Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle ...

This story previously aired on Sept. 3, 2022. It was updated on Dec. 27, 2025. Every year, where the Mississippi widens out on its steady journey south alongside the river town of La Crosse, Wisconsin ...