We are thrilled to launch our new digital home! Here you can explore Hartford's rich history through stories, photos, and interactive quizzes. Check back often for new posts, and please consider volunteering or donating to help us preserve our heritage.
Our first exhibit features the Kissel Motor Car Company, which put Hartford on the map in the early 1900s. Stay tuned for more updates!
Featured Exhibits
Early Hartford
Discover the founding and early settlement of Hartford.
The Squatter and the Mill: Early Village Life
Jehial Case was already living on the land Hall purchased; Thiel and Simon chose the Rubicon River f...
Read MoreThe First Settlers: Timothy Hall and the Pioneers
Timothy Hall, the first European settler to purchase land in Hartford, arrived in 1843....
Read MoreBusiness History
The commercial and industrial enterprises that shaped Hartford, from Kissel to modern industries.
West Bend Aluminum and Wartime Production
The former Kissel factory made shell casings, rocket containers, and gas mask canisters during WWII....
Read More
Kissel Motor Car Company: Hartford's Automotive Giant
From 1906 to 1930, Kissel produced luxury automobiles, becoming the city’s largest employer....
Read MoreRailroad History
The impact of rail lines on Hartford's growth and the preservation of steam locomotives today.
Museum 53027 Blog
Welcome to Museum 53027
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The entrance to Museum 53027 with a vintage Kissel automobile
Holy Hill: A Place of Pilgrimage and Peace
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Holy Hill Basilica in winter
Just outside Hartford, the twin spires of Holy Hill Basilica rise above the Kettle Moraine. For over 150 years, this site has drawn pilgrims seeking spiritual renewal. The story begins with a 1676 French diary that described a cross and altar placed on the hill by Jesuit missionaries. In the 1850s, a hermit named François Soubrio lived on the hill, and Irish settlers began calling it “Holy Hill.”
The current basilica, built in the 1920s and consecrated in 1931, is a masterpiece of Neo...
The current basilica, built in the 1920s and consecrated in 1931, is a masterpiece of Neo...
The Schwartz Ballroom POW Camp: A Forgotten Chapter
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The Schwartz Ballroom during WWII when it was used as a POW camp
During World War II, the Schwartz Ballroom on Jefferson Street was transformed into a prisoner‑of‑war camp for 600 German soldiers. From October 1944 to January 1946, these men lived under guard, working on local farms, in canneries, and at the West Bend Aluminum factory.
The camp was part of a nationwide system that used POW labor to ease wartime shortages. Local residents recall seeing the prisoners in their distinctive uniforms, and some even formed friendships that lasted after the w...
The camp was part of a nationwide system that used POW labor to ease wartime shortages. Local residents recall seeing the prisoners in their distinctive uniforms, and some even formed friendships that lasted after the w...
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