(Photo courtesy of Nordean and Lillian Hoesly)
This picture is the Schuetzen Haus, the big white building just north of New Glarus. The property was for monthly practice and competitive shooting events. The dedication of the Schuetzen Haus was held Kilby Sunday 1907. A Schuetzenfest was held about four times each summer. Local shooters were joined by shooters from other midwestern states. Most came to New Glarus by way of rail and stayed in local hotels. The site was chosen for its grove of oak trees that protected the shooting range from prevailing west winds. THe first shooters used 32-40 caliber Swiss rifles. After World War I, the club received Winchester Model 52 training rifles through the National Rifle Association. Matches were stopped during World War II and never started again. Today, the building is owned and maintained by the Wilhelm Tell Guild and is used for the annual Volksfest celebration and occasional barn dances.
(Photo courtesy of Nordean and Lillian Hoesly)
Pictured are shooters and their families at a Schuetzenfest in August 1908. In the background is the target house that faced south to pick up the best natural light. It was dug into the hillside and lined with a rock and mortar foundation to protect the twelve young boys who marked the targets. It was not uncommon for shots to fall short of the target house and the roof was full of holes from shots that went high. A wheel of Swiss cheese and a barrel of beer from the local brewery were always available for the shooters and their families. For lunch the boys were given Swiss cheese sandwiches, and when the target boys got thirsty they would shout, "Beer, beer!" The beer was delivered to them in a gallon pail for all to share. Nordean Hoesly was one of the target boys.
(Photo courtesy of Doris and Paul Klassy, Sr. and Mary Lou Hustad)
Millions of lives were put on hold during the World War II years. After the war, America was on a roll and it seemed like there was never a better time to be alive. New Glarus held a simple Centennial observance in 1945 and moved on with the pleasures of postwar life by having a big celebration in August of the following year. Onlookers must have been quite amused by this corny 100th anniversary parade entry. You've heard the old saying, "Don't put the cart before the horse." The gentlemen that did are Willis Zwickey and Palmer Arn (playing Willis's wife). They are remembered as lovin' a good ol' time! Both men had farms located on Highway H. Zwickey was related to Fred Kundert, founder of the Bank of New Glarus.
(Photo courtesy of Marcella Hammerly and Sally Stenbroten)
New Glarus has long promoted its local businesses. Shown is the front of a two-sided pocket directory from 1921. This is a summary from the section "New Glarus Today, In the Cow and Cheese Belt Where the Blue Grass Grows:" Population 1,000. Has two churches, two well-organized banks, two hardware stores, three general stores, two shoe stores, a harness shop, theatre, bottling works, two jewelry stores, a druggist, two meat markets, furniture store, three restaurants, two barbers, a weekly paper, two hotels, two doctors, two dentists, a veterinarian, three garages, a farm implement store, three cigar factories, a lumber and coal yars. Improved farmland is worth $150-$200 an acre and is rapidly rising in value.
(Photo courtesy of Don Hustad and Enos Jeglulm)
This picture is the Forward Mount Baseball Team taken in the Mt. Vernon park. They played in the Iowa County Home Talent League and won the 1948 Championship honors. The New Glarus farmers were all Norwegian (except O'Conner!) and were from the area west of New Glarus known as Forward, which had a grocery store and the Green Prairie area that was centered around a cheese factory. Missing in the picture is Gaylord Kittleson and Charley Iverson. Howard Jeglum led the league with seven home runs. Clayton Engen had the second highest batting average. Other teams in the league were New Glarus, Mineral Point, Hollandale, Jonesdale, and Blanchardville. Pictured are Bill Hustad, Don Hustad, Gene O'Conner, Don Jenson, Bob Jacobson, Clayton Engen, Howard Jeglum, Enos Jeglum, Harold Jenson, and Percy Hanson.
(Photo courtesy of Barbara Streiff)
The late historian/writer Alvin Streiff recorded this as the greatest social event of the summer and everyone in the village was invited. On August 12, 1926, New Glarus Lumber Yard owner Gilbert Ott married Dora Streiff. The flower girls are Dorothy Marty and Gladys Streiff and the ring bearer is John Streiff. Second row, bride and groom. Third row (left to right): Werner Stauffacher, Esther Stauffacher, Fay Zentner, Pastor Muhlmeir, and behind the Pastor are Dora Zentner, Harvey Ott, and John Streiff. Back row is the pastor's wife, Mrs. Muhlmeir, Fred Ott, Bertha Ott, Barbara Hoesly, Barbara Wild Streiff, and Lena Streiff. Dora and her sister, Esther, who could sit down and play all the popular tunes of the time were known as the "Streiff Sister Duo." They were beautiful, popular, and talented. Before Dora could leave for her honeymoon, the sisters made an appearance as soloists at the Evansville Fair with a band they belonged to. Fondly, Alvin Streiff wrote, "that was the way the Streiff sisters operated."
(Photo courtesy of Karl and Kaye Gmur)
The Buesser and Gmur families and Sepp Thoma emigrated from Amden, St. Gallen in the 1920s and settled around New Glarus. This photo was taken at a gathering in the basement of Thierstein's Chalet about 1948. Thierstein had traveled to Switzerland visiting relatives and friends in Amden. Upon his return, All the "Amlers" (people from Amden) gathered to hear stories of their hometown. The Stauffers ran the Four Corners Bar for Thierstein and Otto Anderegg had the cheese cold storage "Swissconsin" behind the Four Corners. Front row (left to right): Roger Buesser, Ruth Buesser Viney, John Buesser, Donny Buesser, Karl Gmur. Second row: Doreen Buesser Disch, Mrs. Alois (Louisa) Buesser, Mrs. Hugo (Mary) Gmur, Mrs. Oswald (Olga) Buesser, Mrs. Pius (Meta) Buesser, Mrs. Franz (Emilie) Gmur. Third row: Rose Stauffer, Ernie Stauffer, Alois Buesser, Hugo Gmur, Otto Anderegg, Oswald Busser, Lutz Gmur, Pius Busser, Sepp Thoma, Franz Gmur, Ernie Thierstein.
(Photo courtesy of Rolland Hustad)
With a team of horses and wagon in tow, this crew of threshers (left to right), Rollie Hustad, Melvin Gunhus, and Ervin Truttmann went from field to field harvesting grain. About the end of July, the oats were cut, shocked, and left in the field for two weeks to dry. The shocks were then loaded onto wagons and hauled to the threshing machine. The grain was put into grain sacks (see sack hooked to the grain sacker in center of picture). Each sack held about three bushels of oats. The straw was blown into a pile and later hauled to the barn to be used mostly for cattle bedding. This picture was taken at Rollie's parents' home, the Arthur and Beatrice Hustad farm, about 1940.
(Photo courtesy of Verena Grossenbacher)
The first presentation of the Wilhelm Tell Pageant was on September 4-5, 1938. Paul and Verena Grossenbacher, Pauline (left) and Elmira (right), were in the first production. One of the founders, Paul, played Gessler for twenty years and directed the German play for ten years. Verena played Aargard in the German play for thirty years. The family has a wonderful history in New Glarus. They operated the New Glarus Dairy on their farm. The entrepreneurs had humble, hard-working beginnings. Up at 4 AM, they milked their cows and were the first in the area to pasteurize, bottle, and deliver milk and cream to villagers. Paul, who passed away in 1990, had a noted singing career with the Yodelers, Mannerchor, and Edelweiss Stars. Verena was a leader in the Ladies' Aid, Homemakers, and the Order of the Eastern Star. The couple had four children. Eillie Root was a teacher in Monticello and was known for her excellent guided tours of Europe. Ellie died in 1997. Pauline Boss Riggs, Ph.D., was a professor at the University of Minnesota, and published the book "Ambiguous Loss." John lives in Montana and is a retired ALCOA executive. John earned the Eagle Scout Award while in New Glarus Troop 148 and has a thirty-year scout record training junior and adult leaders. Eddie died of polio in 1955, at the age of thirteen.
(Photo courtesy of Palma McFadden)
These young boys must have earned lots of brownie points from their leader, fellow cast members, and parents for being angelic long enough to act as Choir Boys in the death scene of the Wilhelm Tell play, around 1946. Left to right: Dave Hefty, Werner "Butch" Kuenzi, Paul Heller, Ed Zurkirchen, Ronie Heller, Ken Roth, Conrad Doering, Charles Hicks, unidentified, Charles "Chuck" Erb, and Don Fjelstad.
(Photo courtesy of Arnold Kehrli, Jr.)
Our community owes a debt of gratitude to our past and present New Glarus Volunteer Fire Department. They have come a long way since their origination in September 1902 when the only equipment available was a hose truck and a hook and ladder truck. This picture was taken about 1945. Front row (left to right): Bernie Wild, Louie Ubert, Oswald Schneider, Arnold Kehrli Sr., Chief Jacob Bruni, J. Jacob Figi, Harvey Ott. Second row: Fred Maurer, Emil Kubly, Joe Haegeli, Scott Heisler, Bill Kuenzi Sr., Arnold Kehrli Jr., and Ray Wurgler. Third row: Orville Lee, Henry Hefty, Cecil Thacker, Willard Marty, Junior Kundert, and Ray Duerst.
(Photo courtesy of Ernest Lufi)
The year was 1913 and Miss Emma Bruhn finally succeeded in marshalling her 51 lively, squirming first and second graders at New Glarus schools into some semblance of order. The event? An official portrait of the two classes. Although a few nervous giggles disrupted the group's composure, the lineup went like this. First row: Hervey Duerst, Walter Truttmann, Elmer Figi, Robert Jackson, Clifford Syvrud, Henry Hoiby, Walter Frick, Olin Mitmoen, Floyd Schuler, Silven Becker, William Figi, Herman Lufi, Wilbert Blum. Second row: Helen Kammer, Forrest Campbell, Rudy Lengacher, Clifford Luchsinger, Edward Wyss, Johnnie Brunner, Mildred Schuler, Flora Hoesly, Clara Pierce, Gertrude Katz, Amanda Suter, Jane Anderson, Wilma Hefty. Third row: Bernice Legler, Ada Zweifel, Freida Marty, Hazel Hoesly, Vera Spaulding, Anna Hefty, Elsie Haegele, Hulda Ingold, Elsie Bowman, Albert Bowman, Herman Kubly, Herbert Duerst. Fourth row: Sylvia Blum, Josie Streiff, Barbara Marty, Erna Theiler, Pearl Hoesly, Alma Ingold, Miss Bruhn, Gilbert Ott, Bert Gmur, Henry Stauffer, Teddy Schiess, Ernest Lufi, and Freddie Luchsinger.