A piece of New Glarus history recently surfaced in an unexpected place: eBay. An original program for the third annual William Tell production, staged Sept. 1-2, 1940, at Elmer’s Grove, offers a detailed snapshot of the village, its families and the Swiss traditions that were already becoming central to its identity.
The surviving program includes a cast of characters, a lengthy list of patrons and patronesses, scene descriptions and production credits. It names Edwin Barlow and Mrs. Fred B. Streiff as directors of the William Tell Community Guild presentation, with Mrs. Sam Schneider serving as prompter.
Even before opening the program, its cover establishes the scale of the occasion: the “Third Annual Presentation” was scheduled for two days, and the organizers were already advertising another performance for September 1941. Inside, the cast stretches from the leading roles of William Tell and Gessler to soldiers, horsemen, peasants, wedding participants and children.
The names are a time capsule of New Glarus. Kundert, Streiff, Ott, Hoesly, Kubly, Elmer, Zweifel, Maurer, Thalmann, Klassy and other familiar surnames appear among the performers. The program also credits the New Glarus Yodel Club and an Edelweiss Orchestra, reflecting the mix of drama, music and community participation that went into the pageant.
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