The Holyland (Wisconsin)

The Holyland is an American region located mainly in northeastern Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin and partially in southern Calumet County.cite web|url=http://www.news.wisc.edu/8332|title=German-Catholic immigrants shaped life, communities in east-central Wisconsin |date=2003-02-25|publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison|accessdate=2008-09-15]

Origin

The region takes it name from the religious names that immigrants used to name communities in the region. These German-speaking Roman Catholic immigrants came from the Vulkaneifel region of Rhenish Prussia in the late 1800s. These immigrants left the region to find better economic conditions. The Prussian region had limited scarce land available, crop failures, and changes to its industry.cite web|url=http://mki.wisc.edu/Newsletter/Spring03.pdf|title=Building identity in the Holyland|last=Schlemper|first=Beth|date=Spring 2003|publisher=Max Kade Institute|accessdate=2008-09-15|format=PDF] Immigrants began settling in Wisconsin between the 1830s and 1860. A second wave came in the 1860s and 1870s and some of these immigrants had friends and families from the first wave. The area has been called "The Holyland" since at least 1898. The area has been studied as an example of chain migration.

Location

Communities located in the region east of the southern end of Lake Winnebago include: Calvary, Charlesburg (named after St. Charles Borromeo), Jericho, Johnsburg, Marytown (named after St. Mary), [ [http://www.fdlpl.org/davis_books/marytown.html The History of Marytown, Wisconsin] ] Mount Calvary, St. Anna, St. Cloud, [http://www.archmil.org/parishes/ShowParish.asp?ID=150] St. Joe, and St. Peter.cite journal|last=Schlemper |first=M. Beth|date=2004|title= The Regional Construction of Identity and Scale in Wisconsin's Holyland|journal=Journal of Cultural Geography|volume=22|url=http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=LNXVTj2qCcnrXXD4HqqBbv3ZXp4bnGRVW4WR3bddWnS22yTGSk1R!745842718?docId=5008549692] Eden, Wisconsin is not considered part of this region.

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