By Tim Kowols

Northern Michigan University’s Frederick Stonehouse will take attendees of Thursday’s Maritime Speaker Series event back to a time when Sturgeon Bay could have been known as Wisconsin’s U.S. Lifesaving Service City. Prior to the introduction of the current U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Lifesaving Service had posts scattered throughout the Great Lakes region, including several along Door County’s coasts. As their duties grew, the U.S. Lifesaving Service was replaced by the Coast Guard in 1915 after over 40 years of service.  Their unofficial motto of “regulations say we have to go out, they say nothing about coming back” is something that really sticks out to Stonehouse.

Stonehouse will give his presentation on the U.S. Lifesaving Service at the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay beginning at 7 p.m.