News From This Week’s Past: Feb. 9 – 16

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

February 9, 1876

A mysterious light near the mouth of the bay, not far from the point on the south side has attracted considerable attention for some time past. It is claimed by some to be the light of the furnace at Menominee. The light appears about the size of a head light to a steamboat, and to hang over the ice at about the height of a steamboat light. It is probably the light of the furnace though it shines very brightly for a distance of more than 20 miles.

The Independent

February 11, 1887

Quite a little attention was attracted to a small flock of birds in the yard next to M. Cochem’s store, the early part of the week. No one seemed to be able to place them or ever remembered seeing them. But after some discussion among our local ornithologists they were finally discovered to be a species of “grosbeak” and it was further discovered that they had frequently been seen in some parts of this country. On Wednesday Joseph Bardle managed to capture two of the birds and has put them in a cage and they seem to be quite content in their confinement.

The Democrat

February 7, 1895

Wood that sells here for about two dollars per cord sells in cities at the mouth of the Menominee river for five dollars or more. No wonder people freeze to death over there.

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,” [47 percent alcohol] which is being sold in large quantities.

Door County News

February 7, 1918

LOYALTY LEGION DELEGATES

At a meeting of the Loyalty Legion held at the city hall on Saturday evening, the following delegates were selected to attend a mass meeting to be held in Milwaukee on February 13th:  Henry Fetzer, W.E. Wagener, H.L. Peterson, N.C. Garland and E.C. Hart.

The purpose of the meeting at Milwaukee is to create a sentiment for a non-partisan election of a United States Senator to succeed the late Senator Hustings and to spread the doctrine of loyalty throughout the length and breadth of the state.

Door County News,

February 10, 1927

STAR ROUTE MAIL CONTRACTS ARE LET

The successful bidders for the carrying of the mail on the stage routes were announced during the past week.

Edward Carmody was the lowest bidder for carrying the mail between this city and Ellison Bay, he offering to do the work for $3,976. The government paid $4,231.50 under the old contract.

Henry Schultz was the lowest bidder for carrying the mail from this city to Baileys Harbor, his offer being $831. This also was lower than the old contract price of $946.

The price covers the carrying of the mail for four years.

Door County News,

February 4, 1937

PREPARE FOR SUMMER BUSINESS

No county in Wisconsin can boast of better highways than we have, and this county has two of the outstanding state parks. We have the greatest amount of shoreline of any county, probably without exception, in the nation and many of the highways and drives follow close to the water’s edge, at times between towering trees flanking either side, and again out in the open over rolling hills and vales. Scenic beauty is unbounded and unlimited in Door county.

Yet we who live here have come to take it as a matter of fact and fail to make the most of it. Our energy is devoted largely to efforts to capitalize on what we have and we have not put forth a supreme effort to create progress as we should. There is no limit to what Door county can and should do in catering to the tourist and summer resort business, and right now is the time to make plans to take care of an enlarged business next year.

People in every section of the county should make a study of what can and should be accomplished in cleaning up unsightly localities to make the community more inviting. A motto which might well be adopted is “Clean Up…Fix Up…Perk Up.”