Door County History Days gives buffs a week to tour historical places, hear local stories

DOOR COUNTY — History buffs have a week's worth of explorations, tours and talks to take in from one end of the Peninsula to the other when the third annual Door County History Days takes place from Monday through Sunday, June 17 to 23.

Twenty-eight local history- and culture-based nonprofit organizations are coming together to host or sponsor special programs during the week from Brussels to Rock Island and points in between that celebrate Door County's history and heritage, all based on this year's theme of "Surrounded by Water."

Door County History Days is designed to showcase the historical societies, museums, cultural groups and other organizations that work actively to preserve the Peninsula’s rich historical heritage and highlight the impact they have on residents, tourism and the economy.

The week's worth of activities and events is organized by the Heritage Alliance of Door County, a collaborative group made up of local museums, historical societies and educational institutions. The group is open to anyone interested in history in Door County.

June 17

History Days kicks off with a Kick Off Event, naturally, that features visits to historical spots on Washington Island. Participants can catch a 9:30 a.m. Monday ferry ride from Newport to the Island, where speakers including Island residents and history buffs Dick Purinton and Joel Gunnlaugsson are joined by National Park Service staff and others to introduce the 2024 theme. Guests then can board the Island's famed Cherry Train for a tour of historical sites there that include Jacobsen Museum and Jackson Harbor.

Another highlight event on Monday is 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, 11831 State Highway 42, in Ellison Bay. Henriksen will share stories about his 50 years in the commercial fishing business that was and remains a vital part of Door County's history and economy.

June 18

Special activities for Tuesday include a guided, history-based kayak tour of Ephraim that launches at 9:30 a.m. and stops near historic shipwrecks, Anderson Dock, Eagle Bluff and more. The tour is given by Peninsula Kayak Co. and sponsored by the Ephraim Historical Foundation; advance registration with Peninsula Kayak is required.

The Ephraim Historical Foundation also holds a "History Speaks" lecture that day at 6 p.m. in Village Hall. The foundation's curator and collections manager Jeff O'Keeffe gives an in-depth look at ongoing digitization efforts to help preserve its collection and interpret village history, from preserving glass plate negatives to uncovering stories of local photographers, in his talk "Through Their Lens."

Finally on Tuesday, the Sister Bay Historical Society hosts free tours of its Corner of the Past Museum from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a a special exhibit featuring some historic families of the community, including current family members sharing stories, photos and artifacts. The society also holds a "Sister Bay Stories" program at 7 p.m. that night in its Koessl Barn at the museum, focusing on popular restaurant Husby's Food & Spirits.

June 19

Special programs for Wednesday include "Imagining History: What's Fun and What's Not about Writing Historical Fiction," a talk by local author Ann Heyse at 10 a.m. at the Door County Library in Sturgeon Bay related to her recent historical fiction book "This Light is Ours," set in Door County in 1871-72.

Another program on commercial fishing is held at 7 p.m. Wednesday when the Baileys Harbor Historical Society brings Dennis Hickey of Hickey Brothers Fisheries/Baileys Harbor Fish Co. to Town Hall to discuss his family's life in the business and the lives of commercial fishermen and women in Baileys Harbor.

June 20

Thursday, June 20 brings a number of special programs. Returning to commercial fishing, Door County Maritime Museum curator Kay Drager visits its Death's Door Museum in Gills Rock at 10 a.m. to talk about “A Well-Made Net,” a new exhibit on the genealogy of the fishing families of Northern Door County. This will be accompanied by a presentation by Door County historian Steven Rice on genealogy research in Door County.

Also at 10 a.m. that day, members of the Sturgeon Bay Historical Foundation will be at the Door County Library in Sturgeon Bay to give updates on their current restoration projects with the observation tower at Potawatomi State Park and the Door County Granary (the historic Tewles & Brandeis grain elevator) and discuss possible efforts for the future.

Another program for June 20 is "Belgian Settler Success Shaped by Land and Water," a presentation by the Belgian Heritage Center in Brussels at 1 p.m. An exhibit will showcase hand tools that settlers in this area used to survive and thrive, and Belgian desserts will be available to purchase. Visitors also can check out other exhibits and visit the restored school/convent on the grounds.

Then, the Liberty Grove Historical Society hosts its 22nd annual "Lake to Table" traditional fish boil fundraiser on its Ellison Bay campus with whitefish caught in the waters off the shores of Liberty Grove.

June 21

For Friday, June 21, the Egg Harbor Historical Society holds a dedication and celebration for the newly restored Door County Bookmobile at 4 p.m. at Horseshoe Bay Farms. This event includes a transfer of the title of the 60-year-old bookmobile, which was retired in 1989, from the historical society to the new nonprofit Door County Bookmobile, Inc.

June 22

Back in Ellison Bay on Saturday, June 22, the Liberty Grove Historical Society hosts the official opening for the season of its museum buildings from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Docents will be on site.

June 23

After starting on Washington Island, History Days returns to the Island on its final day, Sunday, June 23, for author Kathy Groth signing her new book, "Sunken Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan," from 2 to 3:30 p.m at Jackson Harbor Maritime Museum.

Recurring programs

Along with those programs are a number of recurring events throughout the week.

Tours taking place all six days are docent-guided tours of Pottawatomie Lighthouse and the keeper's quarters on Rock Island from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and tours of the Range Lights at The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Starting Tuesday, the Gibraltar Historical Association features tours of its 2024 exhibit, "Reflections of the Past," at its Alexander Noble House Museum in Fish Creek. The exhibit delves into the life of Asa Thorp, the visionary who erected the first pier between Washington Island and Fort Howard, a pivotal development in transportation that fostered trade and played a vital role in the growth of tourism in Door County.

From June 18 to 21, the Ephraim Historical Foundation offers its daily History Tram Tours of the village at 10:30 a.m. The open-air, hourlong tram tours take visitors along picturesque Eagle Harbor to historic sites throughout the village.

For the full 2024 Door County History Days schedule or more information, visit doorcounty.net/door-county-history-days. Updates and information on participating institutions and special programs can be found at the "Heritage Alliance of Door County" Facebook page or @heritageallianceofdoorcounty on Instagram.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or [email protected].

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Historical places, local stories the focus of Door County History Days