Elmer Petersen’s art was getting more attention, 10 years ago

Galesville sculptor Elmer Petersen was the subject of a magazine article in the spring of 2007.  The Danish Immigrant Museum of Elk Horn, Iowa highlighted “The World’s Largest Buffalo,” a 26-foot high sculpture located in Jamestown, North Dakota.  Petersen’s work was being displayed in a museum art exhibit honoring Danish-American artists.  He’s well known in the Coulee Region for the sculpture of native Americans playing the game of lacrosse, and for the bronze eagle at the west end of State Street in downtown La Crosse. 
 
New barriers were being installed along the Mississippi in Riverside Park.  That was part of the work being done to prevent future downtown drownings.  City committees had done months of study, following the 2004 drowning death of local college student Jared Dion.
 
La Crosse musician Rob Gonzalez was performing at the La Crosse Center that April, and U-W-L hosted a concert by a 17-year-old country singer who’s a major music star a decade later.  Her name is Taylor Swift, and she performed at Cartwright Center 10 years ago today, 2007, Yesterday in La Crosse.