Recent road construction in Sturgeon Bay has inspired staff at the Door County Historical Museum & Archives to push to quickly save a piece of history straight from the sidewalk. A concrete slab, poured in the early 1900s, rests on 5th and Delaware and bears the road's original names - the museum is hoping to preserve it before it’s too late.
Now retired, Ginny Haen, the former Museum Curator, says the sidewalk stone is an important part of local history and that many are a glimpse back into time for the corner blocks.
“That’s the old street names, which don’t exist anymore,” said Haen, “in 1943 they changed all that and changed all the street names.”
Sturgeon Bay once had wooden sidewalks before they were modernized. In some instances, local business people also marked their business location or home with their own names in the concrete. Around town, the Chandler name can be seen on the sidewalk on the side of 551 Louisiana street, marking the former home of Dr. A.H. Chandler, a dentist who practiced in Sturgeon Bay in the late 1800s.
Museum & Archives Manager, Joe Taylor, says the first step for this project is preserving the slab and that he is appreciative that the City has graciously agreed to help.
“The idea here is just let’s save it,” said Taylor, “we’re just going to keep our eyes out for a place that it could be seen and we can continue to tell the story of the old road names.”
Contractors will be coming in to continue road work in the area and will attempt to lift the 1,200-pound marvel. It will then be transported to storage and the County will take possession of it at an undecided date.
“History is all around us here in Door County and it’s a wonderful place to live,” Taylor added, “that’s part of our job here at the museum; to really inform people that these things exist and what their story is.”
An impressive display is available at the museum which highlights vintage sidewalk stones and their unique histories. Visitors can also take walking tour to see more original stones that exist in the sidewalks. Pick up a printed map from the museum or view the tour, complete with maps and audio descriptions, digitally by clicking here.
Photo Credit: Door County Historical Museum & Archives
