top of page

History of Slinger, WI

Simply Slinger 1892.jpg

The Early Years: 1840s to 1880s:   

 

CBS 58 Video clip from 2023 click here

"Baruch Schleisinger Weil was born in Strasbourg, France on June 29, 1802, and settled in Washington County on November 1, 1845. He owned property and erected what was at the time considered an elegant residence on Section 31 south of Cedar Lake about 1847, and he lived there at the time. On the best portion, in the northwest quarter of the Town of Polk on Sec. 18 he platted the Village of Schleisingerville. He built a large store and dwelling on the corner of Main and Franklin streets and started a thriving center of trade. (1854-56) Through the energy of Mr. Weil, the village soon became the center of trade for a number of adjoining towns. Weil himself kept a full assortment of goods adapted to the wants of the country trade, and he established a good local hide business. Other branches of trade and manufacturing were started. There were shoemakers, blacksmiths, a wagon-maker, a hotel and tannery. The tannery was built by George Ippel and Thomas Jenner who did a fair business and established a good local hide business. Later Weil built a distillery which was run by him and his associates until he left in 1869.

 

Through the exertions and influence of Mr. Weil, the route of the old LaCrosse Railroad (later the Milwaukee & St. Paul Road) was located so as to pass through the village, and the occasion of its completion to Slinger was celebrated with great rejoicing on August 23, 1855. A large party of excursionists came out from Milwaukee, including the president of the railway and other prominent citizens. Salvos of artillery saluted the approach of the train, and the party was royally entertained during the day by Mr. Weil who fed and feasted the entire group in the upper rooms of his hotel Mr. Weil remained in the village he had built until 1859-60, at which he moved to Cedar Lake and then to West Bend. Mr. Weil was the largest purchaser of government land in the county. In December 1845 he purchased in the name of Jules Schleisinger, his son, and Eliza Adelaide, his wife, the following land: Sec. 5 – 477 acres; Sec. 6 – 408 acres; Sec. 7 – 378 acres; Sec. 8 – 160 acres, and Section 18 – 587 acres.

 

Soon after the completion of the railroad to Schleisingerville, another man of rare business tact and energy came to the village and commenced merchandising. In 1856, Lehman Rosenheimer opened a store and in connection with it carried on a large trade in cattle, grain, and other farm products. The trade of nearly all the adjoining towns centered at his store. Five of his six sons became merchants. John, Max and Joseph remained in Schleisingerville. Moritz and Adolph became merchants in Kewaskum and Norway, Michigan. Rosenheimer built a larger store to accommodate his constantly increasing business. It was two stories in height and 38 x 50 feet in size. It doubled in size in 1867. Following his death in 1878, the sons added a grain elevator and large warehouse."

The village of Schleisinger was officially incorporated in 1869.                     (www.vi.slinger.gov)

                                                                 

Late 1800's to World War Two:

"Farming, retail, banking, and small-scale manufacturing dominated the village’s economy from the 1850s through the World War eras. Notable businesses included Roth’s Hotel, State Bank of Schleisingerville, Lehman Rosenheimer Farm Implements, Washington County Telephone Company, and Schuck & Frey’s general store. For more than eight decades after 1868, Slinger also housed a brewery. The Storck Brewery survived as an ice cream and bootleg beer maker during PROHIBITION and supplied the Milwaukee BRAVES during the city’s 1953 Brewery STRIKE."

"Following World War II, heavy manufacturers and sporting attractions served to recast Slinger’s rustic image. Maurice Holtan, founder of the Slinger Foundry Company (1944), patented and distributed the cast iron cylinder liners used by BRIGGS & STRATTON and HARLEY-DAVIDSON for their products’ engines."                                    (Encyclopedia of Milwaukee)

The Slinger Super Speedway was built in 1948 and Little Switzerland SKi Hill was opened in 1941 providing regional sports and recreation attractions for thousands of people over the years.   

 

With major state highways (Hwy 41, Hwy 144, Hwy 175, Hwy 60) and appealing natural landscapes (kettles, eskers, and lakes), Slinger grew fairly quickly between 1970 and 2000.   According to Larry Gundrum and Dean Otte's research for the Slinger Historical Album (125 Years), subdivisions like Fairview Terrace, Woodside Heights, and Churchside Estates showed up in the 1970's.  Scenic Moraine Park, Winter's Rolling Meadow, and Glen Hill subdivisions were added in the 1980's, and Rauh's Homestead and Elinor Estates in the 1990s.  Washington County was the fastest growing county in the state of Wisconsin from 1990 to 2000 and Slinger was the second fastest growing village or city percentage wise within the county during that decade (U.S. Census 2000).   

 

Newspaper Slinger nickname.jpg

Schleisingerville to Slinger: Name change

  

Why the name change? Some newspaper articles insist it was the postmaster's decision (shorter name to write and some postmasters were using Slingr as short for Schleisingerville already).  Others speculate it was too German sounding (there was much Anti-German sentiment in the United States during World War One and for a few years after the war).  John Storck, a descendant of the Storck Brewery, noticed that Storck Brewery brewed a beer called Slinger, and wonders if the Storck Brewery beer name had any influence on the voters. The official 2017 Village of Slinger comprehensive plan says that it was shortened for brevity purposes and due to anti-German sentiment. The West Bend paper (top left), however, listed Slinger as a railroad  nickname in the 1880s. 

 

Here is the official wording changing of the name from the village minutes. 

"Whereas at the annual election held on the first Tuesday of April, towit, the fifth day of April, A.D., 1921 at the Village of Schleisingerville, County of Washington, there was submitted to the electors of said village the question whether the name of said village should be changed and at which election said electros were directed, if in favor of said, change, to suggest the name be adopted for the said village:

And whereas, at said election, there 210 votes cast upon said question, of which number 25 ballots were blanks, and of the remainder 169 were for said change and 16 against, and of which number 145 votes were cast in favor of changing the name of said village to Slinger, 5 for the name Schleisinger, 4 for Hilton, 1 for Tyrone, 1 for Cream City, 1 for Vim city, 1 for Towerville, 2 for Cedar Dell, 1 for Waneeta, 3 for Hill Side, and 1 Lawndale, and 4 “Yes” without suggesting a name:

Therefore, be it and it is hereby resolved by the Village Board of the Village of Schleisingerville, that the County Board of Supervisors of the County of Washington be and they hereby are requested to change the name of said village from Schleisingerville to the name of Slinger, and that County Board adopt an ordinance to said effect in accordance with Section 59.08, subdivision(3) of the Wisconsin Statutes."

 


Date, May 3, A.D. 1921
August Stork
Village President
William G. Kratz
Village Clerk

Borchardt - Mural - Gordon Borchardt.jpg

Slinger resident Gordon Borchardt painting title "Schleisinger to Slinger: 1921"

Schleisingerville Now

Slinger-1921

 

This mural of Slinger was painted by Slinger artist, Gordon Borchardt, in 1984.  He worked four hours a day for six months to create this snapshot of Slinger building history.  The title “Schleisingerville Now Slinger -1921 references the community name change from Schleisingerville (after founder Baruch Schleisinger Weil) to Slinger in 1921. 

 

In this painting, Borchardt captures an appreciation for history, a sense of closeness between buildings which exemplifies the spirit of community in this area and two conflicting concepts in Slinger history: the desire to update and the desire to stay the same.  Twelve of the twenty-one buildings painted in the mural are depicted in their original state with the dates of their construction indicated on the building.  Not only does this mural showcase Gordon’s outstanding artistic talent and love of Slinger, but this painting allows the viewer to take a step back in time to reflect on Slinger’s past.   You can see it in person near the Slinger District Office Doors.

Prior to 2019, Slinger students researched Music, Recreation, Schools, Agriculture, Food, Manufacturing, Construction, Trades, Fire Dept, and more. Click here and here to see some of those topics.

We've pulled out a couple audio features from those years and have added student projects about Industry leaders, the Roth House, the County Fair,  Homecoming, and Sports which will be showcased on the page you are on.

Read More >

Buildings

IMG_3757.jpg

"There was an attached dance hall that was used for dances, athletic contests, school plays, school graduations, weddings..." Don Roth (West Bend Daily News, 4-17-2000) 

*Interview excerpt from local historian, Bette Weninger. Historic photo one and two and three

*2014-2015 research  (Kirk's Korners, Slinger House, and more), a trip down Main Street

People

20181227_123933.jpg

*Students interviewed ancestors of early industry leaders in Slinger in fall 2018 

*click here for a B.S. Weil ancestor, a Rosenheimer ancestor, and a Storck ancestor

*Click here for a sample of more local interviews archived for Slinger history student research

Sports

20181204_104128.jpg

1976 State Champion Relay Team (above)

*Click here to go to a subpage with more sports stories from all sports

*Click here for an excerpt from the 125 year anniversary of Slinger book

Homecoming

20190423_131646.jpg

Homecoming in Slinger has quite the tradition.  Float building for the parade (see above photo from 1957) has been a staple but there are stories of bonfires, skits, assemblies, football games, dances, and more. 

*Student article

*Student article

*Student article

HCounty Fair

Start of the day on walk heading to  the

The County Fair was in Slinger from 1938 to 1998 and holds many memories for Slinger residents.  (Photo submitted by Nancy Schilling-Genz, Fair in 1989). More to be added.

*Student article

*Student article

*Student article

German

20190311_163421.jpg

*German Association of Schleisingerville reference (State Bank article)

*First Federal Census (German background)

*Student article, Student PPT (with help from History Center of Washington County)

*German Club at Slinger HS

Music

1032_001-1.jpg

Maury Leverance (left), Jack Killeen (middle), and Bernie Schaefer, Jr (right) play a local gig.(Photo Submitted by Leverance family)

 

Click here for a website created in 2013-2014 focused on local music history and culture.  Click here for 125 anniversary book article.

Joe's Barber Shop

20190430_204015.jpg

There has been a barber shop on Main Street for many years in Slinger.  Joe Mechenich was one of those barbers and an excerpt from his audio interview is here.

Read More >

Merten's Garage

IMG_9469.JPG

Excerpt from Interview with Joe Merten

Story from Future Author's Camp

Shady Side Restaurant

Shady Side.jpg

Shady Side restaurant photo from 1966 SHS annual

-Student paper here

Jim's Place

Jimmy's sign.jpg

March 2015 Interview excerpt with the Jim and Brenda Herther  about Jim's Place after they sold

Nehm's Greenhouse

11164699_820263004675924_276706109283605

Click here for an excerpt from an audio interview from a site visit to talk to Russ and Ceil Nehm about Nehm Greenhouse history and culture before they sold the business

Risse's MeatMarket

sign.jpg

Click here for an excerpt from an audio interview with Scott, Keith and Troy Risse. Click here for video story.

Gundrum's Meatmarket

Interior Shop.jpg

Click here for an excerpt from an audio interview with Shirley Gundrum.

-Click here or here for an article excerpt

Held's Meatmarket

IMG_20140920_113641117_HDR.jpg

*student paper from 2014

*student paper from 2014

*website with history

1996 Slinger Yearbook

Theisens

Theisen's IGA used to be at corner of Hwy 175 and Hwy 144 (Gundrum Insurance today)

Wolf Grocery

Wolf Grocery was another downtown Slinger grocery store option in Slinger in the 1960s.

Stuckey

Stuckeys used to be a favorite stop on the east side of Hwy 41 near Sherman Road

Schneider's Restaurant

Schneider's Restaurant was on the west side of Hwy 41 just south of Sherman Road where A1 Scale is today

ZwaldsMill

This downtown building, formerly the Rosenheimer Mill, became Zwald's Mill after Oscar Zwald purchased it in 1942.

Van's Custard

Van's Custard was at the corner of Hwy 175 and Hwy 60 on what was the edge of the village at one point. (Audio attached)

20181003_152055.jpg

Jonah Bera's paper on the Baehring property after interviewing his Grandma 

Baehring Farm House Brick pond.jpg
IMG_5502 (1).jpg

The Cemeterians

Click here for the Cemeterian Facebook page

Click here for a student paper about the Cemeterians

Click here for a Fox 6 News video feature on the Cemeterians

Click here for a student video explanation of the Cemeterian work

bottom of page