Area Information

Searching for a place to settle, Moses Decker had made his way to what would later become Viroqua in 1846. Two of his sons, Solomon and Reasoner, helped put up a cabin and returned to Illinois later that year. The two sons, accompanied by the entire family, traveled back to the area to settle in their new home in 1847. By 1850, a second house of hewn logs was raised not far from the original and is believed to be the house on East Decker Street, which still stands to this day. In 1850, the site that Decker envisioned as a village was surveyed and platted by Samuel McMichael.

Among the many area attractions, events and festivals is the Vernon County Fair, a 5-day spectacular that draws 5,000+ exhibitors and upwards of 24,000 spectators. You'll also enjoy the Westby Annual Syttende Mai Festival (a Norwegian folk festival), Hillsboro's Annual Cesky Den Festival, Viroqua's Wild West Days, Hell-On-Hooves Ranch Rodeo and Bull Riding Bonanza. And don't forget Viroqua's Gospel and Bluegrass Festival, Hillsboro's Fall Fest, the Westby Annual Host Fest, Viola Sesquicentennial Celebration, LarryFest and La Farge's 4th of July Weekend Celebration. Whether it is the award-winning public schools, the Christian guidance of our two religious academies, the experiential learning at Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School and Youth Initiative High School, or the continuing education at Western Wisconsin Technical College, the number of educational options makes Viroqua truly unique. Our region offers a wealth of choices in healthcare. Choose from the traditional medicine of ever-expanding Vernon Memorial Hospital and Gundersen Lutheran Viroqua Clinic, the healing arts of dozens of holistic medicine practitioners, or the numerous chiropractors, dentists, marriage and family counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists. Viroqua is the place to go for entertainment and recreation. Enjoy the excitement of Wild West Days, the challenge of an 18-hole golf course, the culture of a play at the handsomely restored Temple Theatre, the relaxation of fly-fishing the class one trout streams, swimming at the indoor aquatic center and the thrill of a hockey game at the indoor ice arena. Viroqua's downtown district is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places and home to dozens of specialty shops that offer everything from metal and glassware to art and wine and delicious dining. We are also the center of one of the greatest organic farming regions of the United States. Each Saturday in June through October, farmers and artisans from across the countryside come into our historic district to sell their fruits, vegetables, art and other items at the farmers market. Wisconsin's gentle Kickapoo River meanders through Vernon County from Ontario south, joined by the West Fork River above Readstown. Coon Creek flows through the northwestern third of Vernon County and joins the Mississippi at Stoddard. The North and South Forks of the Bad Axe River flow westerly to the Mississippi north of Black Hawk Park and south of Lock and Dam #8. The county's streams and rivers flow for more than 100 miles through unchallenged natural beauty. The rugged hills and deep valleys of Vernon County also provide excellent habitat for white-tail deer. Bow hunting season starts in mid-September and continues through December, while the regular season starts the Saturday before Thanksgiving and lasts 9 days. Visitors traveling the roads of Vernon County will also commonly see wild turkey foraging in local farm fields. The town of Romance, about 10 miles west of Viroqua, was the site of the first reintroduction of wild turkey and is rightfully named the "Wild Turkey Capital of Wisconsin." There are also pristine trout streams and excellent fly-fishing only minutes away as well as hiking, camping, horseback riding, snowmobiling, canoeing, cross-country skiing, skating and swimming. The Viroqua Skate Park is located on South Street on the southwest corner of the Park Bowl. There is no admission charge to the new park and it is open to skateboarding, rollerblading and BMX style bikes. Discover why the Wall Street Journal, CBS Evening News, Smithsonian Magazine, Reader's Digest, the Chicago Tribune and Trout Unlimited have all picked Viroqua as small town America at its best. Come by our United Country office soon and let us show you!

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