David H. Sutton, Helvetia: The History of a Swiss Village in the Mountains of West Virginia

Authors

Christopher Tucker, Clark University

Keywords

American Swiss villages, West Virginia

Abstract

In his impressive book Helvetia: The History of a Swiss Village in the Mountains of West Virginia, David H. Sutton presents a candid and vivid history of a solitary American community and connects it to the larger themes, movements, and events of the nation as a whole. This is above all a local history, but the success of the work lies in Sutton's depiction of how Helvetia and its residents-since its inception - responded to important national events. The immigration boom of the nineteenth century, World War I, and the rise of technology in the twentieth century ~.11 ~make appearances in the narrative of Helvetia. That narrative is grounded heavily in the European roots of the village and the role immigration played in the town's development and legacy. As a result, Sutton's work represents a significant contribution to ethnic and immigration studies in American history, as well as an important example of how historians must capture and depict local history.

Recommended Citation

Tucker, Christopher (2013) "David H. Sutton, Helvetia: The History of a Swiss Village in the Mountains of West Virginia," Swiss American Historical Society Review: Vol. 49: No. 1, Article 13.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_review/vol49/iss1/13