Villa Louis

Villa Louis (HMFM0)

Location: Prairie Du Chien, WI 53821 Crawford County
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Country: United States of America
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N 43° 3.389', W 91° 9.463'

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Inscription
This hilltop mansion commands a sweeping view of a landscape steeped in history. Descendants of pioneer fur trader Hercules Dousman built the house in 1870 atop a mound overlooking the Mississippi River, which drew European explores to this spot in the 17th century. By the beginning of the Revolutionary War, fur traders and native tribes met here to trade goods. The fur trade sparked a clash of armies on this site in the only battle of the War of 1812 fought on Wisconsin soil. It also brought Dousman here in 1826 to ply the trade for the American Fur Company.

H. Louis Dousman built the Villa Louis as the centerpiece of a country estate that reflected the family's status. For a time the estate operated as the Artesian Stock Farm, breeding and raising fine standard bred trotting horses for harness racing. Amid the thick of Victorian-era pomp in 1885, Dousman and his wife Nina redecorated the house in British Arts and Crafts splendor. The Dousmans left the estate in 1913 and its luster waned over time until the Wisconsin Historical Society took ownership of the property in 1952 and eventually returned the magnificent home to its 1890s heyday.
Details
HM NumberHMFM0
Series This marker is part of the National Historic Landmarks series, and the Wisconsin: Wisconsin Historical Society series.
Tags
Marker Number474
Year Placed2002
Placed ByThe Wisconsin Historical Society
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, October 3rd, 2014 at 8:32am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)15T E 650025 N 4768734
Decimal Degrees43.05648333, -91.15771667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 43° 3.389', W 91° 9.463'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds43° 3' 23.34" N, 91° 9' 27.78" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)608
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 501-599 N Villa Louis Rd, Prairie Du Chien WI 53821, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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