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In one small Wisconsin neighborhood, the same families have been living there since 1839, when their ancestors first immigrated to the United States.

Mequon's Freistadt neighborhood, which is roughly two square miles, is a living testament to the state's German and Polish heritage.

“Freistadt is a very unique community because it was settled back in 1839 from Pomeranian immigrants that came across because of religious persecution,” Randy Pipkorn, a lifelong resident of Freistadt said.

Join Wisconsin Points of Interest on a journey through time as we explore the oldest German settlements in Wisconsin, located in the Town of Mequon. Starting in 1839, German immigrants from Saxony and Pomerania arrived seeking religious freedom, establishing the community of Freystatt — now Freistadt.

Discover the history behind Wisconsin's first Lutheran church, built in 1840, and the wave of German immigration that shaped the region. Don't miss this dive into Wisconsin's rich cultural past!

In this episode I road trip to Freistadt, Wisconsin. I wasn't expecting to find anything there so I was trying to make a U-turn. That's when I came across the Trinity Freistadt Historical Park! It has about a dozen buildings dating back to the mid-1800's. A very cool find indeed!