Village of Mt Calvary, Wisconsin

Mt Calvary Bulletin Board

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History of Mount Calvary, Wisconsin

Mount Calvary was originally part of the Town of Marshfield, the area known as “The Holy Land”, which boasts of scenic areas, open spaces, and an abundance of natural resources.

The Holy Land area was first settled in 1841.  Mount Calvary emerged in the Holy Land when Mount Calvary's location was chosen by missionary Casper Rehrl.  Rehrl selected the large hill because of its excellent view and he placed a wood cross.  Starting in 1846, settlers started building houses at the base of the hill.  Rehrl held the community's first mass circa 1849 at the home of John Dietzen. Bishop John Henni confirmed the first child from Mount Calvary at the St. John the Baptist Church in nearby Johnsburg (it was the only church in the region).  A parish was established in Mount Calvary by Rehrl on February 2, 1849. Construction of the church began the following day. A school was established by the church and it quickly had five or six students.

The community's first general store was built in 1851-1852.  Two priests arrived on October 15th, 1856 to establish a monastery, which later became St. Lawrence Seminary High School. A post office was built in November 1877, for which Anthony Rothgery was named the first postmaster. A railroad was established in the 1850's and 1860's. It connected Sheboygan to Fond du lac. Trains ran twice daily through nearby Calvary Station.   

By 1900, the town of Marshfield area had reached a population of 1,992. That included the Villages of St. Cloud and Mt. Calvary. In 1909, the Village of St. Cloud was incorporated. In 1962, the Village of Mt. Calvary incorporated, with a village population of 942 residents. As of the census of 2010, there were 762 people, 201 households, and 151 families residing in the village.