News From This Week’s Past: Fire Bells, Lively Egg Harbor

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

February 8, 1878

The fire bell for the village, is at Green Bay. The bell was purchased at Cincinnati, Ohio, for $50, and weighs 450 lbs. It will probably be brought from Green Bay, and erected in its proper place at the earliest possible date.

Weekly Expositor Independent

February 5, 1886

Egg Harbor is unusually lively this winter, both in business and socially. Since the snow came about sixty teams have made the roads lively with logs to the mills and to the banking ground for shipment, and cordwood to the piers. About sixty cords per day have been hauled to Horseshoe Bay. Ten teams are delivering wood at Thorp’s, and Capt. Kirtland’s pier is receiving considerable wood. The damage to the captain’s pier from last fall’s gale is repaired and the dock is ready for business. A new pier is being built at Horseshoe Bay, but it progresses slowly on account of the difficulty of sinking the cribs, there being a heavy body of ice drifted under the top ice. The little mill is running well. It employs nine men and cuts about sixteen thousand feet per day. So you see business is booming.

Door County Democrat

February 8, 1896

A young rascal of about fifteen summers, was taken before Police Justice Mowry on Thursday morning charged with slashing with a knife a fish shanty of one of the fishermen on the ice. He was found guilty and fined $5.00, which was paid. He was also obliged to repair the shanty. Altogether too much of this sort of cussedness has been practiced on the fishermen this winter, and a few examples like this one will serve to put a stop to it.

Door County Democrat

February 8, 1908

A gentleman from this city who recently visited one of the northern towns which went “dry” at the last election states that a “queer disease” has appeared among the natives in that locality and the only remedy which has been found to give relief is “Hostetters Stomach Bitters,” which is being sold in large quantities.

Door County News

February 6, 1919

A meeting of the local council of defense of the western part of the town of Sturgeon Bay was held on Wednesday afternoon for the purpose of checking up the list to ascertain who might be considered “slackers.” A careful scrutiny and examination revealed the very gratifying and commendable fact that every person in that part of the township had performed their part and answered the call of their government in aiding the prosecution of the war to a successful termination. The officers in charge of this section were Chairman George Johnson and Frank Krueger and they as well as the residents within their jurisdiction are to be congratulated on the excellent showing and report they were able to file with County Chairman Scofield. It is something to feel proud of when a community has the proud distinction of being 100 percent patriotic.

Door County News

February 7, 1929

Five More Soundings Must Yet Be Taken

Work in taking soundings for the new bridge project is progressing nicely and it is expected that within the new week or ten days all necessary data will be had. The crew spent the greater share of last week taking soundings on the west side of the channel and expected last evening to complete the hole on the Sawyer shore.

The rock formation was found to be lower west of the channel than on the east side, where solid rock was struck at 64 feet. Near the Sawyer shore the drillers were forced to go to a depth of 84 feet before striking solid footing. Near the shore line however, an incline of one foot was noted.

Door County News

February 9, 1939

ROY WOLDT GETS CONTRACT FROM BREWER CLUB

Roy Woldt, stellar Sturgeon Bay High school athlete of recent years, was the latter part of the week tendered a contract by the Eau Claire baseball club, a Milwaukee Brewer farm, offering him the opportunity for a tryout in big league baseball. The contract was promptly signed and returned, and the young man will be aiming at an infield berth when he reports to Eau Claire in April.

Roy starred in every sport conducted at the local high school, and last year performed on the diamond with Baileys Harbor, Door County league champions, giving a good account of himself both afield and at the plate.

Roy’s opportunity for a tryout in professional ball, was made possible largely through contacts made by Earl M. LaPlant of this city, with Henry J. Bendinger, Milwaukee, president of the Brewer organization. He is the second local youth to be given the chance for a tryout in big league ball, the other being Woody DeJardine, another member of the Baileys Harbor club and a Sevastopol High school product, who leaves in March for Texas for spring training with the Toledo Mudhens.