Traveling Back: 1866-1941

75 Years Ago

Dec. 5, 1941

Door County’s Red Cross quota was broken in the membership drive with all but three towns exceeding goals to date. The Salvation Army collection also went over the top. This week the Christmas Seals sale gets under way. Charity ball tickets are also enjoying a brisk sale.

C. R. Thordarson has moved his entire library, including many rare volumes, to his Rock Island estate.

Plans to extend the Potawatomi Park winter sports area to include a slalom skiing run could attract the Vagabond Ski Club of Green Bay, according to club president L. T. Servais.

The Green Bay recruiting officer for the U.S. Navy paid tribute to the Door County Advocate for its advertisements which helped attract a number of recruits.

Door County’s largest draft quota for some time is 12 men for December.

Like a military general, county Highway Commissioner R. B. Bieri is planning to keep roads clear this year to assure the movement of materials to area shipyards and farm products to market.

Mrs. Milton Van Dreese is in charge of the ticket drive for a revival of the city’s pre-World War I charity ball to be held at the high school gym Feb. 6.

Louis Rockendorf has a crew building a new restaurant he plans to open soon on North Cedar Street (North Third Avenue) adjacent to May’s Service Station.

H. C. Prange’s “Christmas City” sale offered savings such as boys’ “Kit Carson” caps with detachable tails for 98 cents and nylon stockings at $1.95.

Deaths: John G. Walker, 75, Institute; Claus Anderson, 63, Green Bay; Mrs. Herman (Alma) Polster, 66, Gibraltar.

Births: sons to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Norton, Sturgeon Bay, Dec. 2; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Blaha, Sawyer, Dec. 3; Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Wickman, Ellison Bay, Nov. 26. Daughters to Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Boes, Sturgeon Bay, Dec. 3; Mr. and Mrs. Bert Carmody, Egg Harbor, Dec. 2.

Licensed to wed: Hector F. Koyen, Washington Island and Gladys V. Rohlfs, Sheboygan, Dec. 7; Carroll Carmody, Egg Harbor, and Opal Larson, Rapid River, Mich., Dec. 2.

100 Years Ago

Dec 7, 1916

Hans Wobser shot and killed William Johnson Monday evening.

The steamship Carolina of the Goodrich Transit Co. is on the beach about nine miles south of the Sturgeon Bay canal. She lies in an exposed position on a rocky bottom after hitting the reef off Stony Creek in dense fog. Passengers, seven automobiles and other freight were taken off and all hands left the boat this morning.

Chief of Police Fritschler ordered all the punchboards in the saloons, candy stores, grocery stores and other places of business to be taken out.

The bay froze over from the canal to the ship yards, which is earlier than the average freeze-up.

A heavy fog has hung over Washington Island for several days this week.

Outside capitalists are considering the purchase of the Fred A. Dennett property in the town of Liberty Grove for the establishment of a malted milk industry.

William Jarman and Charles T. Gustafson of Fish Creek were in the city and informed us they are still plowing. Mr. Jarman said he is beginning the installation of a telephone in his home.

Members of the German M.E. church on the West Side had a very enjoyable time on Thanksgiving Day. As has been their custom, dinner was served in the church parlors and the happy gathering joined in Thanksgiving for the blessings of the year. The dinner was served entirely by the men folk with the younger men doing the cooking and the old men washing and wiping the dishes. All that Mother had to do was sit around and be waited on.

Cedar Creek cheese factory in Sevastopol has broken all records in the price paid for butterfat, having paid 59 and a half cents a pound for the product.

Births: daughters to Mr. and Mrs. Emil Liest, Baileys Harbor; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Mann, Door County; Mr. and Mrs. Louis Larson, Ellison Bay.

Licensed to wed: Jule Foshion and Ida Corbisier, Gardner; Robert Baum, Jacksonport, and Anna Bongle, Sevastopol.

125 Years Ago

Dec. 5, 1891

All persons are prohibited from coasting or sliding on any sidewalk within the city limits, according to a special notice published by Mayor James Keogh Jr. Violators will be prosecuted.

Considerable rain fell here for two days, making the roads muddy and heavy.

The firm of Hildebrandt Brothers, druggists, has been dissolved with Fred Hildebrandt withdrawing from the business and Henry G. Hildebrandt to be conducting the business in the future.

While Jerry Madden was in Sturgeon Bay buying butter and eggs for his store in Menominee, the establishment was destroyed by fire. The building was gutted but part of the stock stored in a warehouse behind the store was saved.

Frank Higgins purchased a residence from Leathem & Smith on court Street in the first ward. Leathem & Smith also sold seven 40s of wild land in Egg Harbor town for $75 a forty. The land, situated in the Horseshoe Bay neighborhood, contains more than enough timber to pay the purchase price.

As in past years, the advent of winter brings talk of building up manufacturing interests in Sturgeon Bay. Rumors of various kinds of industries being established are heard on all sides. Nothing can be accomplished by wind simply. Money is the thing that talks, and if this is not forthcoming the next best thing is a concert of action and perfect harmony. Build up and perpetuate those already in business, those who provide employment, to help the community.

150 Years Ago

Dec. 6, 1866

The Thanksgiving ball at Mr. William B. Lawrence’s passed off very pleasantly to all concerned and was kept up until daylight the next morning.

Mrs. Damkoehlerr’s house near the middle mill caught fire from a stray spark from the stove or ash barrel. It was fortunately discovered in time to put it out before much damage was done. The high wind that was blowing would have rendered the fire impossible to stop had it burned a few minutes more.

Deaths: Thomas Anger, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Anger, 14, of diphtheria, Little Sturgeon.

Births: Gabriel Larson and Mrs. Emily Peterson, Nasewaupee, Dec. 1.

This article originally appeared on Wisconsin: Traveling Back: 1866-1941