Peninsula
Genealogical Society - Door
Co. WI
Peninsula
Genealogical Society - Door
Co. WI
Town of
LIBERTY GROVE
updated 12 Mar 2010
Town of Liberty Grove
Door County, WisconsinSee: HISTORY OF DOOR COUNTY for more History of Door County including early settlers.
FORMER NAMES:Originally was part of Town of Gibraltar.
YEAR FORMED: .April 1859 - first Town meeting at the house of Ingebret TORGENSEN. The Town of Liberty Grove was set off from the Town of Gibraltar at that meeting. Civil Town organizer was C. T. MORBECK. He eventually went to Minnesota.
John THORESEN - born in Norway.
ETHNIC GROUPS:
Norwegian, Danish, Prussian (German), Swedish.
EARLY OCCUPATIONS:
Farming, merchant.
EARLY BUSINESSES:(1) Merchantile, Proprietor: James HANSON (1856-1897) at Sister Bay.
(2) General Store, Proprietor: John ELISON (1855), at Ellison Bay which is named after him.
(3) Sawmill, Gristmill, Hotel, Pier- Proprietor: F. DIMOND (1868? or at least by 1871), Sister Bay.
SOME FAMILIES ASSOCIATED WITH TWP:
ELISON, HANSON, HEMPEL, BERNDT.
MORE TOWN OF LIBERTY GROVE PEOPLE-Biographies found in: History of Northern Wisconsin-1881
BERNDT, William (farmer, PO Ephraim)
DIMOND, F. (proprietor of hotel, mills & pier, PO Sister Bay)
HANSON, James (merchant, Sister Bay)
NORLING, Frank O. (Liberty Grove wagon manufactory, PO Sister Bay)
VOIGHT, G. (pier & general merchandise, PO Sister Bay)
Former Schools were: School “No. 2" at the home of Andres JOHANESON December 7, 1865 to 1881. Some students’ surnames: KELLSTROM, MINKS, SEAQUIST, JOHNSON, WILTSE, ROESER, HILANDER, CARLSON, OLSON, ANDERSON, SWENSON< and SODERBURG.
More Schools: Ellison Bay Schoolhouse, Wildwood School, Appleport School and Sister Bay School.
(1) Bethel Baptist Church (early known as Free Baptist)-address: 852 Europe Bay Road, Ellison Bay, WI 54210.
(2) Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church-WELS, records microfilmed- address: 9936 Highway 57.
(3) Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church-ELCA: Ellison Bay Chapel address: 12001 Mink River Road, Ellison Bay, WI 54210 (Mink River Road and Highway 42): Sister Bay Chapel address: 11054 Highway 42, Sister Bay, WI 54234.
(4) Moravian Church of Sister Bay- 10924 Old Stage Road, Sister Bay, Wi 54234. The Moravian church purchased building owned by Free Baptists [already on this site?] and in 1915 they purchased an unused Moravian Church building and moved it from German Road to Old Stage Road and combined the two.. - location: Highway 57 and German Road (NW), Fire number of the old Liberty School on the same corner as 9853 Highway 57. No sign of building (1990). Cemetery is located next to the church (in picture below it is behind the cedars on the left)-pictures contributed by Doug ARNDT.
5) Pentecostal Church-address 9821 Highway 57 (building apparently being used as residence (1990).
(6) Unknown Church on 1899 Plat Map at 10281 Highway 57 across from Door County Co-op used as residence (1990)- possibly Emanuel’s Church of the Evangelical Association .
(7) Old German Lutheran Church- on 1899 Plat Map-address: Highway 42, about 3/8 mile SW of 42 and Mink River Road, SE side of road in a wooded area (1990)- this church was dedicated Sunday 26 Nov 1882 with Rev. William KUESEL pastor and disbanded in 1904. It was moved to the Russell HANSON farm in 1966.
(8) St. Rosalia Catholic Church - LOCATION: Sister Bay, Town of Liberty Grove. Records start dates: Baptisms-1903, Marriages-1904, Funerals-1904. For more records information see Green Bay Catholic Diocese Archives.
The abandoned town of NEWPORT is now Newport State Park.
LOCATION AND ADDRESS OF TOWN HALL:
New location: 11161 Old Stage Road, formally Wildwood School location. Former location of the Town Hall was NE Corner of Hill Road and Highway 57, Sister Bay- recently used as an antique shop.
DAMAGE DUE TO FIRE OF OCT 1871:
None.
(1) Ellison Bay (1883-present),
(2) Hedge Hog (1883-name changed to Gills Rock 1902-1904),
(3) Newport (1882-1904),
(4) North Bay (1870-1873),
(5) Rowleys Bay (1878-name changed to Rowley, 1883-name changed to Rowleys Bay, 1890-1893, 1894-1904), (6) Sister Bay (1873 to present).
