PHOTO OF A PART OF MAIN STREET
Article from
THE AMERICAN SWISS PIONEER NEWSPAPER
The American Swiss Pioneer
Printed The 1st and 3rd Tue. of each month Per Year $1.00 To Switzerland $1.25 Advertisement price 5cents per line.
THE SPECIAL INTEREST OF THE COLONIE NEW SWITZERLAND AND THE SWISS GERMANS AND GERMAN AUSTRAIANS, IMMIGRATION AND COLONISTS.
From Battle to Peace - PAPER FOR AGRICULTURE - To not give up Wins.
SECOND YEAR. NO. 1 - Hohenwald, Lewis Co., Tenn.,
Tuesday. April 17, 1896 - The 25th paper
OUR COLONIE NEW SWITZERLAND
When the undersigned person started this Project of a new big Swiss colonie, advertised in Swiss newspapers like the "Pionier," "Grutlianer" and other Swiss newspaper, some people of other Swiss colonies were against it and complaints and criticisms came in from all corners of the United States. They complained about the bad luck they had in their colonies where they were living. They criticized without even investigating about our situation. Every "nose-wise" person complained about Propst. They said, "he only wants to make money of the people and his helpers were automatic in his hands. One real smart man said he thinks the whole Project was started to poetic, but, today, the great undertaking is a solid fact and a glorious monument of Swiss undertaking power and Swiss energy.
The same complainers "norgler" called out of the 'Crowearners" it was not such a big task anyway, any one of us could have done it, anyone would be a fool if he could not do it.
Yes, Gentlemen, when at the time Columbus set the famous egg on its point, the surprised men called, "Herryemers" O"o.o., we could have done that, too, if we only thought about it. Now let it go, the main thing is that we got our wonderful New Switzerland and were able to do all the hard work, to make the "Howlers" angry But the started Project is not fulfilled yet, it is only the start. The buildings are started, only with rough material, the carpenters are working every day to finish the in and outside of the started buildings, so they be a light of the hard working Swiss people and for the American citizens to copy our buildings and dear old Fatherland be proud of us, Hear it shall say, "heil dir Helvetia, hast noch der Sohneja." "Heil Helvetia, you got the Sons...
On the bottom of today's paper the dear Pionier and Brother and Reader will find a total plan of the whole colonie, as far as it goes today. There are about 13,000 acres of land, the biggest share in this plan is in 14 sections and 5 fractions--sections divided and with some exceptions to the Pionier this plan was made, so each owner of 40 - 80 acres of land can easily find the direction and how far from town his land is.
The Town of New Switzerland was laid off direct West of the Railroad Track. It measures 171 Acres, there are 30 blocks, about 1 block was for the city Square. All the streets run from North to South and from West to East. The main streets are 80 and the others 60 feet wide. All streets can easily be leveled off. The Town lays high and has a nice location, the eye has a nice view--it sees the blue sky and the green trees on the hillsides.
Dixon, Tennessee is 53 miles North of here; the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad runs through forests and hills. It is a scenery for nature-loving people. The agriculturist is not too much interestted in it. Rhe Railroad Track is very crooked and it looks lonely, but about 7 miles North from the New Colonie, the train goes slowly toward New Switzerland and the scenery has changed. you see big cedar and oak trees. there you saw high rugged hills and big washed-out gulleys, here one sees nice level land, which was waiting for the Swiss Farmer to take possession.
On the way here one saw Negro shacks most all without windows and only an opening for a door--black children were playing outside. Here one saw Swiss children playing or buyy housewife, or husky man with a friendly Swiss "Gruss Gott" hello, or how do you do, or "gall es ist schoe hier, oder was meint ihr, memer wider in kalta Norda uha, antwort." "oi think appe nit." It is nice here, you want to go back North again? Answer, I guess not, this is our dear and nice New Switzerland. Old Hohenwald, on the North side on the map, it is not laid out like a dream, people left there, all one can see is old orchards not taken tare of. The old folks, time changes, new life starts in the ruins, say Schiller and he is right. Now i want the settlers to know that 1 full section land, a one piece "Quadrant" of exactly 1 mile long and one mile wide measures "640 acres" or 4 - 160 acres or 4 - 160 acres or 8 - 80 acres or 16 - 40 acres. The little squares in the single numbered sections from right to left are 40 acres.
The new streets are all 30 feet wide. For information of roads to be laid off, go to county, geometric Hale, he will help you.
The plan is interesting to anybody that is not even interested in it.
Yours truly,
J.G. Propst
Boiler for sawmill steam engine downtown.