New Glarus 360Independent local news and information for greater New Glarus, Wisconsin.
10 Obscure Facts You Probably Didn't Know About New Glarus
From a village that might have landed in Illinois to 250-year-old trees, a building turned backward and pioneers who later sent aid home to Switzerland, New Glarus has plenty of history hiding in plain sight — if you know where to look.
New Glarus is a place that wears much of its history out in the open. The Swiss flags, chalet-style buildings, settler monument and annual traditions make sure visitors know quickly that this village has a story.
But some of the best New Glarus stories are much easier to miss. They are hidden in measurements, old street names, relocated buildings, mismatched signs and details buried deep in local and Swiss historical records. Here are 10 of the more obscure ones.
1. New Glarus Might Have Been in Illinois
When Niklaus Dürst and Fridolin Streiff were sent to America in 1845 to find land for a new Swiss colony, Wisconsin was not their only option. Historical accounts say the two men searched through parts of Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin before settling on 1,200 acres in Green County.
That means the story of New Glarus could have unfolded somewhere else entirely. Had the search ended differently in Illinois, one of the stranger consequences may have been cultural rather than geographic: We might all be Bears fans.
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