Wisconsin, USA · City Hub
Soldiers Grove
Liner notes
A lively folk song about Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin, the town that moved to higher ground. Acoustic guitars and a steady upright bass tell the story of the Kickapoo River floods and the community's resilience. The lyrics celebrate America's first solar village, where the sun shines on the new downtown and the old pine groves whisper of the past.
Researcher notes
Song research · gemini-3.1-pro · 2026-10-08
Streets and places
- US-61
- Wis-131
- Central business district
Other
- Population of 552 at the 2020 census
Geography
- Located along the Kickapoo River
- Crawford County
- Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin
Culture
- Known as America's First Solar Village
- Case study in managed retreat
Architecture and visuals
- Passive solar commercial buildings
Landmarks
- America's First Solar Village commercial buildings
- Kickapoo River
- St Francis' Hermitage Restaurant
- Temple Theatre
History
- First settled in 1856 by Joseph H. Brightman
- Originally named 'Pine Grove'
- Renamed in 1867 to honor troops from the 1832 Black Hawk War
- Relocated central business district in the 1970s due to flooding
- First U.S. community to mandate passive solar heating for new commercial buildings
Businesses and industry
- Early sawmill industry
- Solar-heated commercial businesses
Research sources
Visual research · gemini-3.1-pro · 2026-10-08
Streets and places
- Relocated central business district
Geography
- Driftless Area terrain
- River valley
Culture
- Solar village identity
Architecture and visuals
- Passive solar architecture
Landmarks
- Solar-heated commercial buildings
- Kickapoo River
History
- Relocated downtown
Businesses and industry
- Solar commercial buildings
Research sources
UntitledWave · City Pride
Put Soldiers Grove on the map.
A little town deserves to make some noise.
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Locals have claimed Soldiers Grove
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Song plays
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Pieces of merch out in the wild
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Requests for another song
Every town has a story — help yours be heard. Counts are self-reported by visitors and update live; they're a wave hello, not a census.
