The unveiling of Historical Marker 17 for the Helvetia Town Hall was made on Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 10 a.m. on the Iola Historical Society (IHS) campus in Iola.
Officiating at the event was IHS President Cliff Mishler, who spoke about the history of the structure and it having been built by Carl Krause, father of Chester Krause.
Greg Loescher of the IHS spoke about the plaque itself and how the unveiling had to be delayed because the first plaque had been damaged and a replacement had to created. He also invited interested persons to donate for future markers by sending contributions to the Iola Historical Society at P.O. Box 412, Iola, Wisconsin 54945-0412.
Historic plaque info
Following is the information from the plaque.
“Built over the summer and fall of 1919, the Helvetia town Hall was situated on what hat became County Highway GG, about five miles northeast of Iola, serving the township until 1994. Formally inaugurated on April 6, 1920, when the first annual meeting and spring election were held there, one of the last official functions hosted in the structure was the fall election held on November 12, 1993.
“The new Helvetia Town Hall that serves the community today, located on Highway GG about two miles east of the vacated property, was inaugurated with a town hall meeting on April 4, 1994. The old Helvetia Town Hall structure was acquired by the Iola Historical Society in early 1995, with a special “Lamplight Meeting” held at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 30, 1996, folding it in as an active HIS property. It was moved into its current location on June 20, 2002.
“The Township of Helvetia had been established on April 2, 1861, set off from the original towns of Iola (west) and Union (east). It included the area to the north that subsequently became the Town of Wyoming. Through the first 23 years of its existence, Helvetia’s annual meetings were generally held in the homes of town board members.
“Starting in 1884, when the annual meeting was held at the Twin Grove School, and for the next 15 years, town meetings were generally held at various township schools.
“The town board established the Blake Brook School at a town meeting held on May 7, 1900, where the town meetings were held through the 20 years that followed. At the annual meeting held on April 1, 1919, Carl Krause was voted chairman of a building committee charged with building the Helvetia Town Hall next door to the school. The facility would serve residents not only for town meetings and elections, but also for card parties, dances, birthdays, wedding, shower and anniversary parties, and free shows.
“The naming of the Township of Helvetia is attributed to the Swiss immigrant pioneers who settled into the area during the 1850s – Helvetia being the Germanic name for Switzerland – enduring the labors of timbering and clearing the land. Switzerland, formally known as the Helvetische Republik, had been established as a country in 1798. Thus, for mid-19th century Swiss immigrants, Helvetia was a familiar and appealing identity, as it had begun appearing on Switzerland’s coins in 1830.”
