Door County offers the traveler so much to do in summer. Sometimes it's overwhelming to figure out what to do when ... there's so much choice! Let us help you find some fun things to do. Check out our articles! Our kids section pays particular attention to what kids might want to do during their visit. After all, it's their vacation too, right? We're working on several feature articles to be published soon, and we'll be covering as many of the festivals this year as we can. Look for write-ups and lots of photos. Why not bookmark this site for future reference? See you in Door County, where every season charms the spirit.
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Door County Visitor Bureau
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Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Copyright 2008
Cana Island from the air. Photo courtesy Dick Felzer
Most people aren’t aware, but Cana Island was not home to the first lighthouse in Baileys Harbor. The first lighthouse, located on a different island off Baileys Harbor, was built of native stone from Alison Sweet’s quarry, the man who proposed and was awarded the contract by the Federal Government. By 1866, fourteen years after it was built, the condition of the lighthouse had declined quite a bit. Though the project of fixing up the lighthouse was awarded $15,000, it was decided that it would be better to build a new lighthouse located on Cana Island. The first lighthouse shone until December 1, 1869.
Baileys Harbor is a village of buildings on the National Register of Historical Places.
In 1848, Captain Justice Bailey piloted his ship into what is now Baileys Harbor to avoid a storm. Captain Bailey worked for Alanson Sweet, who owned a fleet of ships which transported lumber and stone to Detroit. Captain Bailey took samples of pine, maple, beech, and Door County stone back to his employer, who saw possibilities for those products.
