MONTICELLO - The Monticello Area Historical Society will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the highway marker at a program at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28 at Zwingli United Church of Christ, 416 E. Lake Ave. in Monticello. The guest speaker is Marlene Schmalbeck.
Schmalbeck, along with the late Ralph Hammerly, were society members who initiated and continued the project. Originally Hammerly thought the two boulder markers could simply be moved to a more prominent location more visible to the public.
One is located at the Freitag Farm north of Monticello along route 69 - commemorating the Limburger cheese factory; and the other is at the former Alvin F. Ott farm in New Glarus Township. That marker commemorates the Swiss cheese factory.
These markers were placed in 1939 by the Green County Historical Society. Both locations are privately owned and neither owner would agree to have the markers removed from their property. What was originally an effort to move the two markers eventually became a project to build a new marker.
Funds were raised through donations to purchase a marker - from the Wisconsin State Historical Society - to be erected in the Monticello area.
This marker is dedicated to Nickolaus Gerber who was the originator of the cheese factory, farmer-owned co-op system in Green County. Hammerly thought this project could be accomplished for the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial. However, problems arose when a state Dept. of Transportation supervisor, who had issued the permit for a site near the Freitag farm on Wisconsin 69, retired.
The new DOT supervisor withdrew the permit for the site the Monticello Area Historical Society had chosen. Eventually the Village of Monticello donated the present site at the Wis. 69 turnoff in front of Lake Montesian. Schmalbeck will present the history and sequence of events that took place over a period of nearly three years until the eventual dedication of the new marker.
Schmalbeck's research gathered a significant amount of information about the original markers erected by members of the Green County Historical Society. The research noted he role played in the process by Emery Odell, who founded of The Monroe Evening Times in 1898.
More than 30 donors including private, businesses and organizations made the project a reality along with those who donated time and material needed to accomplish the marker as it was evolving during the years of 1997 through May 13, 2000 when it was dedicated.
Schmalbeck, along with the late Ralph Hammerly, were society members who initiated and continued the project. Originally Hammerly thought the two boulder markers could simply be moved to a more prominent location more visible to the public.
One is located at the Freitag Farm north of Monticello along route 69 - commemorating the Limburger cheese factory; and the other is at the former Alvin F. Ott farm in New Glarus Township. That marker commemorates the Swiss cheese factory.
These markers were placed in 1939 by the Green County Historical Society. Both locations are privately owned and neither owner would agree to have the markers removed from their property. What was originally an effort to move the two markers eventually became a project to build a new marker.
Funds were raised through donations to purchase a marker - from the Wisconsin State Historical Society - to be erected in the Monticello area.
This marker is dedicated to Nickolaus Gerber who was the originator of the cheese factory, farmer-owned co-op system in Green County. Hammerly thought this project could be accomplished for the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial. However, problems arose when a state Dept. of Transportation supervisor, who had issued the permit for a site near the Freitag farm on Wisconsin 69, retired.
The new DOT supervisor withdrew the permit for the site the Monticello Area Historical Society had chosen. Eventually the Village of Monticello donated the present site at the Wis. 69 turnoff in front of Lake Montesian. Schmalbeck will present the history and sequence of events that took place over a period of nearly three years until the eventual dedication of the new marker.
Schmalbeck's research gathered a significant amount of information about the original markers erected by members of the Green County Historical Society. The research noted he role played in the process by Emery Odell, who founded of The Monroe Evening Times in 1898.
More than 30 donors including private, businesses and organizations made the project a reality along with those who donated time and material needed to accomplish the marker as it was evolving during the years of 1997 through May 13, 2000 when it was dedicated.
