Gayle Soucek - Haunted Door County

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2012 by Gayle Soucek

All rights reserved

Front cover courtesy of Peter Rimsa.

First published 2012

e-book edition 2012

ISBN 978.1.61423.546.0

print ISBN 978.1.60949.474.2

Library of Congress CIP data applied for.

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

A whimsical gift from retreating glaciers of the last Ice Age, the Door Peninsula juts defiantly into the big blue waters of Lake Michigan. Long before Europeans discovered its riches, the Peninsulas dense forests and living waters were irresistible to the native peoples. Its numerous nearby islands offered comfortable sanctuaries with easy access to great expanses of open water, facilitating freedom of movement along its shores. In the 1600s, French explorers found their way to the peninsula and its islands by boat. Their arrival opened the way for a steady stream of sailors and pioneers who would navigate the waters and trails and who would harvest lumber, stone, fish and the other resources available along the peninsulas diverse and sometime dangerous coastline.

These were rugged, resourceful men and womenbold sea captains, brave seamen, hearty lumberjacks, rugged fishermen and powerful quarrymen. The peninsulas history is punctuated by a long list of incredible characters and dramatic events. Its rocky shoals, treacherous channels, lonely coastline and the countless shipwrecks it has wrought are legendary. This tapestry of intriguing humans, lonely places and all manner of disasters is fertile ground for wonderful tales and amazing stories.

The countys name itself is shrouded in mystery. Porte des Morts (Deaths Door) is the chief navigational passage between the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Michigan. It lies between the end of the Peninsula and the rocky shores of Pilot, Plum, Detroit and Washington islands. The legends surrounding Deaths Door portray many a grim scene worthy of the passages moniker. They tell of a huge Indian war party pummeled to death against its rocky shores as the natives attempted to cross from the islands to the mainland to make war on adversaries. They recount the last voyages of innumerable wooden sailing ships pulverized by swirling currents and howling gales.

But like a fierce squall that blurs the line between sea and sky, the potent legacy of Deaths Door obscures the line between fact and fancy. The precise origins of the passages name remain shrouded in legend. One story recounts the destruction of a large Native American war party in a sudden storm. Early French and American travelers accounts contain similar stories. However, these early written accounts mention nothing of a war party per seonly that there were a hundred Indians dashed against these rocks and killed in a single storm or that a band of Indians travelling in canoes to a French trading post were resting on a rock shelf in the passage when a sudden storm trapped and drowned them between raging sea and ragged shore.

What we do know for certain is that the conflicting currents and unexpected winds of this treacherous, storm-swept channel have claimed many an unfortunate sailor, be they Native American brave in a canoe or merchant seaman on the decks of a sturdy schooner. Do the souls of those whove met an untimely demise traversing this infamous passage still wander the shores?

For the mariner navigating the busy harbors and coastline of the Peninsula, Deaths Door passage was but one of many opportunities for a small mistake to lead to certain destruction of both ship and crew. The Peninsulas many bustling ports supplied the raw product needed to meet the insatiable appetite for lumber, stone, fish and other commodities in Great Lake cities such as Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee. Safe navigation was paramount to economic success. Sailor and shipper alike demanded the construction of lighthouses to help steer clear of danger on a dark and stormy night. The Peninsula is dotted with these remote and lonely outposts, where stalwart lighthouse keepers and their families stood watch. Many of the keepers seem unable to abandon their assigned post even in death. Their presence is still felt at several of the Peninsulas dozen lighthouses. Are the lost keepers still tending their guiding lights?

The tales of unfortunate warriors, lost sailors and steadfast lighthouse keepers are but a few of the ghost stories woven into the fiber of Door County. Our mission at the Door County Maritime Museum is to preserve and celebrate the rich maritime heritage that shaped this remarkable peninsula. The many intriguing legends passed down from person to person are as much a part of the personality of the county as its factual history. Haunted Door County is a wonderful collection of some of these fascinating and entertaining stories. Once you read this book, come visit us at the Maritime Museum to learn even more about the amazing cast of characters that forged Door Countys history and make it what it is todayeverything else you do in Door County will be even more special. Enjoy the book and come see us!

Bob Desh
Executive Director
Door County Maritime Museum

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Few books are written in a vacuum. No matter how talented or imaginative an author might be, a storybe it fiction or nonfictioncant truly come to life until it is infused with the energy of those who have either lived the tale or contributed to the spark in some small way. This book is no exception. Without the generous gifts of time and knowledge so graciously bestowed upon me by the people I interviewed, there would be no book.

For starters, Id like to thank Bob Desh, executive director of the Door County Maritime Museum, and A.J. Frank, owner of Door County Trolley Tours. These two men have each pulled back the veil and brought the historic ghosts of Door County back to life for an enthralled audience. Thanks also to the kind folks who live and work on the peninsula and took time from their busy days to talk with a stranger aboutwell, even stranger things: Kevin Egan and Matt Falk-Lafay at Baileys Harbor Yacht Club Resort; Sonny Thomas of Sonnys Pizza; Doug Delaporte at Nelsens Hall; Dennis Gordon of Blue Sky Harbor; Karen Tewes, great-niece of Jacob Schmitz; Joel and Mary Blahnik, caretakers at Chambers Island; the great folks at Shipwrecked Brew Pub; and the family of Elizabeth Ostrand.

On the home front, thanks to Kimberlee and Gretchen for sharing their experience. And I could not have written this manuscript without the support and kindness of Lorena Lopez, Dan Sumiec and Patrick Watts. You guys are the best! Of course, Id especially like to thank my ever-patient and very talented husband, Peter Rimsa. Pete is my photographer, Photoshop wiz, computer expert, sounding board and the guy who microwaves frozen dinners when Im buried in a book.