Schiller Chapel

Schiller Chapel. Cemetery Highlights. From its settlement in 1831 and onward, Highland attracted citizens from Switzerland and southern Germany. The more well-to-do of these early Highland families would travel to visit their homelands. In the summer of 1875, a group of Highlanders decided to make a return visit. The group was led by John Suppiger, one of the original Highland settlers., Accompanying John on the trip was his wife Catherine, their 20-year-old daughter Adaline, and their 7-year-old son John. Other Highlanders on the trip included John's nephew Louis G. Suppiger and Christian Himi, a retired farmer and native of Switzerland. , The Highland group traveled by train to New York City and boarded the steamship Schiller. The ship encountered bad weather just southwest of England. Approximately 20 miles from the southern tip of England, the Schiller struck a rock. Of the 400 people aboard the ship, only 44 survived. None of the Highland group were among the survivors. , (photo caption:), This chapel was built in 1883-1884 as a memorial to John Suppiger. It eventually fell into disrepair until 1974 when the Highland Historical Society urged the Highland City Council to pass a resolution which designated the chapel a historical monument.