DOOR COUNTY — History buffs can enjoy a week of exploration, tours and talks from one end of the peninsula to the other at the third annual Door County History Days, taking place Monday, June 17th through Sunday, June 23rd.
Twenty-eight local history and culture-based nonprofit organizations will come together to host or sponsor special programs celebrating Door County history and traditions from Brussels to Rock Island and points in between, all based around this year’s theme, “Around the Water.”
Door County History Day aims to showcase historical societies, museums, cultural organizations and other organizations actively working to preserve the peninsula’s rich historical heritage and highlight the impact they have on residents, tourism and the economy.
The week-long activities and events are organized by the Door County Heritage Alliance, a collaborative group of local museums, historical societies and educational institutions that is open to anyone with an interest in Door County history.
June 17
Naturally, History Days will kick off with a kickoff event to visit some of Washington Island’s historic sites. Attendees will take a ferry from Newport to the island at 9:30 a.m. Monday, where speakers including islanders and history buffs Dick Purinton and Joel Gunnlaugson will introduce the 2024 theme alongside National Park Service officials and others. Guests will then board the island’s famous Cherry Train for a tour of historic sites like the Jacobsen Museum and Jackson Harbor.
Another featured event on Monday will be a talk by Charlie Henriksen of Henriksen Fisheries, “Commercial Fishing Traditions and Sustainable Practices,” from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Liberty Grove Historical Society in Ellison Bay, 11831 State Highway 42. Henriksen will share stories from his 50 years in the commercial fishing industry that was and still is a vital part of Door County’s history and economy.
June 18
Special activities on Tuesday include a guided kayak tour of Ephraim’s history departing at 9:30 a.m. and stopping near historic shipwrecks, Anderson Dock, Eagle Bluff and more. The tour is hosted by Peninsula Kayaks and sponsored by the Ephraim Historical Foundation. Advance registration with Peninsula Kayaks is required.
The Ephraim Historical Foundation will also host a “History Speaks” talk in the village hall that day at 6 p.m. Jeff O’Keefe, the foundation’s curator and collections manager, will detail the digitization efforts that will help preserve the collection and interpret the village’s history, from preserving glass plate negatives to unearthing the stories of local photographers, in his talk, “Through the Lens.”
Finally, on Tuesday, the Sister Bay Historical Society will host free tours of the Corner of the Past Museum from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Special exhibits will highlight historic families in the community, with current family members sharing stories, photos and artifacts. The society will also host a “Sister Bay Stories” program that evening at 7 p.m. in the museum’s Koessl Barn, focusing on popular restaurant Husby’s Food & Spirits.
June 19th
Special programs on Wednesday include a talk by local author Ann Hayes, “Imagining History: The Joys and Trivialities of Writing Historical Fiction,” tied to her recent historical novel, “This Light is Ours,” set in Door County in 1871-1872, at 10 a.m. at the Door County Library in Sturgeon Bay.
Another program on commercial fishing will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m., when the Baileys Harbor Historical Society will invite Dennis Hickey of Hickey Brothers Fisheries/Baileys Harbor Fish Company to Town Hall to talk about Hickey’s family’s fishing life and the life of a commercial fisherman in Baileys Harbor.
June 20
A number of special programs will be held on Thursday, June 20. Returning to the topic of commercial fishing, Door County Maritime Museum curator Kay Draeger will visit Death’s Door Museum at Gill’s Rock at 10 a.m. to talk about “A Well-Made Net,” a new exhibit on the genealogy of northern Door County fishing families, which will feature Door County historian Steven Rice speaking about Door County genealogy research.
Also that day at 10 a.m., members of the Sturgeon Bay Historical Foundation will visit the Door County Library in Sturgeon Bay to provide updates on current restoration projects at the Potawatomi State Park observation tower and the Door County Granary (the historic Teuls & Brandeis grain elevator) and discuss efforts for the future.
Afterwards, the Liberty Grove Historical Society will host its 22nd annual “Lake to Table” traditional fish boil fundraiser at the Ellison Bay Campus, featuring whitefish caught off the coast of Liberty Grove.
June 21
The program on Friday, June 21, includes a presentation hosted by the Belgian Heritage Center in Brussels, “The Success of Belgian Settlers Shaped by Land and Water,” at 1 p.m. The exhibit will showcase hand tools used by settlers in the region to survive and thrive, and Belgian desserts will be available for purchase. Visitors can also check out other exhibits and visit the restored school/convent on the site.
Then, the Egg Harbor Historical Society will hold a dedication ceremony and celebration of the newly restored Door County Mobile Library at Horseshoe Bay Farm at 4 p.m., which will also include the transfer of ownership of the 60-year-old mobile library, which was retired in 1989, from the historical society to a new nonprofit organization, Door County Mobile Library Inc.
June 22
Returning to Ellison Bay on Saturday, June 22, the Liberty Grove Historical Society will host the official opening of its museum building for the season from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Docents will be on hand.
June 23
History Days, which began on Washington Island, will return to the island for its final day, Sunday, June 23, when author Cathy Gross will sign copies of her new book, “Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan,” at the Jackson Harbor Maritime Museum from 2-3:30 p.m.
Regular Programs
In addition to these programs, there are numerous regular events taking place throughout the week.
Tours offered throughout all six days include guided tours of the Pottawatomie Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters in Rock Island from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and guided tours of the Range Light at Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Starting Tuesday, the Gibraltar Historical Society will host tours of its 2024 exhibit, “Reflections of the Past,” at the Alexander Noble House Museum in Fish Creek. The exhibit delves into the life of Asa Thorpe, the visionary who built the first pier between Washington Island and Fort Howard, a pivotal transportation development that facilitated trade and played a key role in the growth of tourism in Door County.
From June 18-21, the Ephraim Historical Foundation will be hosting the Village History Tram Tour each day at 10:30 a.m. This hour-long, open-air tram tour will take visitors along picturesque Eagle Harbor to historic sites throughout the village.
For a complete schedule and more information about Door County History Days 2024, visit doorcounty.net/door-county-history-days. Updates and information about participating agencies and special programs can be found on the Heritage Alliance of Door County Facebook page or on Instagram @heritageallianceofdoorcounty.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@gannett.com.
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