Craig Township near Vevay in Switzerland County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Venoge Farmstead

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 3, 2025

1. Venoge Farmstead Marker, Side One

Inscription. 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.

Erected 2025 by Indiana Historical Bureau • William G. Pomeroy Foundation • Musée de Venoge • Switzerland County TourismC.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Immigration • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Indiana Historical Bureau Markers, the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1796.

Location.

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38° 44.721′ N, 85° 5.828′ W. Marker is near Vevay, Indiana, in Switzerland County. It is in Craig Township. It is on Indiana 129 0.2 miles east of Detour Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4085 IN-129, Vevay IN 47043, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southern Indiana.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Ohio River Valley,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Musee de Venoge (here, next to this marker); Jean-Daniel Morerod House – 1817 (approx. 1.2 miles away); Detraz House (approx. 1.3 miles away); Early Church - 1834 (approx. 1.4 miles away); Historic Fire Bells (approx. 1.4 miles away); Hall House (approx. 1.4 miles away); Hall House - 1842 (approx. 1.4 miles away); Roxy House - 1814 (approx. 1½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vevay.

Also see . . .
1. Why it Matters. Musée de Venoge is one of the few remaining examples of the French colonial architecture that characterized the first settlement of Switzerland County, Indiana. (Musée de Venoge, Inc. (Submitted on December 10, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Venoge Farmstead. National Register of Historic Places nomination (PDF) and photographs (separate PDF) of the property, which was listed in 1997. (Nomination prepared by Thomas R Weaver, Musee de Venoge, Inc.; Photographs

Venoge Farmstead Marker, Side Two image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 3, 2025

2. Venoge Farmstead Marker, Side Two

taken by Donna Weaver and Thomas Weaver; via National Park Service) (Submitted on December 10, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Venoge Farmstead Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 3, 2025

3. Venoge Farmstead Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 27, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 76 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 27, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.