Remembering former President Jimmy Carter’s visits to the La Crosse area, including a trip down the Mississippi on a paddlewheeler

He went from being ‘Jimmy Who’ to the president in a very short time. Jimmy Carter served as president from 1977 to 1981, making a few stops to the La Crosse area along the way.

Mr. Carter passed away at the end of 2024, shortly after turning 100. During his 1976 campaign, and once while he was in office, the 39th president included the La Crosse area in his travels.

Carter attended a political fundraiser in the La Crosse area in September of 1975, more than a year before the presidential election. Area reporters had a chance to question him that day, when he came to UW-La Crosse, as a guest on the public radio show ‘Newsmakers.’

By the time Carter returned to La Crosse the following April, he had become the leading Democratic contender in the caucuses and primaries.

This time, the national media, including high-profile reporters such as NBC’s John Chancellor, followed Carter to UW-L’s Cartwright Center, where he held a Sunday afternoon campaign rally.

Early reports of the Wisconsin primary voting declared Mo Udall the Democratic victor, but Carter came from behind to win the state.

During his presidential term, Carter rode down the Mississippi River on the Delta Queen paddlewheeler with his wife Rosalynn and their daughter Amy.

On that August 1979 trip, Carter spoke about the nation’s energy needs during a company picnic at the 3M factory in Prairie du Chien, Wis. He was also photographed taking a jog, along with bodyguards, at the new PdC High School track.

Jimmy Carter visited Wisconsin again on other occasions after leaving the White House, but did not get to the La Crosse area. However, many people still recall when the president from Plains, Georgia, saw western Wisconsin, yesterday in La Crosse.