Little Switzerland
Little Switzerland in Pickens, Helvetia, Czar and Adolph. Many German and Swiss people came to this country during the Civil War. Many of them joined the Union, and some were drafted into the Union and Confederate sides. After the war, a committee of six men came to explore an area of West Virginia. Because of the vast wilderness of the area, they were discouraged and were going to pack and go back to Brooklyn. West Virginians asked them to stay, offering land at cheap prices and told them they would help in any way as long as the Swiss encouraged immigration. By the end of the first year, the settlers decided to name their community. Several names were suggested, but the favorite was "Helvetia," which was the original name of Switzerland. The community is distinctive because of its continuing effort to preserve the traditional Swiss character of its inheritance.
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