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| Vintage
photo courtesy Fayette Heritage Museum |
History
in a Pecan ShellGerman
Lutherans were the first settlers here around the time the Civil War was ending.
The modest population was bolstered somewhat by Wends
who transmigated from Serbin in
Lee County. The Philadelphia Lutheran Church was opened in 1867 and the community
got its own post office ten years later. The population in 1884 was a mere 35
people which reached the high-water mark of 100 in 1896. The decline set in just
after 1900 and the post office was discontinued in 1906.
The community's
proximity to Schulenburg and
the county seat in La Grange dashed
any hopes of growth (if there had been any). Swiss Alp sat content for decades
becoming famous for its community
dance hall. Three nearby Lutheran churches formed the United Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Swiss Alp in 1967. The region remains a cattle producing area and the
population has increased from a mere 30 in the late 60s to 46 in 1990.
The community has a cemetery of its own but nearby are the Kaase, Philadelphia
and Ammannsville cemeteries.
See
The Swiss Alp Dance Hall
by David Knape |
 |
1897-1947
Swiss Alp Public School marker
TE
photo, 2006 | |
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