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66-507: Door County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin . As of the 2020 census , the population was 30,066. Its county seat is Sturgeon Bay . 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. Nicknamed

132-491: A County Executive elected in a nonpartisan election for a four-year term; 20 counties have appointed County Administrators; and 41 have appointed Administrative Coordinators. Other officials include sheriffs, district attorneys, clerks, treasurers, coroners, surveyors, registers of deeds, and clerks of circuit court; these officers are elected for four-year terms. In most counties, elected coroners have been replaced by appointed medical examiners. State law permits counties to appoint

198-470: A Village President and a Board of Trustees. Village officers include a president, clerk, treasurer, and assessor. Villages may also elect to hire a village manager to oversee day-to-day operations instead of an elected village president; nine villages had done this as of 2015. An additional 77 villages in Wisconsin employ village administrators. In Wisconsin, a town is an unincorporated jurisdiction within

264-544: A Wisconsin Historical Marker and a reset surveyor's monument. Towns are the only unit of government that allows residents to direct decision by voting at local meetings. Towns tend to be sparsely populated. The most populous town in Wisconsin is Grand Chute which has the services, taxes, and urban character that are typically found in cities. When towns reach a size sufficient to make their form of government difficult to sustain, they frequently incorporate into

330-407: A board of public works. Cities in Wisconsin are divided into four classes: There are exceptions to these classes, however; in order for a city to move from one class to the next, certain governmental changes need to take place and the mayor must publish a proclamation. For these reasons, Madison is a second class city, even though it exceeds the 150,000 resident threshold, and several cities with

396-495: A city administrator or city manager, instead of electing a mayor. In cities that have city administrators, the head of the common council may be referred to as mayor. Cities are governed by Common or City Councils consisting of the mayor or city manager and elected aldermen or council members. City officers include mayor or city manager, treasurer, clerk, attorney, and health officials. Cities may also, by their discretion, have an engineer, comptroller, assessors, street commissioner, and

462-428: A county; Wisconsin towns are thus similar to civil townships in most other states. All residents of Wisconsin who do not live in a city or village live in a town. Towns provide a limited number of services to their residents. The U.S. Census Bureau considers Wisconsin towns to be minor civil divisions . As of 2015, Wisconsin had 1,255 towns. Towns often have the same names as adjacent cities or villages. For example,

528-447: A degree of home rule and taxing jurisdiction over them. As of 2015, Wisconsin had 407 villages. In order to incorporate as a village, a community must have at least 150 citizens if it is in a rural area or 2,500 if it is in an urban area. The home rule authority granted to villages allows them to make their own decisions about their affairs, administration and much of their public policy, subject to state law. Villages are governed by

594-545: 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. The earliest known written reference to the legend is from Emmanuel Crespel  [ fr ] , who termed the peninsula "Cap a la Mort" in 1728. The 19th and 20th centuries saw the immigration and settlement of pioneers, mariners, fishermen, loggers, and farmers. The first white settler

660-461: A focus of sex-trafficking enforcement efforts. From 2015 to 2020 there were no reports of sex-trafficking in the county. 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. Census-designated places The county had voted for

726-643: A junction in Liberty Grove. There are five rustic roads in the county. 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. There are 230.8 miles (371.4 km) of snowmobile trails, which are opened as trails are groomed. A daily private shuttle service operates between Green Bay–Austin Straubel International Airport and Sturgeon Bay. The nearest intercity bus stop with regular service

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792-452: A population of over 10,000 are fourth class cities. In order to incorporate as a city, a community must have at least 1,000 citizens if it is in a rural area or 5,000 if it is in an urban area. Cities are able to expand their area by annexing land from towns when land owners request local service. In Wisconsin , a village is an autonomous incorporated area within one or more counties. It provides various services to its residents and has

858-626: A reduction in the sturgeon population in the bay due to changes in the aquatic habitat. The 45th parallel north bisects the "island", and this is commemorated by Meridian County Park. 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

924-403: A registered land surveyor in place of electing a surveyor. Counties are generally responsible for social services, such as child welfare, job training, and care of the elderly; and public land management, such as care of parks. Law enforcement and road maintenance are also administered by the county, in conjunction with local municipalities. While cities and villages have certain powers based on

990-426: A single file) have two shafts that attach either side of the rearmost animal (the wheel animal or wheeler ). Two animals in single file are referred to as a tandem arrangement, and three as a randem . Vehicles that are pulled by a pair (or by a team of several pairs) have a pole that attaches between the wheel pair. Other arrangements are also possible, for example, three or more abreast (a troika ),

1056-405: A small cluster of houses, a church or local business such as store or tavern . Although they do not have any governmental function, most are recognized for the common usage and are marked with official green informational highway signs listing the place name with the word 'Unincorporated' underneath. Many of these named places are also placed on the official Wisconsin state highway maps issued by

1122-481: 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. 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

1188-420: A village or city, as the village of Fox Crossing did in 2016, or as the village of Kronenwetter did in 2002–2003. There are numerous examples of unincorporated communities throughout the state. These areas are administered by the town or municipality in which they exist. They serve as useful local reference to specific places and are sometimes included in vital records . Many of these named places contain

1254-443: A wheel pair with a single lead animal (a "unicorn"), or a wheel pair with three lead animals abreast (a "pickaxe"). Very heavy loads sometimes had an additional team behind to slow the vehicle down steep hills. Sometimes at a steep hill with frequent traffic, such a team would be hired to passing wagons to help them up or down the hill. Horse-drawn carriages have been in use for at least 3,500 years. Two-wheeled vehicles are balanced by

1320-453: A wide variety of arrangements of horses and vehicles have been used, from chariot racing , which involved a small vehicle and four horses abreast, to horsecars or trollies, which used two horses to pull a car that was used in cities before electric trams were developed. A two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle is a cart (see various types below, both for carrying people and for goods). Four-wheeled vehicles have many names – one for heavy loads

1386-574: Is due to its unique history and connection with the Menominee Indian Reservation . In southern Wisconsin, towns are often co-terminous with survey townships , which were established to plat land. Survey townships are not political jurisdictions. The survey, or Congressional, townships, were mapped in the Public Land Survey System , and are subdivided into 36 sections of one square mile each. In Wisconsin,

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1452-575: Is in Green Bay. There are multiple private and public ground transportation services within the county, but none with regularly scheduled stops for the general public. There are eleven airports in the county, including private or semi-public airports. As of the census of 2020 , the population was 30,066. The population density was 62.4 people per square mile (24.1 people/km). There were 23,738 housing units at an average density of 49.3 units per square mile (19.0 units/km). The racial makeup of

1518-467: Is located in Walworth and Jefferson counties. The county is the primary political subdivision of Wisconsin . Every county has a county seat , often a populous or centrally located city or village, where the government offices for the county are located. Within each county are cities, villages and towns. As of 2016, Wisconsin had 72 counties. A Board of Supervisors is the main legislative entity of

1584-482: Is most commonly called a wagon . Very light carts and wagons can also be pulled by donkeys (much smaller than horses ), ponies or mules . Other smaller animals are occasionally used, such as large dogs , llamas and goats (see draught animals ). Heavy wagons, carts and agricultural implements can also be pulled by other large draught animals such as oxen , water buffalo , yaks or even camels and elephants . Vehicles pulled by one animal (or by animals in

1650-483: Is mounted on an 80-foot skeletal tower . In addition, the Baileys Harbor Light is a non-functioning 19th century lighthouse. Thirteen historical sites are marked in the state maritime trail for the area in addition to nine roadside historical markers . In Sturgeon Bay, the tugboat John Purves is operated as a museum ship. Including lighthouses, the county has 72 properties and districts listed on

1716-561: Is the largest county in Wisconsin by total area. The county has 298 miles (480 km) of shoreline. The county covers the majority of the Door Peninsula . With the completion of the Sturgeon Bay Shipping Canal in 1881, the northern half of the peninsula became an artificial island . This canal is believed to have somehow "caused a wonderful increase in the quantity of fish" in nearby waters and also caused

1782-480: The 2010 gubernatorial election . Administrative divisions of Wisconsin#County Whether a community is a city, village or town is not strictly dependent on the community's population or area, but on the form of government selected by the residents and approved by the Wisconsin State Legislature . Cities and villages can overlap county boundaries; for example, the city of Whitewater

1848-486: The Bay Shipbuilding Company , CenterPointe Yacht Services and other manufacturers. Door County's economy is considered a "forestry-related tourism"-based economy. 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

1914-682: The National Register of Historic Places : Baileys Harbor Range Lights , Cana Island Lighthouse , Chambers Island Lighthouse , Eagle Bluff Lighthouse , Pilot Island Lighthouse , Plum Island Range Lights , 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 . The Boyer Bluff Light

1980-561: The Professional Football Stadium District were created to raise money for the building of Miller Park and Lambeau Field , respectively. The baseball district built, operates and manages the stadium used by the Milwaukee Brewers . It financed its activities through the sale of bonds, which were repaid from funds generated by a 0.1% sales and use tax on goods valued at over $ 10.00 sold in

2046-564: The Town of Germantown which covers 1.7 square miles (4.4 km ), or the Town of Brookfield covering 5.5 square miles (14.2 km ). This contrasts with the Town of Winter which covers 279.5 square miles (723.9 km ). Most towns are about the size of a survey township , or 36 square miles (93 km ). The Town of Menominee is unique in that it is co-extensive with the County of Menominee , and covers 365 square miles (945 km ); this

Door County, Wisconsin - Misplaced Pages Continue

2112-756: The Twin Cities , although Illinois residents are the dominant group both in Door County and farther south along the eastern edge of Wisconsin. Door County is home to six state parks: 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 and also State Natural Areas that allow free public access. Additionally, Plum Island and Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge are seasonally open for public recreation. Besides Lake Michigan and Green Bay, there are 26 lakes, ponds, or marshes and 37 rivers, creeks, streams, and springs in

2178-806: 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, several ethnicities present on the peninsula have traditions of boiling fish. The method common in the county is similar to that of Native Americans. In Sturgeon Bay, industrial tourism includes tours of

2244-505: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation but these names were not listed in the index on the same maps until several years ago. Examples include Frog Station , Poland , and North Leeds . In Wisconsin, special purpose units of government provide specialized services for those who live within the district. They are empowered to tax residents of the district for the services provided in common. Special districts often cross

2310-454: The " Cape Cod of the Midwest," Door County is a popular Upper Midwest vacation destination. Door County's name came from Porte des Morts ("Death's Door"), the passage between the tip of Door Peninsula and Washington Island. 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

2376-535: The 19th century, a fairly large-scale immigration of Belgian Walloons populated a small region in the southern portion of the county, including the area designated as the Namur Historic District . They built small roadside votive chapels , some still in use today, and brought other traditions over from Europe such as the Kermiss harvest festival. Shortly after the 1831 Treaty of Washington ,

2442-937: The National Register of Historic Places. There are 214 known confirmed and unconfirmed shipwrecks listed for the county, 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 . Some shipwrecks are used for wreck diving . Scandinavian heritage-related attractions include The Clearing Folk School , two stave churches , structures in Rock Island State Park furnished with rune -inscribed furniture, and Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant , which features goats on its grassy roof. In Ephraim,

2508-644: The Peshtigo fire. In 1885 or 1886, what is now the Coast Guard Station was established at Sturgeon Bay. The small, seasonally open station on Washington Island was established in 1902. Even after the Ahnapee and Western extended service to Sturgeon Bay in 1894, many tourists continued taking the railroad to Menominee, Michigan to embark on steamships bound for communities in Door County. This route over Green Bay bypassed poor road conditions in

2574-493: The Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory listed 24 aquatic and 21 terrestrial animals in Door County as "rare." 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. Kangaroo Lake State Natural Area has the largest breeding population of the endangered Hine's Emerald Dragonfly in

2640-416: The Wisconsin state constitution, the state legislature has granted various powers to counties and towns. These powers represent the sum of what counties can do and it is feasible that the legislature could revoke particular powers. (In short, cities and villages have home rule but counties and towns do not.) As of October 18, 2022, 68 of the state's 72 counties also maintain their own sales tax separate from

2706-423: The board chairperson at its head. These boards normally consist of three supervisors, though towns with village powers or more than 2,500 people may have up to five supervisors. Town supervisors are elected every two years. Towns also have clerks, treasurers and assessors either elected or appointed by the board. In addition, every town must hold an annual town meeting in the beginning of April. At this town meeting,

Door County, Wisconsin - Misplaced Pages Continue

2772-547: 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. As of the 2000 census , 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/km). There were 19,587 housing units at an average density of 41 units per square mile (16 units/km). The racial makeup of

2838-431: 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. Out of

2904-707: The county. Supervisors are elected in nonpartisan elections for two-year terms (except in Milwaukee County where the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors served four years). In May 2013, the Wisconsin Legislature passed a bill that will reduce the terms of office from four years to two years for the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. The type of executive official in each county varies: 11 counties have

2970-646: The county. The two deepest lakes, Mackaysee Lake at 26 feet (8 m) and Krause Lake at 24 feet (7 m) are on Chambers Island. Living plant collections include the orchid project at The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor and the U.S. Potato Genebank and a public garden in Sevastopol. Tamias striatus doorsiensis , a subspecies of eastern chipmunk, is only found in Door, Kewaunee , Northeastern Brown , and possibly Manitowoc counties. In 1999,

3036-417: The distribution of weight of the load (driver, passengers, and goods) over the axle, and then held level by the animal – this means that the shafts (or sometimes a pole for two animals) must be fixed rigidly to the vehicle's body. Four-wheeled vehicles remain level on their own, and so the shafts or pole are hinged vertically, allowing them to rise and fall with the movement of the animals. A four-wheeled vehicle

3102-473: The district. The tax was in effect in the counties of Milwaukee , Ozaukee , Racine , Washington and Waukesha from 1996 to 2020. The football district issued bonds to renovate the stadium used by the Green Bay Packers . It repaid its bonds through a 0.5% sales tax on goods sold in the district, which was coextensive with Brown County and was discontinued in 2015, with extraneous revenue at

3168-414: The electors may authorize the town board to take certain actions or change the make up or wages of town supervisors or officers. Towns are often annexed by neighboring cities and villages in whole or in part. In Brown County, the Town of Preble was incorporated wholly into the city of Green Bay in 1964, thus terminating its status as a town. Piecemeal annexation has left some rather small towns, such as

3234-492: The federal government surveyed what is now Door County to determine the value of the timber and to divide up parcels for eventual sale. Following the treaty, land in what is now the county was sold or granted to private citizens. 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

3300-592: The grid system is based on a Point of Beginning (POB) created by surveyor Lucius Lyon in 1831 near Hazel Green, Wisconsin (the Fourth Principal Meridian) and used the Illinois boundary for a baseline. Development based on this grid system can be seen on maps today as the major through streets, such as those in Milwaukee, which coincide with boundary intersections. Lyon's POB is observed by

3366-455: The lines of cities, villages and towns. In 2006, Wisconsin had over 1,100 special districts. These special units of government are created to address issues that are regional in nature, and sometimes to bypass the limits on debt that each municipality may have. The state can also exert more control on special districts through the governor's appointments to district boards. Politicians also set up some special districts to insulate themselves from

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3432-443: 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. By 1909 at least 1,000 tourists visited per year, a figure which grew to about 125,000 in 1920, 1 million in 1969, 1.25 million in 1978, and 1.9 million in 1995. In 1913, The Old Rugged Cross

3498-497: The overall GDP. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), in 2021 Door County had 1,270 miles (2,040 km) of roadways. 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, which continues along the eastern side. The two highways combine again at

3564-460: 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 . 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. Altogether, 128 people in the county perished in

3630-450: The population was under the age of 18, a decrease from 25.9% being under the age of 18 in the 1990 census .) Additionally, 6.10% were aged from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, and 27.70% from 45 to 64. In 2020, there were 208 felony cases prosecuted by the county, up from 195 cases in 2019 and 171 in 2018. No trials were held concerning any of the felony cases in 2020. In 2019, 3 cases went to trial, down from 6 in 2018. The county has been

3696-717: The same name, meaning that a child living in a municipality might attend a school associated with a different municipality, or even a different county. Residents pay school taxes to the same school district in which they live and in which their children attend school. Wisconsin's sixteen technical college districts levy taxes to fund the Wisconsin Technical College System . These sixteen technical colleges provide occupational training for their residents. The Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District and

3762-476: The sometimes unpopular taxes these boards levy, since the boards are often appointed and not elected. School districts are the most common kind of special district. They provide, arrange or contract for all public education services, including special education and school transportation, the latter also for non-public schools. In 2006, Wisconsin had more than 440 school districts. School districts are often not precisely co-extensive with municipalities that bear

3828-653: The state for items such as local county road maintenance, usually averaging around .1-.5% in addition to the state 5% sales tax. In Wisconsin, a city is an autonomous incorporated area within one or more counties. It provides almost all services to its residents and has the highest degree of home rule and taxing jurisdiction of all municipalities. Cities are generally more urbanized than towns. As of 2015, Wisconsin had 190 cities. The home rule authority granted to cities allows them to make their own decision about their affairs, administration and much of their public policy, subject to state law. Cities can choose to hire

3894-647: The state, but instead have only the specific powers granted to them under state statute. At the minimum, towns maintain their roads, and may maintain either volunteer or "municipal" fire departments , where the firehouse is maintained by the town government. Towns may choose to engage in zoning or provide more services, however, overlapping with those provided by the county. In most cases, towns provide limited services and thus town residents often pay lower taxes than their city or village counterparts. Some towns have been authorized to exercise village powers, increasing their authority. Towns are governed by Town Boards, with

3960-419: 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. Today, most tourists and summer residents come from the metropolitan areas of Milwaukee , Chicago , Madison , Green Bay , and

4026-601: The time distributed to cities in Brown County. Other types of special districts include: Horse-drawn vehicle A horse-drawn vehicle is a piece of equipment pulled by one or more horses. These vehicles typically have two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have mostly been replaced by automobiles and other forms of self-propelled transport but are still in use today. Horses were domesticated circa 3500 BCE. Before that oxen were used. Historically,

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4092-543: The unincorporated Town of Cedarburg is adjacent to the city of Cedarburg , and the Town of New Glarus completely surrounds the village of New Glarus . There may also be more than one town in the state (although not within the same county) with the same name. For example, there are towns named Albion in Dane County , Jackson County , and Trempealeau County . Towns have less authority than villages and cities; they do not, for instance, have home rule granted to them by

4158-425: 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. Up until the 2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial election , Door County had voted Republican since

4224-433: The world. The Lake Huron locust lives on dunes in the county and is not found anywhere else in the state. Including both Lake Michigan and Green Bay shorelines, there are 50 total lights and lighthouses, besides lighted buoys. 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

4290-433: Was Increase Claflin. In 1851, Door County was separated from what had been Brown County. In 1853, Moravians founded Ephraim after Nils Otto Tank resisted attempts at land ownership reform at the old religious colony near Green Bay. An African-American community and congregation worshiping at West Harbor on Washington Island was described in 1854. Also in 1854 the first post office in the county opened, on Washington Island. In

4356-470: Was first sung at the Friends Church in Sturgeon Bay as a duet by two traveling preachers. In 2004, the county began a sister cities relationship with Jingdezhen in southeastern China. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 2,370 square miles (6,100 km), of which 482 square miles (1,250 km) is land and 1,888 square miles (4,890 km) (80%) is water. It

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