In these modern times, it seems that far too often people, places, and things of the past are completely forgotten.
"Life on earth can be an adventure... You just need to know where to look." - Elizabeth Sladen (1946 - 2011)
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See my blog for more information
.......
Aqualand (zoo)
Aqualand was an attraction in northern Door County, somewhere around the Fish Creek/Bailey's Harbor area (if I remember correctly) up until the early to mid 1970's.
It was sort of like an interactive zoo, with all sorts of animals native to the area - deer, skunk, raccoon, even a black bear! You could buy various treats to feed the different animals, including soda-pop for the black bear. There was also a small pond stocked with hundreds of fish that you could feed, and for a fee kids could go fishing in the pond (which was not that challenging - the fish would go after anything that hit the water).
Bosman's Parkside Motel
W Larch St and N Kendale Ave
Carmody Hotel - Egg Harbor
Although I have had a copy of the top photo since 2010, had rated it a low priority because I had assumed that the building had been demolished long ago.
Imagine not only my shock in discovering that the building still exists, but also ANGER at the reason for my discovery - THE VILLAGE BOARD OF EGG HARBOR IS HELL BENT ON DESTROYING IT!
http://www.ask4direct.com/InfoRead.asp?id=DCDN&InfoID=790522
3/29/2012 - Some Not Eager To See 'Lena's' Leveled
By Bob Dohr
Two weeks ago village officials in Egg Harbor announced the acquisition of a key piece of property along Highway 42 to eventually serve as a home for an expanded library and Egg Harbor Visitor Center.
But not everyone is on board with tearing down the existing building to make room for a new one.
Stephen Kastner says the building that housed Lena's Sip & Chat was a classic Door County bar and dance hall built in 1935. He's urging that a study be conducted to explore the merits of saving it.
Kastner, who's written an article about his ideas on www.DoorCountyStyle.com, is circulating an online petition and as of Wednesday had obtained 279 signatures.
He says the structure may not look great right now but a restoration project could change that.
Kastner says older buildings are a way to preserve a location's heritage. "Every time a barn falls down the whole community around that barn loses something, it loses the feeling of having once been agrarian," says Kastner.
Kastner says he plans to present the petition to Village President Nancy Fisher at the April 9 meeting of the Village Board.
To view the petition go to http://signon.org/sign/save-historic-egg-harbor or click the link below.
http://doorcountystyle.com/2012/03/lenas-worth-small-fortune-time-7804/
http://doorcountystyle.com/2012/03/petition-save-historic-egg-harbor-7827/
UPDATE
http://doorcountystyle.com/2012/04/egg-harbor-board-votes-demolition-7876/
Egg Harbor Board Votes for Immediate Demolition of Historical Lena’s Sip & Chat Building
Posted on 10. Apr, 2012 by Stephen Kastner.
By a four to one vote, Lena’s is lost to the wrecking crew. It will be gone in 30 days.
There were a lot of terms tossed about by experts and individuals at the April 9 meeting of the Egg Harbor Village Board. Eyesore, firetrap, blight and run-down bar quickly come to mind… but the most disappointing observation I can share is the feeling that all of this was just a show. Bob Dickson was the only member of the board to have the courage to ask for a 90-day waiting period in which a historical analysis of the Lena’s building could be undertaken.
It turns out that the online auction of Lena’s equipment and architectural components that closed this morning was launched by the former property owner, David Cowles, not by the Village. Despite that finding, Village Board President Nancy Fisher also had two demolition contractor bids ready for a vote following the approval of her motion to destroy the landmark historical property at 7740 Highway 42.
Several individuals spoke for and against the effort to explore the historical significance and possible restoration of the structure. Of the opponents, board member Bruce Hill was most eloquent in his pledge to see that the design of a new structure would be distinctive and seek to honor the spirit of Egg Harbor’s traditional look and feel in tune with the neighboring Carmody House.
WHY is it that those in power, elected to serve the citizens, ALWAYS seem to go off and do whatever they want, irrespective of the wishes of the public.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!
Nancy A. Fisher – Village President Bruce K. Hill
5110 Alpen Lane, Egg Harbor, WI 54209 4607 county T, Egg Harbor, WI 54209
Telephone: 920-868-1693 Telephone: 920-333-0236
E-Mail: nfisher@villageofeggharbor.org HOME: 920-868-1864
found guilty on 12-02-2008 of violation of open meeting law E-Mail: bhill@villageofeggharbor.org
Barbara l. Cammack Paula D. Cashin
7650 W Shore Dr, Egg Harbor, WI 54209 4636 south trail rd, Egg Harbor, WI 54209
Telephone: 920-868-9359 Telephone: 920-868-3631
E-mail: bcammack@villageofeggharbor.org E-mail: pcashin@villageofeggharbor.org
The Cove Resort
Although there are a number of photographs and postcards of this business, to date very little has been uncovered about it. One source places it near the end of Cove Rd - supposedly located between the mouth of Big Creek and the north end of the ship canal - yet several of the photos above had it listed as being in Idlewild, which is on the opposite side of the peninsula (Idlewild is located to the southwest of the city of Sturgeon Bay, roughly in the area of Potawatomi State Park and Sawyer harbor).
The rock outcrop in the bottom-most photograph seems to support Idlewild as the location: the west shore of the peninsula, just south of the mouth of the bay of Sturgeon Bay having many such outcrops and cliffs, while the shore near the canal tends to be more swamp-like.
Door County Fairgrounds
N 14th Ave near Georgia St
Ariel view of the Door County Fairgrounds, located on 14th Avenue near Georgia St, circa 1940s. The building marked with the red box WAS the only original/historic building that remained - all the others (including the old grandstands) were demolished in the 1990s/2000s and replaced with ugly "modern" metal sheds/concrete structures. Sadly, a recent check of the grounds (April 2011) reveals that it too has now been torn down, presumably to be replaced with yet another "metal shed". :(
the fairgrounds was purchased in 1885, and by 1886 included a race track and numerous buildings - many of those original buildings are likely shown in the topmost photograph.
East Side Waterfront
Michigan St and N 1st Ave
View of the East side waterfront next to the Michigan Street Bridge.
Comparing the two photos, one can see that - other than the bridge - the only building/structure found in both is the Catholic Church(twin spires to the right of water tower).
Comparing the two photos, one can see that - other than the bridge - the only building/structure found in both is the Catholic Church(twin spires to the right of water tower).
"Market Square" area
S 3rd Ave, Michigan St, 5th Ave, Nebraska St
It is amazing just how much things can change sometimes.
These two photos are a prime example. The first thing that one might notice is the old Sturgeon Bay High School building. But looking more carefully, one sees a whole wealth of details, starting with the wall right before our eyes - which is now nothing more than a metal guardrail. And then there is the huge lawn stretching out to encompass an entire city block - half of which was later turned into a parking lot, while the majority of the rest now has an ugly prefabricated concrete building sitting on it. And in the bottom photo, the building on the far right? THE OLD COUNTY JAIL, which was demolished and replaced by the "safety building" in (if I remember correctly) 1964, which was itself demolished in 2009 for an addition the the county government center.
These two photos are a prime example. The first thing that one might notice is the old Sturgeon Bay High School building. But looking more carefully, one sees a whole wealth of details, starting with the wall right before our eyes - which is now nothing more than a metal guardrail. And then there is the huge lawn stretching out to encompass an entire city block - half of which was later turned into a parking lot, while the majority of the rest now has an ugly prefabricated concrete building sitting on it. And in the bottom photo, the building on the far right? THE OLD COUNTY JAIL, which was demolished and replaced by the "safety building" in (if I remember correctly) 1964, which was itself demolished in 2009 for an addition the the county government center.
MARS Restaurant (fast food chain franchise)
Green Bay Rd and Lansing Ave
Back in the 1970's and 80's, there was a fast food chain known as "MARS", and one of their restaurants was located at the corner of Lansing Ave and Green Bay Rd on the west side of Sturgeon Bay.
The building is now occupied by the Mandarin Garden Chinese restaurant. Before that, it was the final home of the Fisherman's Table restaurant.
Unfortunately, nothing seems to exist, other than the memories of some, that this chain ever existed. There is not a single photo, product, or mention of it anywhere. Only the building remains - and that having been remodeled to the point of being vastly different from it's original appearance.
The building is now occupied by the Mandarin Garden Chinese restaurant. Before that, it was the final home of the Fisherman's Table restaurant.
Unfortunately, nothing seems to exist, other than the memories of some, that this chain ever existed. There is not a single photo, product, or mention of it anywhere. Only the building remains - and that having been remodeled to the point of being vastly different from it's original appearance.
Michigan Street Bridge
It's amazing what you can find out by striking up a casual conversation.
While certainly considered "old", Many people in Sturgeon Bay might be surprised to find out that the Michigan Street Bridge may be older than they think.
A friend's mother had once told me that the bridge was not built here, but dismantled and moved here from some somewhere else.
That information was verified in a conversation with an older gentleman one day, in which he told me that he knew - FOR A FACT - that the bridge was moved here, oddly enough from a city/town in the state of Michigan.
And how could he be so sure?
Because he was one of the men who helped re-assemble the bridge upon it's arrival here in Sturgeon Bay!
A bridge - originally built and used in a city in Michigan - moved to Sturgeon Bay - which becomes known as the "Michigan Street Bridge".
As Yakov Smirnof would say: "What a country!" :))
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bw3HrNjvmw
The Palace Cafe
Duluth Ave and Oak St/Sawyer Dr
"It all started with a matchbook" :))
While browsing the online auction site Ebay, I came across an auction for the matchbook at top. And so began a massive historical mystery. I have lost count of the number of older people I have asked - and in each case, even they had never heard of this business! This one even managed to stump the great Eddy Allen! :))
Just trying to locate the 900 block of West Oak Street was a puzzle in itself. Finally, I chanced across a mailbox on Sawyer Drive marked "908 West Oak", and while playing with a display model GPS unit at Target was able to pinpoint the exact location of where the business had been.
Sadly, it is now a very vacant and semi-overgrown field. In my brief walk through it, I could not see any evidence of a building ever having been there - there was not even any sign, hint, of clue of there being a foundation on the property. :(
Peterson Builders Inc shipyard (PBI)
South 3rd Ave and Pennsylvania St
Founded in 1933 by Fred Peterson, Peterson Builders, Inc (PBI) started out constructing and repairing civilian vessels.
With the outbreak of World War II, PBI began building vessels for the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy, which included sub chasers, rescue vessels, and motor launches.
After the war, the shipyard briefly returned to building civilian pleasure craft.
Then, in the 1950s, PBI was awarded a series of US Naval contracts for the construction of minesweepers, the development of which played an important role in the refinement of aluminum welding technology - with PBI at the forefront.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, PBI built both military and civilian commercial vessels, not only for American clients but foreign companies and navies as well - including naval contracts for France, te Netherlands, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Greece, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
In the early to mid 1980s, PBI built a series of four salvage ships for the US Navy (Safeguard, Grasp, Salvor, Grapple), as well as patrol, harbor security, and training craft.
From the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, the yard focused on the construction of 11 of the U.S. Navy's new fleet of 14 Mine CounterMeasure (MCM) ships.
Finally, In 1998, with new construction contracts tapering off and land values within the city and northern part of the county increasing, the Sturgeon Bay shipyard was closed and the property was eventually turned into yet another upper class condo/marina development.
http://web.archive.org/web/20010720150228/http://www.pbinc.com/history/
http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/inactive/peterson.htm
Peterson Pool
S 3rd Ave and Oregon St
Peterson Pool - built around 1963 under the direction of Fred Peterson (of PBI shipyard fame) and donated to the city - served the community for 38 years before being closed when the local YMCA branch built a new center - including an indoor pool and water play area - in 2001.
The building then stood vacant from 2001 until its demolition in 2010.
The building then stood vacant from 2001 until its demolition in 2010.
Thumb Fun Amusement Park - Fish Creek
Located just north of Fish Creek(1 1/2 miles from the bottom of the fish creek hill, 1/2 mile past Gibralter school/Gibralter rd), Thumb Fun Amusement Park had just about everything - game arcade, bumper cars, bumper boats, water slides, Scenic train ride through the woods, and..... The HAUNTED MANSION! >:D
Although the park was a popular place, It's location in the northern part of the county - with increasing tourist development and land values - forced the park to close in 1998.
A news article on it's closure:
http://www.allbusiness.com/services/amusement-recreation-services/4574788-1.html
Thumb Fun Park Shutters Itself; Will Sell Off All Rides And Land
By Tim O'Brien
Publication: Amusement Business
Date: Monday, October 12 1998
Doug Butchart is predictably a bit nostalgic about closing down the small amusement park he started 37 years ago. "A lot of memories are coming back to me as I prepare to sell everything," he said. "I have a great deal of attachment to some of those pieces."Located in Door County, Wis., Thumb Fun Park will be liquidated. Some rides have already been sold, while there is "great interest in most of the others." The land has been sold, and construction of a 47-acre, 148-unit condominium development will soon begin.Business has been good, but Butchart's reasons for selling have nothing to do with how business has been. "The land is worth far more than the park," Butchart told AB. "In 1998 alone, I paid taxes that totaled nearly six times what I originally paid for the land."
family plans
Secondly, Butchart's daughter, Peggy, is about to be married and doesn't particularly want to stay at the park. "She would stay for me, I'm sure, but this will set her free." Plus, there's another reason to sell at this time, according to Butchart. "I'm damn near 70 years old."He said he has been thinking about selling since early 1997. "AB did a story about the park in November, 1997, and in it, wrote that I was thinking about selling out," he said. "Shortly after, I started receiving calls from people who wanted to buy specific rides, and the interest has grown since then."Rides being disposed of include an Allan Herschell three-abreast, 36-foot carousel. "This is one of the rides I have a strong attachment to," he said. "It will be 50 years old on May 4, 1999."
rare rides
Among the rides being sold will be a C.P. Huntington train with five coaches, an Allan Herschell helicopter ride, an Allan Herschell Skyfighter, and a rare Eyerly Midgo Racer. "I'll also be getting rid of everything else, including food service equipment, games and maintenance equipment."All the haunted house equipment is also up for sale. "I think we were the first people to put live characters inside a haunted house as part of the props, and we had to do it, because we didn't know how to build a haunted house," he said. In 1972, Butchart built the haunted house and opened it in mid-July. Soon, the kids going through it were tearing up the props. Butchart continued,"To protect the stuff, I put a person inside, dressed totally in black so he wouldn't stand out. A rowdy teenager touched the guy and when he moved, the teenager screamed and took off, and we knew we were into something strange and good."The next day, Butchart went out and purchased makeup and other outfits and started staffing the haunted house on a regular basis with live spooks.
NOT retiring
"The word got out, and this was soon the place to be. It was so busy, by Labor Day, the attraction was completely debt-free."Butchart said he doesn't want to retire and is looking at several possibilities to keep him busy. "I'm open to a lot of things, but I do know I don't want to work as hard. I'd like to find something where I don't have to work more than six days a week or more than 12 hours a day, and I would like to have a month off every winter to go sailing, but other than that, I'm open," he said with a smile.
Hotel Roxana
N 3rd Ave and Kentucky St
formerly the Shimmel Grocery store, the building, formerly located at the corner of 3rd Ave and Kentucky St (where the clock tower now stands) was purchased in 1928 and remodeled into the Hotel Roxana. During the Prohibition era ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition ) there was an illegal bar (also called a "speak-easy") located in the basement by the name of the "Snake Pit". At some point in the 1940s or 1950s, it was torn down and replaced with a newer building, which became the "Executive Motor Inn", which was itself destroyed by fire in the late 1970s / early 1980s.
117 N 3rd Ave
To date, the earliest record of this building is as the "Door County State Bank", around the late 1800s / early 1900s. Sometime before the 1930's the bank went out of business, and the next record is of Sturgeon Bay's "New bakery" in 1934 - whether this was the original location of Knaapen's Bakery, or was a second bakery that was in competition with Knaapen's, is unknown (I vaguely remember 2 bakeries downtown, though I could be mistaken). For an unknown span in the 1980s/1990s a shoe store named "the Athlete's Foot" operated from this location, until it moved out into Cherry Point Mall. It is currently the home of an art supply store known as "The Artists Guild".
3rd Avenue Business District
3rd Ave and Louisiana St, 1955. Photo taken from the second floor of the Hotel Swoboda - now the site of the main Sturgeon Bay branch of Associated bank.
Clothing/shoe store - Inn at Cedar Crossing
IGA supermarket/bay ? shop - Miller's clothing - Wilkins and Olander
hardware store - Ace Records - Sage restaurant - Family Thyme restaurant
FW Woolworth Co - Concepts bride and formal/Door County confectionary
Clothing/shoe store - Inn at Cedar Crossing
IGA supermarket/bay ? shop - Miller's clothing - Wilkins and Olander
hardware store - Ace Records - Sage restaurant - Family Thyme restaurant
FW Woolworth Co - Concepts bride and formal/Door County confectionary
Hotel Waldo / Hotel Swoboda
N 3rd Ave and Louisiana St
Information to be added later
3rd Ave looking North, date unknown.
H. C. Prange Co. is now Younkers.
H. C. Prange Co. is now Younkers.
Door County Police safety sign, formerly located at the west side of the Michigan Street bridge.
Old west side dock in Sturgeon Bay, circa 1940s/1950s. This is the current site of the Sawyer Harbor boat launching facility.
7 S Madison Ave
Madison Ave and Maple St
So far, the first record of this building is as a funeral home in the 1940s/1950s. The building is presently occupied by the Clipper's Mate salon.
Hembel Garage
N Madison Ave and W Larch St
Hembel`s Garage/REO auto dealership, 1931. Building is located at the corner of Madison Ave and Locust St on the west side. In the 1960s/1970s, the building was home to a Coast to Coast store, and in the 1990s was "the Appliance Center", before they moved out along the highway.
The building has stood vacant ever since.
The building has stood vacant ever since.
Ariel view of the city of Sturgeon Bay, 1950's.
Building at lower right is Sunrise Elementary school.
Road construction at lower middle is Texas Street and 12th Avenue
Of particular note is the absence of Utah Street (which was added just past the curve on 12th Avenue, between Texas Street and Memorial Drive)
Building at lower right is Sunrise Elementary school.
Road construction at lower middle is Texas Street and 12th Avenue
Of particular note is the absence of Utah Street (which was added just past the curve on 12th Avenue, between Texas Street and Memorial Drive)
OLD MAPS
I have a number of old Door County maps dating from the 1960s and 1970s - unfortunately I have yet to find any person/business that has a scanning device large enough to scan them whole (and scanning them in sections will not work as each scanned part tends to turn out either slightly larger or smaller than the next - meaning they cannot be pieced back together.)
If anyone reading this knows of somewhere that can scan images of 30 inches x 36 inches in size, please contact me.
If anyone reading this knows of somewhere that can scan images of 30 inches x 36 inches in size, please contact me.
1925 Sturgeon Bay
East Side
Church St - 5th Ave / Court St - 4th Ave / Cedar St - 3rd Ave / Main St - 2nd Ave /
Liberty St - Iowa St / garland St - Jefferson St / St John St - Kentucky St /
Cottage St - Louisiana St / Spruce St - Michigan St / Pine St - Nebraska St /
Forest St - Oregon St
West Side (Sawyer)
Maple Ave - Maple St / State St - Oak St / Mc Kinley St - Pine St /
Prospect St - Lansing Ave / Union St - Madison Ave /
Church St - 5th Ave / Court St - 4th Ave / Cedar St - 3rd Ave / Main St - 2nd Ave /
Liberty St - Iowa St / garland St - Jefferson St / St John St - Kentucky St /
Cottage St - Louisiana St / Spruce St - Michigan St / Pine St - Nebraska St /
Forest St - Oregon St
West Side (Sawyer)
Maple Ave - Maple St / State St - Oak St / Mc Kinley St - Pine St /
Prospect St - Lansing Ave / Union St - Madison Ave /
