COMMUNITY & CULTURE
Trish Muyco-Tobin
samples the
pie selection at Blue
Springs Café.
MEET ME IN …
Highland
I
t should come as no surprise that the city of Highland, Illinois,
one of the oldest Swiss settlements in America, was once home
to a dairy company known for its innovation of making milk more
available for the masses.
Just 35 miles east of St. Louis, the area was settled by a group
of Swiss-German pioneers in 1831. In the years following, Helvetia and
New Switzerland were among the names suggested for the new town,
which was officially laid out in 1837. In the end, the more American-
sounding name, Highland, was chosen.
One of its earliest civic and business leaders, Louis Latzer, was born on
a farm just south of town in 1848. According to the Highland Historical
Society, Latzer was curious about chemistry and bacteriology, and why
milk spoiled. He had studied at nearby McKendree University and Illinois
Industrial University (now the University of Illinois), but had to cut short
his college education to run the family farm after his father died.
In the mid-1880s, Latzer, along with a group of farmers and businessmen,
82
GAZELLE
founded the Helvetia Milk Condensing Company - later renamed Pet
Milk when its headquarters was moved to St. Louis. It was under Latzer’s
leadership as Helvetia’s third president that milk was perfected (It was
already known for its canned evaporated milk), propelling the company to
worldwide success and sealing Latzer’s status as the “Father of Pet Milk.”
More than 180 years later, Highland has forged ahead as a progressive
small town of approximately 10,000 residents, without losing sight
of its history and heritage. In fact, a number of Highland landmarks,
annual events and small businesses proudly honor the town’s Swiss-
German roots, including Red Barn Farm Meats, located on a 140-acre
farm with - you guessed it - a red barn, built in 1898 by John Schoen’s
great-grandfather, and is now on its fifth generation.
In the fall, Highland’s artistic side kicks into high gear, with annual
festivals unique to the town: Street Art Fest (Sept. 15) is a centuries-old
tradition that literally transforms the streets into a canvas. Art in the Park
(Oct. 13 and 14) is a juried event that showcases world-class, original art.
photo by
Chamber
B y T r i s h M u y c o - To b i n