Settlement in the LaCrosse area began in the 1840s with the arrival of John Cellon, a young French immigrant, followed by early settlers including Thomas Green, Abraham Mott, Richard H. Parker and family, William Scott, and Thomas Standley. The town was built on land granted to Parker by the U.S. government in 1856. Cotton became the area's primary cash crop, and local buyers such as John Eli Futch expanded with a warehouse for harvests and a general store for growers. In 1878, Parker's son Henry Clay opened his first business, which grew into the largest general store in the area. The post office opened in Futch's store in 1881, with Futch serving as postmaster. Incorporated in 1897, the town was named by either Mrs. Futch or Henry Clay Parker. By the turn of the 20th century, LaCrosse had two cotton gins, grist mills, multiple stores, and a hotel. After boll weevils devastated the cotton industry, farmers shifted to potatoes as a new cash crop, and the town became known as the Potato District and a major shipping point, with a cooper assembling barrels for rail transport. LaCrosse remains an important farming area for corn, vegetables, tobacco, and livestock.