Resting on the shores of Lake Michigan, Cedarburg, Wisconsin has been defined by its natural resources and its pioneering settlers since its earliest days. Native Americans once hunted wildlife drawn to the pristine springs in the region, and in the 1840s, "Old Lutheran" immigrants built a thriving town on the same spot, eventually grafting a dynamic Teutonic culture by constructing hundreds of magnificent stone buildings in a unique German craftsman style. The striking landscape of Cedarburg today, so carefully preserved, is a testament to the unyielding spirit of the men and women who fashioned this unique place out of the wilderness.
Author Ryan Gierach, a nationally respected journalist, grew up in Cedarburg and maintains a strong connection to his boyhood home. In this volume—the first to relate the singular story of Cedarburg in both word and image— Gierach combines historic photographs from the collections of longtime residents with passionate narrative, personal anecdotes, and cherished memories. The result is a delightful and informative tale of a one-of-a-kind community.