Historical marker to recognize Vevay's connection to wine industry

(VEVAY, Ind.) – The State of Indiana will unveil a new historical marker in Vevay on Saturday, October 11. 

It will be located at the Venoge Farmstead and recognizes the Swiss immigrants who helped develop the wine industry in southern Indiana. 

The community is invited to the celebration which will run from 1 to 6 p.m. at Musée de Venoge, which is located at 4085 State Road 129 in Vevay.

The event will also include music, exhibits, speakers, children’s activities and more. The dedication of the marker will be at 3 p.m.

The marker will read:

French-speaking Swiss immigrant Jean Jacques Dufour came to the United States in 1796 to establish a commercial vineyard.

In 1802, he received a 2,500-acre land grant from Congress to cultivate grapes in this region. Swiss immigrants joined him in settling the area which they called “New Switzerland.” 

Vintner Louis Gex Oboussier owned this parcel of land by 1805. By 1812,

wine from “New Switzerland” gained national renown. 

Oboussier’s brother-in-law, Jacob Weaver, and his wife Charlotte, bought the land from him by 1815, and settled here in 1828. Weaver established a farmstead, ferry, and carding mill. By the 1830s, regional winemaking declined. 

Musée de Venoge began preserving the site and history of the Swiss vintners in 1995.