News From This Week’s Past: Jan. 5 – 12

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,

January 2, 1874

Levi Thorpe was the first white settler at Egg Harbor. He has lived in the same log house, half hidden by lilac bushes, seventeen years and is happy.

Weekly Expositor Independent,

January 2, 1885

James Madden of Clay Banks, brought to this city last Wednesday afternoon a fine large hog, which dressed 431 pounds. Pork of this kind finds a ready market just now, in this city. Louis Wetzler, of the Sturgeon Bay meat market secured the above mentioned porker.

The Democrat,

January 3, 1895

COULDN’T GET THROUGH.

Ann Arbor No. 1 Fails to Make a Passage Through This Bay.

At about 1:30 o’clock Saturday afternoon a telephone message from the canal announced that the big car ferry steamer No. 1, followed by the Goodrich steamer Menominee, had passed through the cut, and was forcing her way through the ice towards the city. As nearly all of our citizens had discussed time and time again, the question of whether the Ann Arbor could force their way through the bay or not after the ice had formed, it did not take long for a crowd to gather at the bridge and on the ice to see if the big steamer would be able to pass through.

The ice in the bay was not over fix or six inches thick and No. 1 came down the bay to the bridge, closely, followed by the Menominee, with the least trouble whatever. She stopped at the bridge a few moments to take on passengers, who were going over to Menominee, when she again started ahead and ploughed her way through the ice until she reached Hill’s point. The ice at this place had jammed in until it was about eight feet thick. The Ann Arbor was going at a very slow rate of speed and when she struck the ice it brought her to a standstill. Capt. Ackerman soon saw that it would be useless to try to get the streamer though such a solid mass of ice.

Door County Democrat,

January 6, 1906

The local liquor dealers, who recently formed an organization for mutual benefit and protection, have what is known as a secret black list. Men who are habitual drunkards, or those who are in no hurry to pay their bills, are placed on this list, and no drinks will be served them. The liquor dealers are in a position to know these men well, and have already a number of their list.

Door County News,

January 3, 1917

The ice bridge is being extensively used at present. It is the city’s intention to collect toll on the bridge during the winter and not close the toll house at all. They keep a collector on the job day and night. Some of the residents are of the opinion that the approach to the ice on this side of the bay should be fixed so that it is not such a hard pull for teams.

Door County News,

January 1, 1925

OUST STREET COMMISSIONER

Council Abolishes Office to Get Rid of Paying Official.

The dispute between Mayor Green and Street Commissioner Herman Moeller came to a head on Monday evening at the special meeting of the city council, with the mayor a couple of jumps in the lead.

Some time ago it occurred to Mayor Green that in view of the fact that there was little or no work for a street commissioner to do during the winter months, when the only work on the streets consists of clearing off the walks after a snowfall, that it would be a saving to the taxpayers to dispense with the services of this official during the period. Mr. Moeller did not look at the matter in the same light, and said he would hold the city liable for his salary during the aforesaid period of time.

Mayor Green sent out a call for a special meeting of the council. The first matter taken up at the meeting was that of abolishing the office of street commissioner. The resolution providing therefore was duly presented and passed unanimously. Consequently, the office of street commissioner is no more.

It was decreed by resolution that the work, such as there was to be done, be delegated to John Wollitz, janitor of the city hall and former street commissioner for many years.

Door County News,

January 7, 1937

SHOULD WORK IN HARMONY

With the advent of the New Year it might be well for residents of Door county and the city of Sturgeon Bay to consider plans which might be carried out to secure greater progress and development, and in a spirit of harmony and cooperation devote their energies to a more complete unity that has heretofore existed. The Door county peninsula is in reality one large family. There is no such thing as division between city and county, and any minor differences which have arisen in the past have been quickly ironed out and the best interests of the peninsula served by striking a happy medium for carrying the burden of development.

Opportunity, both as regards time and necessity, is ripe for every citizen of the county and city to make a resolve that in the future they will devote their efforts to foster complete cooperation in every way that the peninsula may be benefitted.