By Connor Harbit
For the first time in nearly a decade, the “Old Bell” Tower rang out once more. Due to the efforts of the Door County Community Foundation, the 118-year old bell rang 12 times at noon before going through a variety of songs including “America the Beautiful” and “On Wisconsin.” Bret Bicoy, President and CEO of the Door County Community Foundation, said that fixing the bell was important as it gives Sturgeon Bay a sense of community moving toward the future.
The bell will ring from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the bell playing “On Wisconsin” on Wisconsin Badger game days. The historic bell originally hung in the Bank of Sturgeon Bay clock tower which had been erected in 1900 but was removed in 1946 after the structure had weakened. In 1990, the bank reacquired the bell and built the “Old Bell” tower across the street from its original location.