Beginning in 1912, Slovenian settlers came to this place in search of a better life, and when enough had gathered to form a community, they named it Traunik, meaning "meadow" in Slovenia. Bringing a willingness to work and a determination to succeed, they shaped fields, homes, and a good life for their families out of the forests. Their children and grandchildren, though now scattered about the world, remained tied by invisible bonds to this spot, where the night air was once filled with Slovenian melodies and an ethnic community pulsed with life.