Long before modern New Glarus became known for tourism, festivals and Swiss-themed storefronts, it was a working agricultural village filled with horse-drawn traffic, breweries, meat markets and open farmland.

This remarkable historic photograph, believed to have been taken from atop the Swiss Church looking west down the 400 block of 2nd Street, offers an unusually detailed glimpse into everyday life in New Glarus more than a century ago.

The image appears to date somewhere around the early 1900s, likely between 1905 and 1915 based on the architecture, transportation and visible businesses. Several clues within the photograph help narrow the timeframe. Utility poles are visible, suggesting electrification had arrived, but there are no visible automobiles. Horse-drawn wagons and carriages still dominate the street scene.