Mr. Rowe (an early settler of Onalaska) was fond of quoting poetry and was particulary partial to Campbell's Pleasures of Hope..."And waft across the waves tumultuous roar/The wolf's long howl from Oonalaska's shore." The musical name of the distant fishing station in the far Aleutian Islands stuck in Mr. Rowe's fancy and he adopted it for the new town, dropping however the superfluous "o". The name also written Ounalaska, is probably of Russian origin. Some claim it means "bright water," and others that it is the name of an Indian woman.

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Onalaska, Wisconsin

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[Source: p. 229 of Bryant, Memoirs of LaCrosse county.Milwaukee Journal, Nov. 16th, 1926]