• DONATE
  • VOLUNTEER
  • MEMBERSHIP

Sister Bay Historical Society

Appreciating the heritage of Sister Bay

  • Home
  • Our Archives
    • Image Galleries
    • Sister Bay Stories
    • Video Gallery
  • Village History
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Blog
  • The Museum

Ellison Bay’s First and Only Meat Market, 1908

July 15, 2020 by Donna Fearing

Ellison Bay’s first and only meat market was built in 1908 by Gilbert Wickman, an enterprising young man only 21 years old at the time. Gilbert purchased the lot from Simon Evanson. Later, his brother-in-law Anton Anderson helped Gilbert build living quarters on the site, located at 12020 Lakeview Rd. in Ellison Bay, a highly visible intersection with Hwy 42.

Gilbert Wickman’s meat market, circa 1910

The meat market had a unique early history. The meat-cutter also had to be a cattle buyer and a butcher. Cattle and other animals were purchased from farmers throughout the Town of Liberty Grove, from south to north. Cattle, pigs, sheep, and chickens were all hauled by means of the “common way of the time” (i.e. a horse and wagon) to the farm slaughterhouse. With the help of his father, Andrew Wickman (a Swedish emigrant who came to the U.S. in 1872 and built the home that now houses Ellison Bay’s well-known Wickman House restaurant) Gilbert learned the meat-cutter trade. Meats from the slaughtered animals were refrigerated by natural means — the ice in a home-built cooler. Gilbert’s meats were delivered by horse-and-buggy to his patrons in the Ellison Bay, Gills Rock, and Newport areas twice a week, year-round.

Sausages, pressed meat, head cheese, and other products were made in the shop, for sale over the counter and on the horse-and-buggy route. Choice sirloin steak was then $.18 per lb., round steak was $.16 per lb., homemade bologna was $.15 per lb., and both liver and soup bones were $.05 per lb. Calves were slaughtered and then shipped out of the area. Hides brought $.12 to $.17.

Gilbert Wickman operated the meat market until he sold it to Charles J. Anderson in 1920. Anderson added groceries and then later sold the business to Dick Will.

Over the course of the following century, the original building and property of Ellison Bay’s meat market was transformed into Gills Rock Pottery, the well-known fine art business owned and operated by Larry (Thor) & Judy Thoreson. (CLICK HERE: gillsrockpottery.com)

Credit to: Centennial Historical Committee, “A Century in God’s Country, 1866-1966” (1966) p. 39-40.

Gills Rock Pottery, photo ©2016 Dave Gilo
Hand-painted vase by Gills Rock Pottery, circa 2016
Larry (Thor) & Judy Thoreson, owners of Gills Rock Pottery

 

Filed Under: Sister Bay Stories

Search Our Site

Contact

920-854-7680 920-854-9247

SBHS Board

Fred Johnson, President
Bob Jischke, Vice President
Pat Wisner, Secretary
Cathy Mangan, Treasurer
Roberta Kutlik, Curator
Pipka Ulvilden
Roberta Champeau
John Nelson
Linda Johnson
Karen Sunstrom
Jill Lhost

Navigation

  • Home
  • Our Archives
    • Image Galleries
    • Sister Bay Stories
    • Video Gallery
  • Village History
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Blog
  • The Museum

Museum

Corner Of The Past

Get Involved

  • DONATE
  • VOLUNTEER
  • MEMBERSHIP
NEWSLETTERS

 

Contact

920-854-7680

920-854-9247

Email SBHS
PO Box 34
Sister Bay, WI 54234

Website

© 2023 SBHS
All Rights Reserved
Door Guide Publishing
heydayv design

Links

  • Sister Bay Government
  • Visit Sister Bay
  • Baileys Harbor Historical Society
  • Belgian Heritage Center
  • Door County Historical Museum
  • Door County Historical Society
  • Door County Maritime Museum
  • Egg Harbor Historical Society
  • Ephraim Historical Foundation
  • Jacksonport Historical Society
  • Liberty Grove Historical Society
  • Wisconsin Historical Society

Copyright © 2023 · Dynamik-Gen on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

The mission of the Sister Bay Historical Society is to encourage, foster and participate in the documentation, preservation, renovation and dissemination of historical information, artifacts and sites in the Sister Bay Area.