In the mid-1800s, the Anton Stoker and his family were among many Swiss emigrants who were looking for a better future. Switzerland was among several European countries suffering from famine, failed crops and overcrowding. The government of tiny Switzerland encouraged its citizens to find new places to live by assisting them with the purchase or sale of their properties.

In 1869, about 100 Swiss families each purchased 100-acre plots, or more if they could afford it, to set about farming or pursuing their trade in Tennessee. The Stokers did not start with a big house and acres of cleared land. The land they purchased in the Colony of Grüetli was dense woodlands where they could cut a log or board well over 15 inches wide. Despite the abundance of such building materials, the soil was rocky and poor, so many Swiss families ultimately migrated to places like Belvidere, Winchester, McMinnville, Chattanooga orNashville, where conditions were less harsh.

The Stokers, however, remained in Grüetli, and replaced their original one-room log cabin with a bigger home that is still standing after almost 140 years. This house was large for its time and served not only as a residence but also as a community meeting place. In 2000, Rose Stampfli donated 33 acres of the original property to the Grundy County Swiss Historical Society. Rose was descended from another Swiss family who came to America later on, and had bought the Stoker farm.

Today, the Historical Society’s dream is to have all the buildings on the Stoker-Stampfli Farm restored as closely as possible to their original state. While some progress has been made with restoration and preservation of other structures on the farm, it will take more time, money and manpower to bring the original Stoker log home back to life. Although it is a small part of this farm, this log cabin played a significant role in the story of the Swiss in the South.