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A Door County Icon: Lauren Bremer talks Chief Roy Oshkosh

Chief Roy Oshkosh begins a pow-wow by drumming. Photo courtesy of Tom Zwicky.

A few years ago, the editors of Door County Living (sister publication to the Peninsula Pulse) assigned Lauren Bremer, an English teacher at Gibraltar High School, an article. Bremer, who’s naturally curious about Door County history, was asked to write about the life of Chief Roy Oshkosh, a Door County business owner, famous for leading pow-wows at his shop, Chief Oshkosh Trading Post in Egg Harbor.

“When I was assigned the piece I was actually really excited,” recalls Bremer. “Chief was always one of those iconic Door County figures that I admired. He was really an inspiring man. He held a lot of Door County mystic for me as a kid. I remember going to the Tepee as a kid. It was a special piece to write.”

Bremer will share her research at the Egg Harbor Town Hall on March 16 at 2 pm during a free program sponsored by the Egg Harbor Historical Society. Since writing her article for Door County Living, Bremer has learned more about Oshkosh, accumulated more photos of his life to share with attendees of the program. “This is more a story about his life and his influence – from all avenues,” she says.

An aspect of the man that may surprise listeners as much as it surprised Bremer is “how funny he was,” she laughs. “I had him pegged as a serious person and was intrigued to find that he varied in that way. People tell stories about the things he used to say, jokes he used to tell.”

Learn more about Oshkosh at Bremer’s presentation on March 16.

 

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