saw the promise of the site's key location, and was the first to begin a serious attempt to build a town. By 1870, Prairie du Chien was growing, and he was wealthy. He built the opulent mansion now known as the Villa Louis on the original site of Fort Crawford. It has been restored and is open for visitors ($). See the Villa Louis website for more information. (www.wisconsinhistory.org/villalouis)

In April 2001 the entire island was flooded by a major Mississippi River flood. As Villa Louis is on higher ground it was not damaged.

ST. FERIOLE ISLAND – TODAY

Today, a few buildings still remain on the large island where vacant lots ooze history. Most of the remaining buildings are either undergoing restoration, are scheduled for it, or have been restored.

One of the most notable buildings is an old rock schoolhouse built in 1858. It is the oldest remaining school building in the area. At the time of our visit in 1995, there were a number of buildings remaining, but I have NOT been able to determine if they are still standing.

Today the island is a sleepy, historic ghost. It is an interesting place to wander about and wonder what it looked like when the hundreds of lots were full of buildings, not emptiness. It is part of the Prairie du Chien City Park system, and as such, has a number of more recent amenities aimed at park users.

Even so, the quiet remains of St. Feriole Island invite exploration, but PLEASE abide by all posted signs and local requirements. When you do visit, also follow the Ghost Towner’s Code of Ethics.

This was our GHOST TOWN OF THE MONTH for February/March 2006

Also visit Ghost Town USA’s:

WISCONSIN Ghost Town Pages

Home Page

Site Map

Ghost Town Listings

On the Road Again

Photo Gallery

Treasure Legends

CURRENT Ghost Town of the Month

PAST Ghost Towns of the Month

Ghost Towner's Code of Ethics