Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (March 31, 2023) – Join the Door County Historical Society for an unforgettable evening of food and history at our upcoming dinner program. The event will take place on Monday, April 24, 2023 at Al Johnson’s Restaurant in Sister Bay. Guests will be treated to a delicious Swedish meal, followed by a program entitled Ephraim Stories from the 1930s. Kathleen Harris will share stories of the people who lived in Ephraim during the Depression and how they endured the financial crisis.
Everyone is invited. The doors will open at 5:30 pm, dinner will be served at 6:00 pm, and the program will follow. Cost is $35 ($30 for DCHS members.) Participants can register online at www.doorcountyhistoricalsociety.org or by calling 920-421-2332. The deadline to register is April 17, 2023.
The Great Depression was a period of severe economic hardship that lasted from 1929 to 1939. It was a time when people lost their jobs, their homes, and their savings. The stock market crashed, and businesses failed. The entire country was plunged into a state of economic despair.
Ephraim, like many small towns in the United States, was not immune to the effects of the Great Depression. However, the people of Ephraim were resilient and resourceful. They found ways to adapt to the economic challenges of the time and persevere through the hard times. Kathleen Harris will share how the quiet village offered a cure for “Depression” during the financial crisis of the 1930s. Stories will feature artist Doris Heise Miller, newlyweds Frances and Marion Fardig, the demise of Engelmar, CCC Camp Peninsular, and the beloved summer girls camp that survived a Sturgeon Bay bank. These stories are a testament to the strength of the human spirit in times of hardship. What can these stories teach us about surviving today’s uncertain times?
Kathleen Harris is the author of From the Lookout: Peninsula State Park’s Summer Camp for Girls (2020, Wisconsin Historical Society Press). After twenty-five years as Peninsula’s naturalist, she now works as an educator at the Ephraim Historical Foundation.
Founded in 1926, the Door County Historical Society strives to collect, maintain, and share the history and heritage of Door County through preservation, education and programming. The Society operates two interpretive sites: Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Peninsula State Park and the Heritage Village at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay. For information, contact the Door County Historical Society at (920) 421-2332 or email office@doorcountyhistoricalsociety.org.
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