New Glarus, Wisconsin Totally Explained

Everything about New Glarus Wisconsin totally explained

New Glarus is a village in Green County, Wisconsin, United States at the intersection of Wisconsin Highways 69 and 39. It has an estimated population of 2,111 according to the 2000 census. The village, as well as the town in which it lies, was named after the Canton of Glarus in eastern Switzerland. Founded in 1845 by immigrants from Glarus, Switzerland and incorporated in 1901, New Glarus is a popular tourist destination best known for its Swiss heritage, old world architecture, fine dining, outdoor festivals, and many forms of recreation. New Glarus is located approximately from Madison, Wisconsin, from Rockford, Illinois, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and from Chicago, Illinois.
While many ethnicities in America have become one in the great melting pot, New Glarus maintained much of its Swiss heritage and many old world traditions. More than 160 years after it was founded, Swiss-style chalets and flower boxes filled with red geraniums still grace the streets of New Glarus. Swiss flags also fly proudly next to the American flag at many businesses and homes throughout New Glarus. Old World meat markets, restaurants, and an authentic Swiss bakery are also found in downtown New Glarus, along with folk art, museums, and Swiss-style shops. Many Swiss customs are still alive in New Glarus. Among those are the card game Yass, yodeling, and flag tossing.

History

Coming to America

In the early 1840s, after several years of failed crops and as food became scarce, much of Glarus, Switzerland found itself plunged deep into poverty. Having more workers than available jobs, the government of Glarus saw immigration to America as a possible solution. Authorities established the Glarus Emigration Society in 1844, which offered loans to help its residents purchase land in the New World. All other expenses associated with the voyage to America were to be paid by the emigrants themselves. Men were offered 20 acres free of rent for ten years, after which they could own the land for a mere ten shillings per acre. Given the desperate economic conditions in Switzerland, 193 volunteered and decided to leave their homeland to start anew in America.
   In 1845, magistrates in Glarus, Switzerland dispatched two men, Nicolas Duerst and Fridolin Streiff, to find a suitable location for a colony in the New World. They were given $2600 and instructions to purchase land, build new cabins, and prepare for the settlers to arrive the following spring.
   Duerst and Streiff began their search in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois before reaching St. Louis, Missouri. From there they traveled north to Galena, Illinois. In the early days of July 1845 they arrived at the land office in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. The men investigated several tracts of farm and timber land in the southern Wisconsin territory before deciding on two square miles along the Little Sugar River. On July 17, 1845 the men purchased 1280 acres for $1.25 per acre. It was a fertile basin bounded with hills and a large stand of trees nearby. Some said later it wasn't the best property available, but the valley and hilltops reminded them of their native Switzerland.
   The land that would become the Village of New Glarus was untamed wilderness, which was roamed exclusively by Native Americans for many, many years. An old Indian trail passed just south of present-day New Glarus and through what is now the New Glarus Woods State Park. That Indian trail later became the main avenue of approach through New Glarus. Even as late as 1845 the remnants of an old wigwam was still found there.
   Anxious to begin a fresh life in the New World, families back in Switzerland decided to depart much earlier than expected. On April 10, 1845 the group of immigrants left Glarus, Switzerland on a barge bound for Rotterdam. From there they expected to sail into New York City where friends were scheduled to meet them. Dishonest agents, however, routed them instead to Baltimore, Maryland where they first stepped foot in America after a 49-day voyage. Without any knowledge of the whereabouts of Duerst and Streiff, the former residents of Glarus left Baltimore searching for the two men who arrived before them and the land chosen for their new home.
   During their journey across the vast expanse of America, the Swiss pioneers heard rumors that Duerst and Streiff had died. Undaunted, the group continued their difficult journey west. When they arrived in St. Louis it was said that their bodies were covered with mosquito bites and very nearly approaching starvation. Once in St. Louis they boarded a steamboat for Galena, Illinois.
   Shortly after arriving in Galena they learned Duerst and Streiff were indeed alive and had already secured land for their new settlement. Overjoyed, eighteen men left that night on foot and walked to the location of the settlement. Wagons were then dispatched to Galena for the remainder of the immigrants. A journey that took four months and five days, 108 settlers arrived at their new home on August 15, 1845. Three members of their party died on the way to southern Wisconsin. The balance found work or friends along the way; many of whom joined the colony later the following year.

The Early Years

In all, the New Glarus settlers purchased for their new home. Many of the pioneers were carpenters, mechanics, and farmers; trades that proved useful as the settlers prepared for their first winter in the wild Wisconsin Territory. A sum of $1000 was used by the settlers that winter to purchase tools, cattle, seed, and other provisions, all of which had to be repaid with the price of the land within ten years after the formation of the colony.
Following the end of the Civil War, and with the evolution of the cheese factory, the prosperity of New Glarus and neighboring communities grew. At its peak in 1905 New Glarus boasted 22 cheese factories; so many it was said the crossroads of the township were congested with daily deliveries of milk to the Limburger and Swiss cheese factories. New Glarus quickly became known as the "Cheese Capital of the World" and Green County was said to have more cheese factories than any other place on Earth. Today only one Limburger cheese factory near New Glarus remains; the last of its kind in North America.
While many still consider New Glarus a farming community, the ranks of farmers and agricultural related businesses have declined steadily since 1967 when Wisconsin as a whole lost nearly 2,000 farms. Of the 116,000 farmers still remaining in Wisconsin, a full 20% fall below the poverty line. Once integral to the New Glarus economy, gone are the cheese factories, feed mills, and those who made a living off of the farmers.

Tourism

In the years leading up to World War II, an economic crisis affected much of the agriculture and dairy industry in New Glarus. Many residents left the community to look for work elsewhere and leaders became concerned about the future of their small Swiss community. Representatives of the village consulted with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Swiss American Historical Society to find a solution. It was decided that tourism could help resurrect the local economy and preserve its identity. Local businesses began changing the way they did business and they actively promoted the heritage of New Glarus. Swiss chalet-style architecture began appearing throughout the village and festivals, once intended for local consumption, became frequented by tourists from all around the upper Midwest.
Arnold Wieser, owner of the Swiss Miss Textile Mart and Lace Factory, became an ambassador for New Glarus. As he traveled through much of the Midwest peddling his embroidery and Swiss lace at festivals and fairs, Wieser actively marketed the community and its Swiss heritage.
Roger Bright, whose polka band played in 33 states, Canada, and Europe, also became an ambassador for New Glarus. Bright's Cleveland-style polka included a Swiss influence and wherever he played he promoted New Glarus, Wisconsin. Bright's music was recorded on 35 albums, including hit songs such as "Everywhere You Go" and "Come to the Mountain." When not on the road, The Roger Bright Polka Band was a fixture at the New Glarus Hotel on most weekends. In the early 1970s Bright also played on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show with the Emmy Award winning Frankie Yankovic. He also appeared on the Phil Donahue Show and performed with the St. Louis Pops Orchestra.

Swiss Center of North America

In 1999 New Glarus was chosen as the future home of the Swiss Center of North America, a cultural center dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the Swiss culture in the North American continent. Chicago, New York, and Toronto were also considered, but New Glarus was ultimately chosen because it's centrally located and the large concentration of Swiss Americans living in the vicinity.
A new facility for the Swiss Center is being planned, which will include a research library, historical archive, displays, conference rooms, and offices. $3 million has been pledged so far, with a majority of the money coming from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, State of Wisconsin, Canton of Glarus, and corporations including General Casualty Insurance, Nestle USA, Novartis, Phillip Morris Europe, and Victorinox.

Food & Dining

Despite its small size, New Glarus is known for many traditional Swiss dishes and its popular beer. Visitors from all over travel to New Glarus to dine and eat specialties rarely seen outside of Switzerland.
Fine foods that define much of New Glarus include:

Röschti (or Rösti) – Considered the national dish of Switzerland, is also considered the official dish of New Glarus. A meal eaten by the early Swiss settlers after first arriving in the New World, Röschti is made with grated potatoes, onions, Swiss cheese, and fresh herbs. Röschti is fried and shaped into rounds or patties. Originally served as a breakfast dish, it's now commonly available as a side dish at most restaurants in New Glarus.

Kalberwurst – A sausage with a distinctive, creamy flavor that originated in the Canton of Glarus, kalberwurst is made with veal, milk, ground crackers, and mild spices. Kalberwurst has a smooth texture and mild taste, and although most sausages are smoked, kalberwurst is not. It is often cooked with onions and/or a gravy. Many Swiss restaurants in New Glarus serve kalberwurst and it's also a featured dish at the community's annual Kilby Holiday.

Spaetzle (or Spätzle) – Spaetzle is a small, boiled and fried dumpling made with eggs, flour, and salt. Roughly translated spaetzle means “small sparrows,” which is a reference to the dumpling's small shape and size. Spaetzle is frequently available as a side dish at many restaurants in New Glarus.

Landjaeger (or Landjäger) – A dried sausage made with beef, pork, lard, sugar, and spices, landjaegers are often eaten as a snack food. Pressed into a mold, which gives them a distinctive rectangular shape, landjaegers were sent to soldiers from New Glarus fighting in Europe during World War II because they could be kept without refrigeration. Translated the word landjaeger means “country hunter” in English. Their popularity has increased over the years and now they can be found at most grocery stores, convenience stores, and taverns throughout southern Wisconsin.

Braetzli – A braetzli is a wafer-thin cookie that has a distinctive almond-vanilla taste. Handmade, braetzlis are extremely difficult and time-consuming to make. Braetzlis are cooked on a special Swiss iron that imprints a decorative pattern on both sides of the cookie. Other favorite foods commonly available in New Glarus include bratwurst, fondue (cheese or meat), kaesechuechli, schnitzel, stollen, stroganoff, and many different Swiss chocolates and sweet treats.
   Arguably the best known restaurant in New Glarus is the New Glarus Hotel. This decorative old-world restaurant serves many Swiss specialties and also features traditional Swiss and polka music on many nights. The New Glarus Hotel also offers balcony seating that overlooks downtown New Glarus.
   In addition to the New Glarus Hotel, other restaurants in New Glarus have received critical acclaim recently, including Deininger's and The Glarner Stube. Other fine restaurants in New Glarus include the beautiful Chalet Landhaus Inn, Flannery's Wilhelm Tell Club, and Tofflers Bar & Grill. And while Puempel's Old Tavern is first and foremost a tavern, it also serves food and is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.
   Specialty food shops that sell many different Swiss foods also line the streets of New Glarus including Hoesly's Meats, Ruef's Meat Market, Maple Leaf Cheese & Chocolate Shop, The Bramble Patch, New Glarus Bakery, and New Glarus Primrose Winery.

Festivals & Events

Dairy Queen & Ice Cream Social

Heidi Festival and Taste of New Glarus

Kilby Supper

New Glarus Community Festival

Oktoberfest

Roger Bright Memorial Polkafest

St. Nicholas Day

Schuetzen Fest

Swiss Volkfest

Wilhelm Tell Festival

Winterfest

Recreation

The Sugar River State Trail is a popular recreation trail that extends from New Glarus into the beautiful countryside along the Little Sugar River, a body of water which later joins the Sugar River just outside Albany, Wisconsin at Mill Pond. The recreation trail was built on a former Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railroad rail line and its surface today is compressed limestone. It was once known as the Limburger Special because it was used to transport cheese made at many of New Glarus's many cheese factories. Today the recreation trail is used mostly for bicycling, hiking, and snowmobiling.
   Beyond what the Sugar River State Trail offers, there are many other quiet, country roads in and around New Glarus also popular with bicyclists. Among those are Argue Road, County Road H, County Highway O, Kubly Road, Legler Valley Road, Valley View Road, and Marty Road, which is specifically designated a bike trail and Wisconsin Rustic Road.
   South of the village along Wisconsin Highway 69 is the New Glarus Woods State Park. Established in 1934, the New Glarus Woods State Park is a year-round destination for campers, hikers, cross country skiers, and those who want to showshoe. It is also a popular place for a picnic. Part of a dense forest that was once said to have rivaled in size Germany's Black Forest,.
   Golf is another popular recreational activity in New Glarus. The beautiful rolling hills at Edelweiss Chalet County Club offer a challenging 18-hole golf course, which is open to the public. Frequented by golfers from Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago, the golf course was built in 1968. Designed and maintained to accommodate players of all skill and patience levels, the course also features a full-service clubhouse and restaurant. It is located on Edleweiss Round a short mile east of downtown New Glarus. Argue-Ment Golf Course, on Argue Road, and Swissland Miniature Golf, on Wisconsin Highway 69, are other popular golfing spots in New Glarus.
   Wild game is bountiful in and around New Glarus and, as such, the village has become a popular destination for hunters. White-tailed deer, ringnecked pheasants, wild turkeys, cottontail rabbits, and ruffed grouse are plentiful and offer hunters many opportunities. While much of the land around New Glarus is privately owned, there are many public hunting grounds nearby. And if asked politely, many private land owners will grant permission to hunt on their land.

Area Attractions

Chalet of Golden Fleece Museum

Edelweiss Chalet Country Club

Historic downtown New Glarus

Ice Age National Scenic Trail

New Glarus Brewing Company

New Glarus Primrose Winery

Swiss Colony Monument

Swiss Floral Clock

Swiss Historical Village

Demographics

As of the census of 2000 there were 2,111 people, 862 households, and 561 families residing in New Glarus. The population density was 1,469.2 people per square mile (566.0/km²). There were 893 housing units at an average density of 621.5/sq mi (239.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.44% White, 0.38% Asian, 0.28% Native American, 0.24% from other races, 0.09% Black or African American, and 0.57% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.
   There were 862 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.91.
   In the village the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.
   The median home in New Glarus cost $189,900. Home appreciation last year was -7.32 percent. New Glarus' cost of living is 12.24% lower than the U.S. average.

Economy

Travel and tourism is the single largest contributor to the New Glarus economy.
   The largest employers in New Glarus are LSI, which makes Jack Link’s Beef Jerky (189), the New Glarus School District (110), New Glarus Home (95), New Glarus Brewing Company (60), New Glarus Hotel & Landhaus (50), and Bank of New Glarus (35).
   The median income for a household in the village was $45,000, and the median income for a family was $53,438. Males had a median income of $32,423 versus $28,042 for females. The per capita income for the village was $21,392. About 6.9% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
   The unemployment rate in New Glarus is 4.70%, with job growth of -0.69%. Future job growth over the next ten years is predicted to be 14.70%, boosted in part by a 75,000 sq ft., $18 million expansion to the New Glarus Brewing Company's production facility.

Notable Current & Former Residents

Edwin Barlow, director and producer

Jonathan Barry, former Dane County Executive

Roger Bright, polka musician

Julie Crickenberger, American Heart Association volunteer

Larry Daehn, composer

Kathy DeBruin, photographer

Suzy Favor-Hamilton, former University of Wisconsin and U.S. Olympic track & field athlete

Herbert Kubly, author

Solomon Levitan, Wisconsin State Treasurer and merchant

John Luchsinger, historian and Wisconsin State Legislator

Kevin Patrick Lynch, World War II U.S. Navy sailor and recipient of the Navy Cross

Walter Gabriel Schindler, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral, World War II sailor, and recipient of the Navy Cross

Robbie Schneider, Swiss flag thrower

Butch Strickler, sausage maker and philanthropist

Arnold Wieser, entrepreneur

David Zweifel, editor of the The Capital Times

Facts & Figures

In 1905 a proposal was presented before the people of New Glarus that limburger cheese be "declared legal tender for the payment of all debts and a medium of exchange throughout the district."

Three Amish students who stopped attending high school in New Glarus were the basis of Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972), where United States Supreme Court found that Amish children couldn't be placed under compulsory education past 8th grade, as it violated their fundamental right to freedom of religion.

The Glarner Stube restaurant in New Glarus boasts the "largest urinal in the Midwest."

A 2006 episode of the Food Network television show Food Finds featured the New Glarus Bakery.

Pratt & Lambert, a paint company owned by Sherwin-Williams, offers a paint color (#21-20) called "New Glarus."

According to the March 2008 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, the beer preferred backstage by the American rock band Wilco is brewed by New Glarus Brewing Company.

New Glarus, Wisconsin and the fictitious New Glarus Methodist Hospital are mentioned in several episodes of the FOX-TV show Prison Break (including episodes 9, 12 and 17).

A FOX-TV animated television series, American Dad, mentions New Glarus in an episode entitled Meter Made, which originally aired on October 7, 2007. In that episode Stan Smith speaks to his estranged brother on the telephone and says, "Well, I don't care how they say it in New Glarus, Wisconsin where you live on a lake and have nothing in common with me."Further Information

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