The Swiss Center of North America in New Glarus, Green Co, WI is an excellent example of why you need to do “boots on the ground” genealogical research and not limit yourself to "dot-to-dot genealogy," i.e. connecting data points you find online and hoping the picture you draw is accurate. You can hire a local genealogist (try the Association of Professional Genealogists), or see if the local historical or genealogical society will do lookups for you, or better yet, go there yourself.
Today I got a tour of the extensive holdings the Swiss Center of North America has related to Swiss and Swiss-American genealogy. The village of New Glarus was founded in 1845 by Swiss immigrants from the canton of Glarus but the Center has genealogical records, family histories, 19th & 20th century correspondence & business records, newspapers, photographs, books, sound recordings, music, and Swiss-American club records - in all 4 languages of Switzerland – plus clothing, furniture, artwork, and household items from ALL the cantons and from Swiss emigrants to other parts of North America, including Canada and Puerto Rico.
Places like this make up the 90% (or more) of genealogical records that have NOT been digitized and probably will never be.
The Swiss Center of North America would also like you to get in touch if YOU have any diaries, photos, clothing, artwork, recipes, letters, club records, etc. from your Swiss immigrant ancestors documenting their experience in the Old Country or the New. They welcome such donations (they welcome monetary donations, too) and if great-grandpa’s alpenhorn or whatever you have in the garage isn’t exactly right for their collection they can help you find it a home. Their contact info is: 507 Durst Rd. New Glarus, WI 53574 – info@theswisscenter.org– 608-527-6565.
Photo © Maura Mackowski, 2019
Today I got a tour of the extensive holdings the Swiss Center of North America has related to Swiss and Swiss-American genealogy. The village of New Glarus was founded in 1845 by Swiss immigrants from the canton of Glarus but the Center has genealogical records, family histories, 19th & 20th century correspondence & business records, newspapers, photographs, books, sound recordings, music, and Swiss-American club records - in all 4 languages of Switzerland – plus clothing, furniture, artwork, and household items from ALL the cantons and from Swiss emigrants to other parts of North America, including Canada and Puerto Rico.
Places like this make up the 90% (or more) of genealogical records that have NOT been digitized and probably will never be.
The Swiss Center of North America would also like you to get in touch if YOU have any diaries, photos, clothing, artwork, recipes, letters, club records, etc. from your Swiss immigrant ancestors documenting their experience in the Old Country or the New. They welcome such donations (they welcome monetary donations, too) and if great-grandpa’s alpenhorn or whatever you have in the garage isn’t exactly right for their collection they can help you find it a home. Their contact info is: 507 Durst Rd. New Glarus, WI 53574 – info@theswisscenter.org– 608-527-6565.
Photo © Maura Mackowski, 2019
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