Grandad Bluff, a steep mesa rising above La Crosse, Wisconsin, is one of the city’s defining landmarks and a broad overlook of the Mississippi River valley. Formed in a geologically young landscape, it has long been valued both for its scenery and its stone, which was quarried for construction. When large-scale quarrying threatened the bluff in the early 20th century, Ellen Hixon and her son Joseph bought the land in 1909 to protect it, then donated it to the city in 1912. Hixon also helped preserve nearby Hixon Forest. Over time, park improvements, a stone shelter, a flagpole, and local New Year’s Eve fireworks traditions made the bluff a lasting civic symbol.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain