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Category: History

Door County is rich in history, from its most prominent founding citizens to the business leaders who embraced tourism to make it the destination it is today. It’s a history of orchards, farming, and fishermen, but also of potters, artists, and writers. But more than anything, it’s a history told in the lives of the remarkable people who’ve called it home for a spell or a lifetime. Door County Pulse tells them all.

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: April 28, 2017

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors. The Expositor, April 24, 1874 Unconcionable Meanness. Reports come to us of a neighborly (?) quarrel between two residents of the other side of the bay, in which […]

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: April 21, 2017

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors. The Expositor Independent, April 18, 1879 Michael Hayes Jr., of Egg Harbor, was in town Friday, and reported killing a monstrous animal, of the cat specie, in the […]

  • Nolen Saw State Parks as Way to Refresh, Renew Tired People

    For an Easterner, John Nolen left a very big mark on Wisconsin. In addition to being the official landscape architect of the City of Madison, where a major thoroughfare is named for him, Nolen was asked to help the State of Wisconsin define, justify and designate a state park system. Nolen began his landscape architect […]

  • Much of State Parks Built by 1930s Federal Work Program

    Almost 75 years after the enormous labor of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) finished, their efforts still provide the base of some of Wisconsin’s most cherished attractions. Peninsula State Park was just 23 years old in 1933, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the CCC as one of the first New Deal programs. As the […]

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: April 14, 2017

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors. Weekly Independent Expositor, April 15, 1881 J.T. Wright has just put up ice at Idlewild for use at his summer resort. He reports the ice to be thirty […]

  • Wisconsin Historical Society Book Uncovers State’s ‘Warriors, Saints, and Scoundrels’

    Meet the mayors, ministers, mystics, murderers and more whose lives influenced and defined the state of Wisconsin in the Wisconsin Historical Society Press’s newest release, Warriors, Saints, and Scoundrels: Brief Portraits of Real People Who Shaped Wisconsin. This collection of brief biographies illustrates the lives of unique, quirky and inspiring individuals who influenced our history, […]

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: April 7, 2017

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors. The Expositor, April 7, 1876 From the Superintendent of Public Instruction we learn that the average wages paid male teachers in 1875, in the state is $43.50 per […]

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: March 24, 2017

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors. The Expositor, March 20, 1874 A few days ago one of our citizens indulged in eating a small bit of Bologna sausage, which was said to be very […]

  • Bluebird Box Building, Birch Creek’s History & More Weekend Plans

    The Door Peninsula is known as a place that holds its nature and history in high regard, and this weekend’s events offerings are the perfect example. Head south for a night sky viewing night with members of the local astronomy club, make your way north for a hands-on bluebird nesting box workshop or sit back […]

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: March 17, 2017

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors.                                                                           The Expositor, March, 12, 1875 That story about Clay Banks going into bankruptcy is false. We were over there last Tuesday and found that the deposits of […]

  • Dirty Deuce, Logan Creek Hike & More Weekend Plans

    Winter is showing no signs of slowing down in its final days! Stay warm with our top picks for the weekend ahead. Friday, March 17 Musical Mathematicians Join Door County favorites Dirty Deuce for a rockin’ good time at Carrington Pub’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. 8 pm. Saturday, March 18 Beauty and the Beast Catch […]

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: March 10, 2017

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors.   The Expositor, March 10, 1876 We have examined the book Mr. H. B. Stevenson, of Sevastopol, is selling, “An Expose of Mormonism by Ann Eliza, 19th wife […]

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: March 3, 2017

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors.                                                        The Expositor, March 6, 1874 With much gratification we learn that F.B. Gardner has made an amicable arrangement with his creditors by which the proceedings in bankruptcy […]

  • New Maritime Museum Exhibit Explores ‘Telegraphs of the Past’

    The Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay explores the history and evolution of intra-ship communication with its newest temporary exhibit, “Telegraphs of the Past.” Spanning a four-stage presentation in the museum’s upper lobby, “Telegraphs of the Past” is a history lesson on the different ways sailors communicated onboard sea-going vessels and the devices that […]

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: Wild Man in Sevastopol Made News in 1902

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors.                                                       The Expositor, Feb. 27, 1874 A new post office is just established in Door county to be called “Sevastopol,” George Bassford, Post master. Office to be located […]

  • A Northern City Owns Up to Horrific Racial Incident: Duluth memorialized 1920 mob lynchings

    It is easy for us in the north to look down on our fellow Americans from the south for their historic inhumanity against blacks, but racism knows no regional boundaries. The south’s intolerance is just better documented than the racial horrors that took place in the north. An example of this can be seen in […]

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: Feb. 17, 2017

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors.                                                Weekly Expositor Independent, Feb. 18, 1881 On Thursday morning of last week, it was announced that the Treasurer’s office of Kewaunee county had been robbed of $8,000. […]

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: Feb. 10, 2017

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors.                                                           The Expositor, Feb. 12, 1875 J.J. Foors formerly of Little Sturgeon, but more recently of Red River, has been spending several days in town. He is prospecting […]

  • Wisconsin’s Most Famous Runaway Slave Story

    While parts of this country were still engaged in the trafficking and sale of human beings as slaves in the middle of the 19th century, Wisconsin served as a stepping stone to freedom for many escaped slaves. Perhaps the best-known of those is Joshua Glover, who in 1852 escaped from the 300-acre Missouri farm of […]

  • Once Upon Our Peninsula: News from this week’s past, Feb. 1-6

    All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors.                                                       The Expositor Independent, Feb. 1, 1878 Last Monday was a day of considerable stir in this village. Teams from different logging camps were hurrying about town and […]