Peninsula
Genealogical Society - Door
Co. WI
Peninsula
Genealogical Society - Door
Co. WI
Town of
GARDNER
updated 16 Jan 2013
Town of Gardner
Door County, WisconsinSee: HISTORY OF DOOR COUNTY for more History of Door County including early settlers.
FORMER NAMES:Chickatoek (Chickatock). Name changed to Garndner from Chickatoek (Chickatock) 21 Mar 1866.
YEAR FORMED:10 Jun 1862. Set off from Brussels.
Increase CLAFLIN, New York, Fisherman-Farmer, Settled at Little Sturgeon Point.with his family in 1835- First Settler in Door County;
Freeland B. GARDNER, Pensaukee WI, began shipyard, (1850).
ETHNIC GROUPS:Belgians, Irish.
OCCUPATIONS:Shipbuilding, Lumbering, Fishing, Quarrying Lime and Ice.
EARLY BUSINESSES:(1) Proprietor: Freeland B. GARDNER, (1850), Steam Mill (Saw and Flour) and Shipyard. He was the main employment for Brussels people having a total of 400 (four hundred) employees at one point. He bought CLAFLIN’s place.
(2) Williamson’s Shingle Mill. Proprietors: John and James WILLIAMSON.
(3) Gardner Lime Kiln. Proprietor: Freeland B. GARDNER.
SOME FAMILIES ASSOCIATED WITH TWP:STEVENSON (at Little Sturgeon), CLAFLIN, NEUVILLE, CONNARD (COUNARD), FARLEY, GIGOT, RILEY..
(1) Church of the Precious Blood Episcopal Church: Rev. Joseph VILATTE (French) started the Church of the Precious Blood in 1886-the First “Old Catholic” church in America (Episcopalian), address: Gravel Pit Road and County Highway C. (16 Jan 2013: corrected picture of Town of Gardner-Precious Blood Episcopal Church below contributed by PattySue POWELL on 2 Jan 2013). See Town of Gardner-Precious Blood Episcopal Cemetery page.
(2) St. John The Baptist Catholic Church (St. Joseph?): 1866-1894, LOCATION: Little Sturgeon-address: Intersection of Fox Lane and County Highway C (NW). Records start dates: Baptisms-1880, Marriages-1880, Funerals-1880. For additional record information see Green Bay Catholic Diocese Archives.
(3) St. Joseph Catholic Church (St. John?): LOCATION: Little Sturgeon-Records start dates: Baptisms-1880, Marriages-1880, Funerals-1880. For more see Green Bay Catholic Diocese Archives.
(4) White Star Psychic: address: 2481 County Highway C (“Spiritualist” on 1899 plat book).
FOUR CORNER SCHOOL-Destroyed by fire in May 1934. "Fire destroyed the Four Corner school Friday morning in the town of Gardner. The teacher; Miss Margarite GIGOT, and her 24 students got out safely."-Door County Advocate-Traveling Back-75 years ago: 1934-Sat. 9 May 2009.
Little Sturgeon was a booming community from 1866-1874.
LOCATION AND ADDRESS OF TOWN HALL:County Trunk C and Four Corners Road.
TOWN RECORDS ARE LOCATED: at Gardner Town Hall.
DAMAGE DUE TO FIRE OF OCT 1871:Most of the Town of Gardner was burned in “The Great Fire of October 1871". From the Door Co. Advocate of 26 Oct 1871 regarding the Fire in Door County: (Brussels. Williamson’s Mill, and Nasewaupee primarily had fatalities and wounded): “The list gives one hundred and seventeen persons burned to death, fourteen severely burned and many others who were scorched in the different settlements of which we have no record.
About two hundred other farmers lost by the destruction of their fences, timber and in some cases parts of their crops burned over while in the ground”.
Of those who died in the fire from the Town of Gardner : .Williamsonville- completely wiped out of existence-“Dead bodies were strewn in all directions, and most all burned beyond recognition. Something like thirty-five bodies lay in one heap!..From 76 to 80 persons were in the settlement at the time of the fire, and all perished in the flames except seventeen. ” “Martin’s History of Door County”.
Some names of the dead in the Town of Gardner:
WILLIAMSON, NIMROW, ADAMS, O’CONNERS, DUNCAN, JARVIS, LONGLEY, WHELAN, and many others including unidentified persons..
(1) Chickatoek (Chickatock) (Gardner):27 Oct 1858-(name changed to Gardner) 1866-1867, 1888-1905; (2)Little Sturgeon: 1860-1905; (3) Williamsonville: 1871-name changed to Tornado: 1872-1907.
