By Doug Larson, Green Bay Press-Gazette Staff Writer Sister Bay, the business center of northern Door County, often called the fastest growing village in Wisconsin. Incorporated as a village 53 years ago, Sister Bay in recent years has grown by leaps and bounds, particularly in commercial development. For a village of 520 persons, Sister Bay […]
Sister Bay Stories
The Kodanko Family by Lauren Mittermann
Door County Almanak, No. 4, 1987 Fred Kodanko is the keeper of a precious harvest; one hundred years of stories about farming. He holds the memories of his grandparents and parents, the tales he has heard of life on Door County farms from the turn of the century. Fred Kodanko makes his living today as […]
Wink Larson: Orchard in His Blood by Gary Jones
Door County Almanak, No. 2, 1985 “Here’s the story of how Wink bought the orchard,” said Audrey Larson, as she, Wink Larson, and I sat in the spacious living room of their Sister Bay home perched on a bluff, the hazy waters of Green Bay provide a background for the chickadees and goldfinches competing for […]
July 23, 1941 – Beautiful New Village Hall Nearly Completed at Sister Bay
Sister Bay Will Dedicate New Community Center on Aug. 17 After a year’s work and many delays due to being unable to get materials at the right time, this village has completed a new community hall that will more than equal any similar building in any village of comparative size. There are a few minor […]
Excerpts from ‘The Stone Fences of Door County: Reflections on Agriculture, the Land, and a Family History’
by William H. Tishler Door County Almanak, No. 4, 1987 Like the settlement of much of America, the history of Door County is a history of the relationship of people to the land. With a spirit of optimism, settlers came to this rugged, isolated area seeking a better life from its forest, soil, mineral, fish, and […]
Sister Bay, Progressive Town – June 21, 1941 Green Bay Press-Gazette
Fastest Growing Village in County is What They Call Town of Sister Bay Residents of Community are Wide Awake and Alert to Push Any Plan Which Will Please Guests “The fasted growing community on the peninsula,” that’s what they are saying about Sister Bay, and not far wrong at that, for the residents of this […]
The Search for Perfection by Ruth Cook
Door County Almanak, No. 2, 1985 Door County folks are a varied lot, but one common trait is an appreciation for the outdoors – an affinity for green, growing things. My enthusiasm often leads me to a feeling of wild infatuation with whatever plant is currently in bloom, from hepatica and bloodroot on through lilacs, […]
The Long Dock by Janet Hough McCray
Door County Almanak, No. 5, 1990 As I reach the Labor Day of my life, I think back on all the summers I have spent in Door County and of the tremendous effect these golden seasons have had on my life. In sorting out these recollections, probably the most potent and pervading influence comes from […]
Birchwood Hall – Summer, 1914 By Barbara Larsen
Door County Almanak, No. 5, 1990 Evening shadows were lengthening. Although the sky was still bright blue over the bay, the dense woods surrounding the dirt road leading from Birchwood Hall into Sister Bay kept the sun’s rays at bay. Mamie Hedeen shivered as she hurried along the rough stony trail. It was too dark […]
Sunday Drives by Martha Lambiotte
Door County Almanak, No. 5, 1990 During the years that our children were growing up, every disagreement between parents and their offspring was blamed on the “generation gap.” In our family, the most evident sign of that so-called gap was the aversion our five had to the Sunday drive. Growing up in a home with […]
