La Crosse Tribune

Daily newspaper in La Crosse, Wisconsin

The La Crosse Tribune is a daily newspaper published in La Crosse, Wisconsin, covering the tri state area of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota in the United States. The paper was first founded in 1904, following a media scandal in which existing publications failed to report on the recent creation of a power monopoly in La Crosse. This was the case with many of such small independent newspapers in La Crosse, which had begun to fade out or merge with one another by the turn of the 20th century. Many of the remaining private publications lost favor in 1904, when they neglected to report on the merger of two power companies which created a monopoly in the area. Among the papers criticised for their "private interests" was the Morning Chronicle. Its managing editor, Aaron M. Brayton, and three others left the Chronicle following the scandal and founded their own paper: the La Crosse Tribune. The Tribune was established with an initial $10,000 investment provided by 65 stockholders. It began publication on May 16, 1904. The paper was not immediately successful, and was purchased in 1907 by Lee Enterprises, a media syndicate, for $15,000. Following the acquisition, the Tribune's founder, Brayton, remained the paper's editor and publisher. In 1917, the paper purchased its main competitor, The La Crosse Leader and Press, for $100,000. By this time, much of the paper's competition had died out and as a result of the merger, it became the city's only remaining daily newspaper. Independent weekly publications remain active, though the Tribune has been the only daily newspaper in La Crosse since 1917. The Tribune was the original owner of WKTY, a local radio station. Regulations set by the Federal Communications Commission meant that the paper could not own the radio station and a TV station simultaneously. In order to invest in a new local TV station WKBT, it sold the radio station to Herbert H. Lee in 1954. The Tribune later divested its ownership of WKBT. Starting June 6, 2023, the print edition of the newspaper will be reduced to three days a week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Also, the newspaper will transition from being delivered by a traditional newspaper delivery carrier to mail delivery by the U. S. Postal Service.

The publication's original location was at 123 Main Street, in downtown La Crosse. As the paper expanded, it moved to spaces at Fifth Avenue and Jay street. In 1938 the Tribune relocated to a new building 435 Fourth Street South. Again in 1973, the publication moved to a new building at 401 Third Street North. In 1996, a new printing and distribution center was erected next to the building.