Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (February 15, 2023) – The next presentation of the Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series will be held both in person and online on Thursday, March 2 at 7pm,featuring “Stories of Maritime Mayhem on Milwaukee’s Waterways” presented by Matthew J. Prigge, Wisconsin Historical Society.
Ah, Milwaukee. The Cream City, the Bloody Mary Metropolis, and Harley-Davidson’s home base. It’s hard not to love – or at least appreciate – this Wisconsin gem situated on the Lake Michigan coast. Centuries before Milwaukee was home to the Brewers, the Bucks, the craft breweries, and the food (frozen custard, anybody?) that we know today, it was home to whaleback steamers, maritime disasters, alleged UFO sightings, and countless other agents of mayhem. Join us as we hear these and other intriguing stories of disaster and mystery in the early days of Milwaukee’s waterways, often omitted from history books.
Matthew J. Prigge is an author and librarian from St. Francis, WI. He is a regular contributor to Milwaukee Magazine and has won numerous awards for his work. His fifth book, Opening Day in Milwaukee: Brewers’ Season Starters, 1970-2022, is due out in April 2023.
Each Fall, Winter and Spring, the Door County Maritime Museum hosts experts and interesting characters from around the country for the Maritime Speaker Series (presented in partnership with series sponsor the Door County Medical Center).
The Maritime Speaker Series offers an assortment of monthly programs – from historical topics to current issues affecting the Great Lakes and the economy that relies on them.
The Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series programs are held the first Thursday of each month, October through May, beginning at 7pm, on the second floor of the Museum in Sturgeon Bay, as well as online. There is no cost to attend; we suggest bringing a donation of a non-perishable food item, or if watching online, we ask you to donate to your local food pantry.
More information, and a link to register for online presentations, is available at www.dcmm.org/maritime-speaker-series .
Remaining 2022-2023 Speaker Series Lineup
- April 6: Captain Dan Seavey: A Pirate Behaving Badly on the Great Lakes, presented by Samantha Engel and Aaron Guylas, historians and creators of Great Lakes Lore Podcast.
- May 4: Between Boats and Brews: Captain Pabst’s Interesting Career Switch in Wisconsin, presented by Dave Fehlauer, President of the Pabst Mansion Volunteer Council.
Additional in-kind support for the Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series is provided by Bridgeport Resort.
For questions about the Maritime Speaker Series, please email Andrea Stromeyer, Educational Programs Coordinator, at astromeyer@dcmm.org.