Dousman Hotel, Water Street at Fisher Street, Saint Feriole Island, Prairie du Chien, Crawford County, WI

Significance: The Dousman Hotel, built 1864-65, is associated with Prairie du Chien's role in post-Civil War transportation on the upper Mississippi. When its builder, The Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad, extended a line to Prairie du Chien's "Lower Town" in 1857, it marked the beginning of a prosperous relationship with steamboat, barge and packet companies that plied the river from St. Louis to St. Paul. In the mid-1860's, the railroad and river lines effected a major relocation of their activities north to Praire du Chien's St. Feriole Island; the program included not only construction of railroads, shipping facilities, a warehouse and a grain elevator, but also construction of the Dousman Hotel. ... The Dousman Hotel in its heyday exemplified the kind of establishments frequently built by railroads or private individuals to accommodate rail passengers in the late nineteenth century. These hotel/eating houses were commonly located near rail platforms or depots, and at transportation transfer points, as was the case in Prairie du Chien. The Dousman was of particular interest because it originally included depot and waiting room facilities, as well as sleeping and dining accommodations. However, substantial changes to the structure during this century have eliminated most of the features which embodied these functions.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-47
Survey number: HABS WI-291
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 66000122