DCHS Hosts “The Islands of Door County” Program Aug 26

SS South Carolina at Washington Island Dock. Courtesy of Door County Historical Society.

The Door County Historical Society will host its Saturday afternoon yesteryear programming with “The Islands of Door County,” presented by Paul Burton, Aug. 26 at 2 pm in the Collins Learning Center adjacent to the Heritage Village at 2041 Michigan Street in Sturgeon Bay.

Surrounding the Door County peninsula are 27 individual islands, each one with its own history. Many of the islands have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Native Americans traveling south in canoes from the upper peninsula of Michigan and Canada would use the islands as a gateway into the Door County peninsula. To this day, some of Door County’s islands are still occupied by people, while others were left to the birds, as natural sanctuaries.

Paul Burton developed his interest in Door County’s islands because of the geological and historical influence they have on the area. As the water levels rise and fall, the islands shape and function are ever changing. Burton has a PhD in the biological sciences, which has carried over to his interest in history and the evolution of Door County as a tourist destination. Having written and co-authored five books about the history of Door County, Burton is fascinated with the region and islands, which he says are “very special places with a mystique all their own.”

Due to parking lot blacktopping, please use the White Tails Unlimited parking lot just east and on the north side of the street. This program does not have an admission fee, but an offering will be taken to support the restoration and accessibility of the Vignes School. The Heritage Village is an interpretive site of the Door County Historical Society and is open prior to the presentation, and 10 am – 3 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays. Adult Heritage Village admission is $6. For more information, call 920.421.2332 or visit DoorCountyHistoricalSociety.org.