Door County, Wisconsin

County in Wisconsin, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Door County, Wisconsinmap

Door County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,066.[2] Its county seat is Sturgeon Bay.[3]

Quick Facts Country, State ...
Door County
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Door County Government Center in Sturgeon Bay
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Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
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Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 45.02°N 87.01°W / 45.02; -87.01
Country United States
State Wisconsin
Founded1851
Named forPorte des Morts
SeatSturgeon Bay
Largest citySturgeon Bay
Area
  Total
2,370 sq mi (6,100 km2)
  Land482 sq mi (1,250 km2)
  Water1,888 sq mi (4,890 km2)  80%
Population
 (2020)
  Total
30,066
  Estimate 
(2023)
30,562
  Density62.4/sq mi (24.1/km2)
DemonymDoor Countyite[1]
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
  Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code920
Congressional district8th
Websiteco.door.wi.gov
Wisconsin county code 15
FIPS county code 55029
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It is named after the strait between the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. This dangerous passage, known as Death's Door, contains shipwrecks and was known to Native Americans and early French explorers. The county was created in 1851 and organized in 1861.[4]

Nicknamed the "Cape Cod of the Midwest," Door County is a popular Upper Midwest vacation destination.

History

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Native Americans and French

Porte des Morts legend

Door County's name came from Porte des Morts ("Death's Door"), the passage between the tip of Door Peninsula and Washington Island.[5] The name "Death's Door" came from Native American tales, heard by early French explorers and published in greatly embellished form by Hjalmar Holand, which described a failed raid by the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) tribe to capture Washington Island from the rival Pottawatomi tribe in the early 1600s. It has become associated with shipwrecks within the passage.[6] The earliest known written reference to the legend is from Emmanuel Crespel [fr], who termed the peninsula "Cap a la Mort" in 1728.[7]

Settlement and development

19th–20th century settlement

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Graves of Increase Claflin and family

The 19th and 20th centuries saw the immigration and settlement of pioneers, mariners, fishermen, loggers, and farmers. The first white settler was Increase Claflin.[8] In 1851, Door County was separated from what had been Brown County.[9] In 1853, Moravians founded Ephraim after Nils Otto Tank resisted attempts at land ownership reform at the old religious colony near Green Bay.[10] An African-American community and congregation worshiping at West Harbor on Washington Island was described in 1854.[11] Also in 1854 the first post office in the county opened, on Washington Island.[12] In the 19th century, a fairly large-scale immigration of Belgian Walloons populated a small region in the southern portion of the county,[13] including the area designated as the Namur Historic District. They built small roadside votive chapels, some still in use today,[14] and brought other traditions over from Europe such as the Kermiss harvest festival.[15]

Shortly after the 1831 Treaty of Washington,[16] the federal government surveyed what is now Door County to determine the value of the timber and to divide up parcels for eventual sale.[17][18] Following the treaty, land in what is now the county was sold or granted to private citizens.[19]

At the time the Homestead Act of 1862 was passed, most of the county's nearly 2,000 farmers were squatters earning most of their revenue from lumber and wood products. The remaining portion of the population consisted of about 1,000 fishermen and their families. Out of the total population of 2,948 people, 170 fought in the Civil War.[20]

When the 1871 Peshtigo fire burned the town of Williamsonville, fifty-nine people were killed. The area of this disaster is now Tornado Memorial County Park, named for a fire whirl which occurred there.[21][22][23] Altogether, 128 people in the county perished in the Peshtigo fire.[9][10]

In 1885 or 1886, what is now the Coast Guard Station was established at Sturgeon Bay.[24][25] The small, seasonally open station on Washington Island was established in 1902.[26]

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Excursion party on the Sailor Boy; postmarked 1906 in Sturgeon Bay. The Sailor Boy and other small steamboats stopped at Menominee to take on rail passengers. Since rail service was faster, tourists from Chicago would first take a northbound train in order to board steamboats bound for resort communities.[27]
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This 1924 postcard produced by Curt Teich & Company reads, "Cedar Glen, one of the many free tourists' camp sites in Peninsula State Park, Door County Wisconsin."

Early tourism

Even after the Ahnapee and Western extended service to Sturgeon Bay in 1894, many tourists continued taking the railroad to Menominee, Michigan[a] to embark on steamships bound for communities in Door County. This route over Green Bay bypassed poor road conditions in the northern part of the county, which persisted until the early 1920s. Only after crushed stone highways were built did motor and horse-drawn coaches become popular for transportation between Sturgeon Bay and the northern part of the peninsula.[28][9] By 1909 at least 1,000 tourists visited per year,[29] a figure which grew to about 125,000 in 1920,[30] 1 million in 1969,[31] 1.25 million in 1978,[32] and 1.9 million in 1995.[33]

20th–21st-century events

In 1913, The Old Rugged Cross was first sung at the Friends Church in Sturgeon Bay as a duet by two traveling preachers.[34]

In 2004, the county began a sister cities relationship with Jingdezhen in southeastern China.[35]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,370 square miles (6,100 km2), of which 482 square miles (1,250 km2) is land and 1,888 square miles (4,890 km2) (80%) is water.[36] It is the largest county in Wisconsin by total area. The county has 298 miles (480 km) of shoreline.[37]

The county covers the majority of the Door Peninsula. With the completion of the Sturgeon Bay Shipping Canal in 1881,[38] the northern half of the peninsula became an artificial island.[39] This canal is believed to have somehow "caused a wonderful increase in the quantity of fish" in nearby waters[40] and also caused a reduction in the sturgeon population in the bay due to changes in the aquatic habitat.[41] The 45th parallel north bisects the "island", and this is commemorated by Meridian County Park.[42][43]

Climate

The county has a humid continental climate (classified as Dfb in Köppen) with warm summers and cold snowy winters. Data from the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station north of the city of Sturgeon Bay gives average monthly temperatures ranging from 68.7 °F (20.4 °C) in the summer down to 18.0 °F (−7.8 °C) in the winter. The moderating effects of nearby bodies of water reduce the likelihood of damaging late spring freezes. Late spring freezes are less likely to occur than in nearby areas, and when they do occur, they tend not to be as severe.[44]

Attractions

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Road in Shivering Sands wetland complex, January 1

Today, most tourists and summer residents come from the metropolitan areas of Milwaukee, Chicago, Madison, Green Bay, and the Twin Cities,[45] although Illinois residents are the dominant group both in Door County and farther south along the eastern edge of Wisconsin.[46]

Recreational lands

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View in August from the Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower.

Lands open to public use

Door County is home to six state parks:[47][48] Newport State Park, Peninsula State Park, Potawatomi State Park, Whitefish Dunes State Park, Rock Island State Park, and Grand Traverse Island State Park. There are four State Wildlife and Fishery Areas[b] and also State Natural Areas that allow free public access.[49][c] Additionally, Plum Island and Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge are seasonally open for public recreation.[50]

Waters

Lakes and ponds

Besides Lake Michigan and Green Bay, there are 26 lakes, ponds, or marshes and 37 rivers, creeks, streams, and springs in the county.[51] The two deepest lakes, Mackaysee Lake at 26 feet (8 m) and Krause Lake at 24 feet (7 m) are on Chambers Island.[52]

Living plant collections

Living plant collections include the orchid project at The Ridges Sanctuary[53] in Baileys Harbor and the U.S. Potato Genebank and a public garden in Sevastopol.[54][55]

Animals

Unique vertebrates

Tamias striatus doorsiensis, a subspecies of eastern chipmunk, is only found in Door, Kewaunee, Northeastern Brown, and possibly Manitowoc counties.[56] In 1999, the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory listed 24 aquatic and 21 terrestrial animals in Door County as "rare."[57]

Birds

As of 2018, 166 species of birds have been confirmed to live in Door County, excluding birds seen which lack the habitat to nest and must only be passing through.[58]

Other invertebrates

Kangaroo Lake State Natural Area has the largest breeding population of the endangered Hine's Emerald Dragonfly in the world.[59]

The Lake Huron locust lives on dunes in the county and is not found anywhere else in the state.[60]

Culture

Lighthouses and historical sites

Including both Lake Michigan and Green Bay shorelines, there are 50 total lights and lighthouses, besides lighted buoys.[61] Out of these, there are 10 historically significant lighthouse structures and sets of lights still serving as navigational lights. Most of them were built during the 19th century and are listed in the National Register of Historic Places: Baileys Harbor Range Lights, Cana Island Lighthouse,[62] Chambers Island Lighthouse, Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, Pilot Island Lighthouse, Plum Island Range Lights,[63] Pottawatomie Lighthouse, and Sturgeon Bay Canal Lighthouse. Other functioning historic lighthouses in the county include the Sherwood Point Lighthouse and the Sturgeon Bay Canal North Pierhead Light.[64] The Boyer Bluff Light is mounted on an 80-foot skeletal tower.[65] In addition, the Baileys Harbor Light is a non-functioning 19th century lighthouse.[64]

Thirteen historical sites are marked in the state maritime trail for the area[66] in addition to nine roadside historical markers.[67] In Sturgeon Bay, the tugboat John Purves is operated as a museum ship. Including lighthouses, the county has 72 properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are 214 known confirmed and unconfirmed shipwrecks listed for the county,[68] including the SS Australasia, Christina Nilsson, Fleetwing, SS Frank O'Connor, Grape Shot, Green Bay, Hanover, Iris, SS Joys, SS Lakeland, Meridian, Ocean Wave, and Success. The SS Louisiana sank during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913.[69] Some shipwrecks are used for wreck diving.[70]

Scandinavian heritage

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Chancel and altarpiece inside the stave church on Washington Island

Scandinavian heritage-related attractions include The Clearing Folk School, two stave churches,[71] structures in Rock Island State Park furnished with rune-inscribed furniture,[72] and Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant, which features goats on its grassy roof. In Ephraim, the Village Hall, the Moravian and Lutheran churches, and the Peter Peterson House are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as is the L. A. Larson & Co. Store building in Sturgeon Bay. Although fish boils have been attributed to Scandinavian tradition,[73] several ethnicities present on the peninsula have traditions of boiling fish. The method common in the county is similar to that of Native Americans.[74][d]

Industry

In Sturgeon Bay, industrial tourism includes tours of the Bay Shipbuilding Company,[75] CenterPointe Yacht Services[76][77] and other manufacturers.[78]

Radio stations

Economy

Door County's economy is considered a "forestry-related tourism"-based economy.[79] In 2020, the total gross domestic product (GDP) of the county was $1.39 billion, with the $274 million manufacturing industry overtaking real estate and rental and leasing that year to become the leading industry in the county at 19.7% of the overall GDP.[80]

Transportation

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Land

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), in 2021 Door County had 1,270 miles (2,040 km) of roadways.[81]

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WIS 57 in March (here concurrent with the Door County National Scenic Byway)
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WIS 42 near Gills Rock in October

The combined WIS 42/WIS 57 separates again at a junction in Sevastapol. Following this separation, WIS 42 continues along the western side of the peninsula and sees more traffic than WIS 57,[82] which continues along the eastern side. The two highways combine again at a junction in Liberty Grove.

There are five rustic roads in the county.[85] In addition to state-recognized rustic roads, Liberty Grove manages a heritage roads program. As of 2019 there were 12 heritage roads in the town.[86]

There are 230.8 miles (371.4 km)[87] of snowmobile trails,[88][89] which are opened as trails are groomed.[90]

Non-motorized

  • The Ahnapee State Trail connects Sturgeon Bay to Kewaunee, winter snowmobile access is dependent on weather and trail grooming.[91] Although the Ice Age Trail coincides with most of the Ahnapee State Trail, the Ice Age Trail forks away in the City of Sturgeon Bay and reaches its northern terminus at Potawatomi State Park.[92] Mountain bike trails are located in three of the state parks.[93][94]
  • WIS 42 and WIS 57 are part of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour.[95]
  • Egg Harbor operates a free public bicycle-sharing system, limited to daylight hours within the village during the tourist season.[96]

Bridges across Sturgeon Bay

  • Sturgeon Bay Bridge (also called Michigan Street Bridge), truss structure, Scherzer-type, double-leaf, rolling-lift bascule with overhead counter-weights[97]
  • Oregon Street Bridge (reinforced concrete slab, rolling lift bascule girder with mechanical driven center locks)[98]
  • Bayview Bridge (monolithic concrete placed on structural deck with steel girder superstructure, open grating on deck, bascule)[99]

Ground transportation

A daily private shuttle service operates between Green Bay–Austin Straubel International Airport and Sturgeon Bay.[100] The nearest intercity bus stop with regular service is in Green Bay.[101] There are multiple private and public ground transportation services within the county, but none with regularly scheduled stops for the general public.[102][103]

Air

There are eleven airports in the county, including private or semi-public airports.

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Ferry Robert Noble[f] serving Washington Island and Northport

Water

Ferries

  • Washington Island is served by two ferry routes operating between the Door Peninsula and Detroit Harbor. One route is a 30-minute ride on a freight, automobile, and passenger ferry that departs from the Northport Pier at the northern terminus of WIS 42. This ferry makes approximately 225,000 trips per year.[100] Another route is a 20- minute ride on a passenger-only ferry which departs from the unincorporated community of Gills Rock.[114]
  • Rock Island State Park is reachable by the passenger ferry Karfi from Washington Island.[115] During winter Rock Island is potentially accessible via snowmobile and foot traffic.
  • Although Chambers Island has no regularly scheduled ferry, there are boat operators which transport people to the island on call from Fish Creek.

Boat ramps and marinas

Population and its health

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Population structures,
1930–2010
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Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020,[119] the population was 30,066. The population density was 62.4 people per square mile (24.1 people/km2). There were 23,738 housing units at an average density of 49.3 units per square mile (19.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.3% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 3.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 census,[120] there were 27,961 people, 11,828 households, and 7,995 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile (22 people/km2).[121] There were 19,587 housing units at an average density of 41 units per square mile (16 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.84% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 39.4% were of German and 10.3% Belgian ancestry. A small pocket of Walloon speakers forms the only Walloon-language region outside of Wallonia and its immediate neighbors.[122][123]

Out of a total of 11,828 households, 58.10% were married couples living together, 6.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 28.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.84.[124]

More information Census, Pop. ...
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18602,948
18704,91966.9%
188011,645136.7%
189015,08229.5%
190017,58316.6%
191018,7116.4%
192019,0731.9%
193018,182−4.7%
194019,0955.0%
195020,8709.3%
196020,685−0.9%
197020,106−2.8%
198025,02924.5%
199025,6902.6%
200027,9618.8%
201027,785−0.6%
202030,0668.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[125]
1790–1960[126] 1900–1990[127]
1990–2000[128] 2010[129] 2020[2]
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For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males. 22.10% of the population was under the age of 18,[130] a decrease from 25.9% being under the age of 18 in the 1990 census.[131]) Additionally, 6.10% were aged from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, and 27.70% from 45 to 64.[130]

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The Jacksonport site of Stella Maris Catholic Parish, a six-point parish in the northern part of the county[132]

Crime

In 2020, there were 208 felony cases prosecuted by the county,[87] up from 195 cases in 2019 and 171 in 2018. No trials were held concerning any of the felony cases in 2020.[87] In 2019, 3 cases went to trial, down from 6 in 2018.[133]

The county has been a focus of sex-trafficking enforcement efforts.[134] From 2015 to 2020 there were no reports of sex-trafficking in the county.[135]

In 2014, the voluntary intoxication defense in Wisconsin was repealed due to outcry following its use during a trial in Door County. Initially the trial ended with a hung jury but a retrial resulted in a conviction.[136][137]

Communities

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Towns in 1915; the borders remain the same today except for annexations by the City of Sturgeon Bay and the four villages.

Incorporated communities

City

Villages

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Census-designated places

Former communities

Absorbed into Sturgeon Bay

Sites used as parks

Adjacent counties

By land

In Green Bay

Along the Rock Island Passage

In Lake Michigan

Notable people

Politics

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The county had voted for the winning candidate in every presidential election since 1996, up until 2024. President Clinton was the last candidate, up until 2024, to win nationally without carrying Door County in the 1992 presidential election. Donald Trump in the 2024 election also failed to win Door County, while winning the national election.[151][152]

Up until the 2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial election, Door County had voted Republican since the 2010 gubernatorial election. In 2024, Kamala Harris became the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the county while losing the presidential election. Door County was one of only four counties in the state to swing towards Democrats in 2024.

More information Year, Republican ...
United States presidential election results for Door County, Wisconsin[153]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.%No.%No.%
2024 10,099 48.22% 10,565 50.44% 280 1.34%
2020 9,752 48.48% 10,044 49.93% 321 1.60%
2016 8,580 48.77% 8,014 45.55% 998 5.67%
2012 8,121 45.96% 9,357 52.95% 193 1.09%
2008 7,112 40.68% 10,142 58.02% 227 1.30%
2004 8,910 50.94% 8,367 47.84% 214 1.22%
2000 7,810 51.31% 6,560 43.10% 850 5.58%
1996 4,948 40.39% 5,590 45.63% 1,713 13.98%
1992 5,468 39.69% 4,735 34.37% 3,574 25.94%
1988 6,907 55.60% 5,425 43.67% 90 0.72%
1984 8,264 67.35% 3,916 31.91% 91 0.74%
1980 7,170 55.23% 4,961 38.21% 851 6.56%
1976 6,557 57.43% 4,553 39.88% 307 2.69%
1972 6,503 64.25% 3,430 33.89% 188 1.86%
1968 5,647 63.34% 2,728 30.60% 541 6.07%
1964 4,289 49.22% 4,416 50.68% 9 0.10%
1960 5,790 61.50% 3,610 38.35% 14 0.15%
1956 6,722 77.96% 1,859 21.56% 41 0.48%
1952 7,621 80.82% 1,790 18.98% 19 0.20%
1948 4,911 65.84% 2,440 32.71% 108 1.45%
1944 5,668 68.25% 2,599 31.29% 38 0.46%
1940 5,461 66.11% 2,750 33.29% 49 0.59%
1936 3,146 41.05% 3,952 51.57% 566 7.39%
1932 2,488 36.95% 4,149 61.61% 97 1.44%
1928 3,636 59.28% 2,456 40.04% 42 0.68%
1924 1,891 38.56% 235 4.79% 2,778 56.65%
1920 3,817 88.34% 385 8.91% 119 2.75%
1916 1,656 56.25% 1,204 40.90% 84 2.85%
1912 1,167 41.15% 769 27.12% 900 31.73%
1908 2,463 73.88% 778 23.34% 93 2.79%
1904 2,689 80.51% 515 15.42% 136 4.07%
1900 2,362 76.29% 674 21.77% 60 1.94%
1896 2,402 71.30% 895 26.57% 72 2.14%
1892 1,596 58.18% 1,007 36.71% 140 5.10%
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Explanatory notes

  1. See the 1899 rail map.
  2. Gardner Swamp Wildlife Area, Mud Lake Wildlife Area, Reibolts Creek Public Access, and Schuyler Creek State Fishery Area
  3. Access to SNAs depends on ownership, but most are free and open to the public. Complex ownership complicates a straightforward listing of the parks, as besides the land trust, the Nature Conservancy manages five preserves in the county.
  4. For a description of Belgian acculturation towards Native Americans, see The Walloon Immigrants Of Northeast Wisconsin An Examination Of Ethnic Retention by Jacqueline Tinkler, MA Thesis, UT-Arlington, May 2013, pp. 26–27 (pp. 33–34 of the pdf)
  5. The other five private airports:
    • Forscoro Airport, Forestville
    • Hill Road Airport, Sister Bay[109]
    • Mick Schier Field Airport, Namur[110]
    • Mave's Lakeview Road Airport, Ellison Bay[111]
    • Sunny Slope Runway Airport, Egg Harbor[112]
  6. This ferry is named after Robert Noble, who was a shipwreck survivor and 19th century ferry operator across Sturgeon Bay.[113]

References

Further reading

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