St. Hedwig's / Poznan Colony

St. Hedwig's
In 1891, a wooden church was built and named St. Hedwig's for a queen of Poland. In 1904, the present-day structure was built and accommodated the growing congregation with seating for 700 people. Members of the congregation furnished labor and contributed artistic talent. Some families took out second mortgages on their farms to help pay for the cost of the new building.

Poznan Colony
As the lumber industry waned in the late 1880s, Polish land agents hoped to entice immigrant farmers to purchase the "fertile farmland" of the cutover area. Around 1889, Polish immigrants from the west central region of Poznan settled the area east of Thorp. The community also built Poznan School, a two-room public school.

Erected 2011
Wisconsin Historical Society