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.

105 posts
Heritage
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
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
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
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
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
by Todd Klassy, Staff
Paid

Honoring the First Settlers: The Story Behind New Glarus’s Pioneer Monument

More than a century after its 1915 dedication, New Glarus’s Pioneer Monument still marks the story of the Swiss settlers who arrived in 1845, while signs of weathering raise questions about preserving the landmark for generations to come.

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3 Min
by Todd Klassy
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
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
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
by Todd Klassy, Staff

Showing 12 of 105 total posts

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