Welcome to Door County Living, A Magazine That Celebrates the Culture and Lifesyle of the Door Peninsula

Sturgeon Bay’s 3rd Avenue
Past and Present
By Patricia Podgers

In 1850, Oliver Perry Graham built a log cabin on the east shore of Sturgeon Bay, the wilderness of northeastern Wisconsin. The rugged landscape – dense forests, treacherous waters, rocky fields – was challenging, as well as intimidating. But the early settlers were hearty immigrants who recognized opportunity.
Shortly after his arrival, Graham was joined by settlers from countries all over Europe and Scandinavia – farmers, fishermen, and lumbermen who would clear the land, build homes, and establish businesses. Within seven years of Graham’s arrival, Sturgeon Bay was designated the county seat.

The foundation of Sturgeon Bay was laid. In 1862, city records list 222 residents and 30 buildings, including one tavern and a newspaper. The city was officially organized in 1883. Eleven years later, the last of the adjoining villages along the bay were annexed to greater Sturgeon Bay, creating one city split in half by the bay.
At the center of the burgeoning community, Cedar Street, running north to south, evolved as the heart of the business district. Early photographs of the street reveal a typical mid-1800s American town. Dirt streets, plank sidewalks, simple store façades, and white picket fences dominate; slightly blurred horse-drawn wagons lumber down the broad road, bearded drivers at the reins. (more)

Treating the Whole Person
Michele Geiger-Bronsky
by Mariah Goode

Several years ago, my friend “Jane” started raving about the woman she referred to as her doctor. “You like going to your exams?” we asked suspiciously. “Absolutely!” Jane replied. “It’s like visiting a good friend, a therapist, and a doctor all at once. She’s fantastic.”

Jane’s “doctor” is Michele Geiger-Bronsky, a nurse for over 30 years whose titles and certifications include MSN, RN, APNP, and BC; she is a board-certified family nurse practitioner who has also completed Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner training. After first hearing about Michele from Jane and then other friends, Michele and I started crossing paths in Baileys Harbor, where we both reside, and in some of our local non-profit involvements. (In fact, in 2004, after taking three positive home pregnancy tests but still feeling I needed “official” confirmation, Michele was the person I thought to – and did – call for an appointment rather than my regular provider.) (more)

Fishing with Dry Feet
by Peter D Sloma

Northern Door County is surrounded by beautiful water and abounds with excellent opportunities for fishermen – but the big water can be daunting for novice fishermen or parents who just want to take their kids out for a few hours of fishing during their vacation.

While it is true that there is ample room out there for fishermen with the right boat and the right equipment, and while there are plenty of fine charter operations available for hire, there are also many options for vacationers who would like to wet a line for an afternoon without a lot of hassle. (more)

Leap and the Landing Will Appear - Artist Jodi Brey

Jodi Brey takes what you might call a holistic approach to art. She is a skilled sculptor and jeweler who happens to possess the unique ability to bring her craft into a larger sphere – one that encompasses the myriad connections between environment, community and, of course, the impetus for art.
But like the story of so many artists, getting to where she is now required discovery of the direction she wanted her life to go and, importantly, the willingness to take a leap of faith to get herself there. Although Brey began her education at the University of Wyoming, where she studied social work, it was her later education that more obviously led her down the path of an artist. Brey began taking jewelry classes at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and eventually completed a degree in Communication and the Arts with an emphasis in environmental design from the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay.(more)

Taking the Plunge
Choosing the sailboat for you
By Peder Nelson

Another summer day culminates in the sun sinking over the bay. The setting sun is framed by cumulus, birds in flight, and softer tones of an evening beginning to awake.

Sails, too, are on the horizon, seemingly the only human element that could complement the tranquility of twilight – a piece of perfection in your mind’s eye. For most there could be no want for the moment, no improving on the experience. (more)

The Legends of Death’s Door
Crossing Between Fact and Fancy
By Allison Vroman

In Door County, heritage and history seep from every place imaginable. A sense of ancestry drips from the names painted upon mailboxes and carved into roadside placards, while each row of cherry trees in an orchard draws lines back to earlier days. These elements speak to the history of this place as much as the words typed upon the pages of books about the county do.

And it seems, that even these printed words sometimes fall short of encapsulating all of Door County’s past. For instance, the trail of references to the Native American legend surrounding Death’s Door doesn’t quite clear up the questions regarding this treacherous waterway; rather, it adds to the allure of the southernmost corridor between Washington Island and the tip of the Door Peninsula. (more)