The Community of Soldiers Grove
VILLAGE HISTORY
Settlement came to the Kickapoo Valley in the first half of the 19th century. Much of the local land was deeded to veterans of U.S. wars in payment for service to their country. Pine Grove was the original name given to the village because of the presence of large groves of white pine trees. The name was changed to Soldiers Grove in 1867 to honor the soldiers who had camped nearby during the 1832 Blackhawk War. The first building in the village was a sawmill Built by J.H. Brightman in 1856. Ten years later Samuel Hutchins built a general store and the village was legally platted.
Early farmers grew mostly wheat, but during the late 1800's the switch to dairy farming was underway. Tobacco growing also became a staple of the area's small family farms. High quality cigar leaf and chewing tobacco became a valued cash crop. Today the tobacco raising has essentially ended and area farmers are exploring replacing that high value crop with others such as ginseng and wine grapes.
The 20th century saw the rise and fall of small family dairy farming in the Kickapoo Valley. Remaining dairy farmers are fiercely competing for their economic existence, competing with the ultra large, corporate dairy farms of California. Orchards sprang up on the ridges near Soldiers Grove in the early 20th century and have been more successful at maintaining their economic viability. Some ridges around Soldiers Grove and Gays Mills are covered with orchards that produce apples, cherries, and a variety of berries.
Today Soldiers Grove is home to an enterprising community of residents who cherish their peaceful, beautiful surroundings. Much of the original Norwegian heritage remains. The area provides breathtaking scenery and outstanding opportunities to hike, bike, canoe, fish, and hunt.
Soldiers Grove is situated smack in the middle of the Kickapoo Valley, and is less than 20 miles from both the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. Cold, spring fed trout streams are abundant in the Driftless Area landscape.
A STORY OF FLOODS AND SURVIVAL
The history of Soldiers Grove is filled with stories of Kickapoo River floods. A heavy rain can transform the normally gentle Kickapoo into a raging torrent. Downtown Soldiers Grove had been located right along the river. Major floods had left high water marks along all of the Main Street buildings. A temporary dike built in 1968 seemed to work fine until the weekend of July 4, 1978. On that weekend heavy rains saturated the area and sent the Kickapoo over the dike and into Main Street again. This flood was the last straw and convinced local residents that the business section of Soldiers Grove must be relocated.
A site for a new business district, about one mile east of the river, was selected. More than 6.5 million dollars in federal and state funding was obtained, in part by agreeing to incorporate solar heating systems into the new commercial buildings. Thus Solar Town, Soldiers Grove was born. More than twenty buildings were constructed at the new site, each utilizing solar energy for at least 50% of their heating needs. More than 25 years after the construction of Solar Town, most of the passive solar systems are still at work, conserving energy and providing an example to other forward-thinking communities.
The former commercial district was converted to parks - ballfields, tennis court, horse show arena, campground, and two beautiful war memorials. The park area is home to Region 5's only memorial commemorating Medal of Honor recipients from eleven Midwestern states.
A recent article in Solar Today magazine celebrates the history of Soldiers Grove's pioneering efforts in using solar energy to conserve on the use of fossil fuels.
