This historic photograph offers New Glarus residents a fascinating look back at what many longtime Swiss families once called “back town” or “Hinterstädli,” an older section of the village north of downtown.

The image appears to show the 100 block of 2nd Street looking south, likely sometime in the late 1920s based on the automobiles visible in the scene.

The photograph captures a quieter and more open version of New Glarus than most residents know today. A quiet paved street. Storefront awnings stretch over sidewalks. Overhead utility wires crisscross the sky. Only a handful of automobiles sit parked along the road.