Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter
Keywords
nonfiction writing, geography, autobiography
Abstract
In a high valley of the Jura Mountains, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Canton of Neuchatel, is the center of watchmaking. It is the city where I was born, 19 May 1911. My passion for travel, geography, history, railroads, maps, is inherited. Among the family papers on my father's side I found a little yellow book titled "Expenses during the travel in Italy" and dated 1799. It contains the schedule of the stagecoaches between cities in Italy and among the expenses are purchases of one map of the Cisalpine Republic, another map and the History of Rome by the Latin historian Polybius. My great-grandfather on my mother's side was a watchmaker, but when the railroads were introduced in Switzerland he promoted several new lines, became director of the "Jura-Berne-Lucerne Company", was one of the founders of the Association of Swiss Railroad Companies of which he became the first president.
Recommended Citation
Perret, Maurice E.
(1984)
"II. My Life,"
Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter: Vol. 20:
Iss.
3, Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_newsletter/vol20/iss3/3