About Swiss Meat & Sausage Company
The little village of Swiss was built on the uplands south of Hermann on the Old Iron Road. Five families from Switzerland had settled here and given the town its name. The general store and St. Johns Church were on one side of the road and the blacksmith shop was on the other side; thus, farmers and travelers could have their horses shod while shopping and visiting. Country stores were the center of commerce and farm life at the turn of the century. They carried everything that might be needed by the country folk who came to purchase necessities, to pick up their mail, and to visit. South and west of Hermann were several similar little hamlets with country stores and churches.
The Swiss Country Store was operated by many families throughout the years. It was in May of 1965 that Bill and Margie Sloan moved their family from St. Louis County when they purchased the Swiss Country Store from Margie's parents, Ervin and Velma (Fiegler) Rauter. Bill, a former meat market manager, began to cut meat and manufacture sausage in the country store. Bill and Margie operated both the Swiss Country Store and Service Station, as well as raise their five young children. He added a walk-in cooler and a small processing room in the store when he began to process beef and hogs for the local farmers.