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    Guarding Door County: Lighthouses and Life-saving Stations
    Guarding Door County: Lighthouses and Life-saving Stations
    Guarding Door County: Lighthouses and Life-saving Stations
    Ebook192 pages51 minutes

    Guarding Door County: Lighthouses and Life-saving Stations

    By Stacy Thomas and Virginia Thomas

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Jutting out of Wisconsin into the blue waters of Lake Michigan, the scenic peninsula of Door County is endowed with the longest coastline of any county in the nation. Since the mid-1800s, the region has boasted a strong maritime industry, dependent on the constant vigilance and efforts of U.S. Coast Guard units. The county has been home to as many as 12 historic light stations, as well as three life-saving stations. Beginning with Pottawatomie Light in 1837 and Sturgeon Bay Canal Life-Saving Station in 1886, keepers and surfmen survived both boredom and peril to ensure safe navigation and commerce, while rescuing those in distress. Through archival photographs, stories of
    shipwrecks, rescues, service, and pride spring to life. Rare rescue images of the Otter, a schooner which wrecked in 1895, are especially noteworthy.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJul 13, 2005
    ISBN9781439615409
    Guarding Door County: Lighthouses and Life-saving Stations
    Author

    Stacy Thomas

    Stacy and Virginia Thomas are actively involved in restoring lighthouses and speaking on Coast Guard history. They met in the Coast Guard in Sturgeon Bay and were married at picturesque Sherwood Point Light. Stacy is still active duty and currently assigned to the Canal Station. Virginia, now a civilian, holds a degree in Latin and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in history.

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      Book preview

      Guarding Door County - Stacy Thomas

      Archives

      One

      DOOR COUNTY, WISCONSIN

      HISTORY AND INDUSTRY

      It is an important public work, involving but a small grant of the public lands to consummate a great public improvement, which, when completed will be hailed with joy and satisfaction, not only by the great lumber interests of Green Bay, but by thousands of shippers, captains, seaman, and shipowners of the Upper Lakes.

      —Excerpt from a c. 1860s leaflet submitted to Congress

      in support of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal.

      Pictured here is a Door County map from the 1878 Historical Atlas of Wisconsin. (Courtesy DCL.)

      As a peninsula with many islands, Door County has a strong maritime history by necessity. The lack of roads during its early history meant both people and goods were transported on the water. It wasn’t until the early 20th century with the advent of automobiles and quality roads that people began traveling more by land, especially north of Sturgeon Bay.

      The first European explorer to venture into this area was Jean Nicolet who made contact with the Potawatomi in 1634. Other indigenous Native American tribes included the Winnebago and Menominee. It is from their traditions that the name Porte Des Morts, Death’s Door, became associated with the treacherous passage between the peninsula and Washington Island. According to oral history, around 300 braves trying to cross the passage perished in a sudden squall. The county likewise earned its name from this passage. Fishermen began working the waters around Rock Island in the 1830s, but the first permanent settler was Increase Claflin in Little Sturgeon Bay in 1835. After this, villages began springing up along the peninsula so that by 1860 the region’s population was almost 3,000. The growth in population and industry necessitated the establishment of lighthouses and life-saving stations as well as the completion of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal.

      On October 8, 1871, the great Peshtigo Fire swept across both sides of Green Bay resulting in around 1,500 deaths, although many people claim the total can never been known. The great firestorm is thought to have been fueled by drought, high winds, and smaller fires. The hardest-hit Door County town during this tragedy was Williamsonville, just south of Sturgeon Bay, which was completely destroyed, along with 60 of its inhabitants.

      The leading exports during this early period were stone and wood which were transported by ship to various destinations. Shipbuilding also grew rapidly and is still the major employer in Sturgeon Bay. Beginning with Joseph Zettel in the 1860s, many prosperous fruit orchards were planted on the peninsula. The fruit boom occurred in the early 1900s when cherries were the bumper crop; they are still associated with the county today. Farming also took a strong foothold towards the end of the 19th century with peas and potatoes being primary crops. Dairies and cheese production also became more prevalent and profitable and are what most people currently associate with Wisconsin.

      (opposite) The Potawatomi, Winnebago, and Menominee peoples were the indigenous Native Americans of Door County. Jean Nicolet made the first European expedition into Green Bay in 1634. An early rendering of Lake Michigan is shown in this 1737 map of the area by Jean Frederic Bernard. (Courtesy

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