TRACE THE MITTEN

Moving into Door County

4/27/2021

The first Europeans in this area were part of the fur trading industry arriving in 1673. Other areas of Wisconsin and Michigan were part of this big business.

The first Europeans to travel in this area were the explorers using the lakes and rivers as the pathway. Fur traders followed trading knives, blankets and other goods for fur. The fur pelts were taken to Montreal for shipping to Europe where they were greatly valued. Conflicts arose between the French and English for control of the trade. Settlements increased following the War of 1812.

This section of Wisconsin is very obvious because it is a peninsula extending into Lake Michigan and Green Bay is on the other side. This area is called Door County. The name is said to originate from Native American tales of the dangerous waters at the tip that would cause shipwrecks. (The Door of Death)

Many passenger steam ships were on the Great Lakes. If you have never seen Lake Michigan it is like an ocean in size.

Ragweed causes half of the Allergic Rhinitis in North America. The late growing season up in this part of Wisconsin did reduced the ragweed infestation into the fields and this was very attractive to those hay fever suffers. The area began to attract seasonal visitors in the later half of the 19th century. This interest lead to the passenger ship business on the Great Lakes, which lasted into the 1960's. I know of one ferry between Michigan and Wisconsin, but I found 18 ferries in Michigan. https://www.michigan.org/ferry-services#?c=44.4299:-85.1166:6&tid=141&page=0&pagesize=20&pagetitle=Ferry%20Services Most of these ferries now run to the islands located in the lakes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2TX0Mvwpw4 The first resorts in Door County. This was a great getaway from the busy metropolitan areas of Milwaukee and Chicago.