Heritage

Stories and archival features focused on New Glarus history, from early settlement and Swiss heritage to long-forgotten events, buildings, and people. This section preserves the community’s past while connecting it to the present.

82 posts
Heritage
Paid

How a Small Village in Wisconsin Became a Swiss Cultural Hub for North America

A familiar landmark on New Glarus’ west side, the Swiss Center for North America is more than a museum — it serves as a continental hub preserving and celebrating Swiss heritage across the U.S. and Canada.

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3 Min
Edited by Todd Klassy, Staff
Paid

Stone Barn on Hefty Road Remains a Christmas Morning Landmark

Just west of New Glarus, the historic Hefty–Blum Stone Barn stands as a lasting symbol of Green County’s Swiss roots. Built in 1861, the beautifully preserved barn is especially striking when fresh snow blankets the surrounding hills.

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3 Min
Edited by Todd Klassy, Staff
Paid

Heritage Shapes the Holidays: Swiss, Norwegian and Irish Traditions

While New Glarus is proudly Swiss, census data reveals a surprise: Irish is the village’s second-most reported European ancestry, not Norwegian. The mix reflects how different immigrant groups arrived, settled, and shaped the area over time.

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2 Min
Edited by Todd Klassy, Staff
Paid

Confluence of Cultures: What Makes Familiar New Glarus Icons Swiss, German, and Something All Its Own

New Glarus calls itself America’s Little Switzerland, but its identity runs deeper than a single label. Swiss roots, Bavarian flair, and Alpine imagery blend into a culture found nowhere else.

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3 Min
Edited by Todd Klassy, Staff
Paid

The Time the FBI Invaded New Glarus and Got Chased Off by a Local Farmwife

Today if you took a stroll down 4th Avenue on the west side of town, drove past the part where the road narrows just a bit, and then stopped at Edelweiss Court, you might never know that once this quiet corner of New Glarus was the backdrop for a full-

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5 Min
Edited by Todd Klassy, Staff
Paid

Tracing New Glarus Roots All the Way Back To Glarus – And Beyond

A Switzerland-based genealogy project is reconnecting New Glarus families to their 19th-century roots in Canton Glarus, mapping hundreds of thousands of descendants and tracing how Swiss emigrants spread across Wisconsin and the Midwest.

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7 Min
Edited by Todd Klassy, Staff
Paid

Historic Photo: 1912 Levitan Stuessy Co. Department Store Parade Float

A 1912 photo postcard from New Glarus hints at a “Band Reunion,” possibly tied to the Imperial Band, a Fire Department water fight, and the founding year of the Männerchor.

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1 Min
Edited by Todd Klassy, Staff
Paid

The Curious Connection Between New Glarus and Million Dollar New York Art

A Sam Gilliam work titled New Glarus now belongs to the Whitney Museum of American Art, creating an unusual link between the village and modern art.

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3 Min
Edited by Todd Klassy, Staff
Paid

From New Glarus to Texas: The Remarkable Life of John Closner

A New Glarus native born to Swiss parents left Wisconsin as a teenager and became one of the defining figures in the growth of Hidalgo County, Texas.

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4 Min
Edited by Todd Klassy, Staff
Paid

New Glarus Honors Its Veterans: From the Revolution to Afghanistan

Generations of New Glarus veterans served from the American Revolution through Afghanistan, leaving a local legacy remembered in family stories, military honors and community memorials.

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5 Min
Edited by Todd Klassy, Staff

Showing 12 of 82 total posts

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