New Bremen

New Bremen is a village in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,978 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area.The village was founded by German immigrants in 1832 and is named after Bremen. It is home to the Bicycle Museum of America. New Bremen is also the world headquarters of Crown Equipment Corporation.HistoryThe town was first a farming community started by Bavarians and Hanoverians, following a route from Bremen, Germany to America, through West Virginia and along the Ohio River to Cincinnati. Once Cincinnati was reached the founders formed a group called the City of Bremen Society, which drew up a charter among its 33 members. This charter authorized the purchase of 80 acres of Ohio land to build a town. This land was first established as a farming community in 1832 and by 1833 the plat of Bremen was recorded with 102 shares of land to be given away by lottery. As the town itself was established, migration to the town had been stunted by lack of usable markets, and malaria. This all would change with the completion of the Miami and Erie Canal. There were so few in the town that subcontractors had to rely of "jiggers" or 2oz bottles of whiskey to attract workers. The Canal was soon finished and opened. When opened, the Canal brought new markets to New Bremen, giving value to agricultural products that before the canal had little cash value. The town became busy place very quickly, with hundreds of freight boats moving few frequently, along with dozens of passengers boats, filled with people making the trip from Cincinnati. The locks from the Canal have been restored along with the addition of a lockkeepers house and can be seen in New Bremen's downtown area.