The first log cabins in America were built by immigrants from Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway. An early settler might have built a simple log cabin for himself or his family to have someplace to live, and then, as trees were cleared, and farming became possible, he may have added to the cabin or built a bigger home. The cabin could be built by one man, using only a saw and an axe. The bark was stripped and the logs were notched, and no nails were needed to fit the pieces together. The space between the logs was filled with mud and straw, called chinking.  The chinking in this cabin was replaced with cement. Although there are glass windows in this cabin, glass was not typically available to the pioneers, so the original cabin would likely have had greased paper or some other covering over the windows. In a cabin meant for wintertime use, there may have been a stone fireplace.

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This cabin was built in 1884 by Hans Olaf Hanson when he settled on a farm in the Appleport area, east of Sister Bay. It is typical of the spartan housing of early settlers. After many moves, it was restored by local master builder Don Erickson on his Scandia Road property in Sister Bay. Following the restoration, Erickson called it the “Preacher’s Cabin” because he was fond of the North Carolina lifestyle, where buildings like these were used to house traveling preachers.

Preacher's Cabin

The Old Anderson House and preserved farm buildings, sawmill, cottages, and collection of farm implements comprise Corner of the Past. The Museum and the historic buildings feature turn-of-the-century furnishings, tools, large and small farm implements, and other artifacts and information depicting Sister Bay’s history.

The machine shop photo gallery and other sites feature photographs dating back to the early settlers, merchants, the destructive 1912 fire, the steamships at Roeser Dock, early logging, ice cutting, and women pioneers.

Guests will be able to take a self-guided tour with the use of our new audio system, called “The Discovery Pen,” or they may request a volunteer tour guide to share with you the wonderful stories of the folks who founded Sister Bay, such as Alex and Emma Anderson family, who lived at the Old Anderson House Museum, and what we now call Corner of the Past, formerly an 80-acre farm.

Guests may purchase guided tour tickets only at https://doorcountytickets.com/ or visit the site and choose to do their own self-guided tour.




The Old Anderson House Museum and The Corner of the Past Walking Tour

Some other buildings in Door County are known to have come across Green Bay from the Marinette area, and a number of features of the house give support to the idea that it also had come from there. Those unique features included a house number and fancy window pediments, which were not typical for a Sister Bay farmhouse. Other buildings in Door County are also known to have been brought across the ice from the Marinette area, like the Whistling Swan Inn and restaurant in Fish Creek. Many structural features of the house remain intact. In the kitchen, for example, you will find the original flooring — simply scraped and restained — plus the original ceiling, original wainscoting on the walls, and a number of original windows. The house had no indoor plumbing — the pump for water is still located in the back yard, and there would have been an outhouse similar to the one across the parking lot. Heat was provided through wood stoves. Electricity and baseboard heating were added during the 1990s restoration. A number of the furnishings are original to the house, and were donated by various family members. Others have come through the generosity of area residents.

The centerpiece of The Corner of the Past, the Old Anderson House is believed to have been constructed in the Marinette/Menominee area in the 1870s and moved to this location across the ice of Green Bay — in whole or in part — in the late 1800s. Beginning in the 1910s, it was the home of Alex Anderson, his wife Emma, and their two children, Sceone and Ivan. A few years after Alex died in 1915, the family began moving to other locations, but kept coming back here during the summers. By the 1950s, the visits had stopped, and after years of deterioration, the Village bought it in 1993 with the intent of tearing it down.  A local science teacher intervened to help save the house, and in 1997, after thousands of hours of volunteer work from member of the newly formed Sister Bay Historical Society, the restored house was opened to the public as the Old Anderson House Museum.

Anderson House

Outhouses were often designated by a symbol cut into the door to show if it was for men or women. It is said that in the days of illiteracy, a circle meant the outhouse was for men and the half-moon shape meant it was for ladies.  To combat the odor problem, farmers sometime planted lilac bushes nearby, or threw lime into the pit, or sometimes they simply moved the outhouse to a slightly different location. It’s also said that hollyhocks were sometimes planted nearby so that in polite company, rather than asking for the location of the outhouse, one could simply ask “where are your hollyhocks?”

The Anderson House never had indoor plumbing, so they would have used an outhouse similar to this one. This version was a three-seater Ladies outhouse. This outhouse was located on the Ralph Charney farm just up the road from here on Fieldcrest and was donated in November 1997. It was believed to have been at least 100 years old at that time.

Outhouse

This 100+ year-old summer kitchen was originally located on the Andrew Knutson farm on Beach Road in Sister Bay. It was donated by members of the Larson family in 2006. The walls of the old building were taken apart and brought by truck where workmen rebuilt it with a new roof, floor and brick chimney. The old cabinet, table, and wooden plank counter are original. When you step inside, take a look at the old items that your own mother or grandmother may have used — the icebox on the right, the wooden washing machine, the churn, the ice cream maker … and try to guess what that hand-cranked item is on the table. Hint: the instructions are imprinted on the top.

Many farms in Wisconsin had separate small buildings situated just steps from their main home which they called their “summer kitchen”. In the summer months, this enabled the farm wife to keep the heat out of the main farmhouse when she was doing hot chores like baking, canning and preserving, churning butter, and ironing.

Summer Kitchen

The bulk of the grain was stored on the second floor and fed by chute to bins below, where it could then be bagged for sale, or taken out to the livestock on the farm.  This granary was donated by Willard and Clarissa Kramer from their farm just a short distance up Fieldcrest Road. The previous owners of this farmland were the parents of Emma Anderson, who lived in the Anderson House on these grounds. When Emma’s parents died, she and her sister inherited the farm, and they sold it to the Kramers in 1949. On display is a collection of vintage tools and farm equipment, including an 1868 fanning mill, corn shellers, a grape grinder, sheep shearers, a hand plow, potato planters, and many handmade tools. For one of the most ingenious, yet simple, pieces of equipment, check out the broom on the left-hand side as you enter the building.

The signature building of small-grain farming in the mid-west was the granary, where the grains from wheat, corn, oats, and other crops were stored. The building was typically built on some sort of concrete or stone foundation that raised the building off the ground — this provided ventilation underneath to help keep the grain dry, and to lessen the chance of rodent infestation.

Granary

This cabin is believed to have originated on the Riley Phylis farm between Sister Bay and Baileys Harbor. It became part of a collection of restored and replica buildings that Don Erickson housed on his property. All of the buildings at Corner of the Past that Don built or reconstructed, including this one, were donated by the Leitz family after they bought Don and Judy’s property. The large loom inside was originally purchased by Wink Larson for his mother, Hazel Larson. Wink happens to be the fellow who was an old friend of Al Johnson’s, who once walked a goat into Al’s restaurant as a birthday present. Al took issue with his friend’s prank, but he ultimately relented and placed goats on the sod roof, which have become a trademark feature of Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant.

This old log structure and the one next to it (called the Preacher’s Cabin), were originally used for living quarters by early pioneers. These two log cabins were restored by local master builder Don Erickson at his property on Scandia Road. This one was given the name “Loom House” because Don’s wife Judy used it for her weaving hobby.

Loom House

The Koessl barn was built in the “post and beam” style of construction. This is a system in which two posts (the upright members) hold up the beam, which is laid horizontally across the top surfaces of the posts. No nails were used in the construction of the barn. Instead, the beams were fitted together in tongue and groove-style using handcrafted wooden pegs.This barn was built in 1887 by Michael Semes, who owned the first hotel and saloon in Sister Bay. At one time, the barn served as Sister Bay’s livery stable, and was used for stagecoach horses. Semes sold the barn to the Koessls around 1900. When developers bought the Koessl farm around 2000, they donated the Barn to the Historical Society. When the Barn was on the Koessl property, it had a silo, and there was a log structure attached to one side of the Barn that was used as a cow barn.Inside the Barn you’ll find a number of items that would have been in a barn of this type including: the pulley that would have been used to get hay in and out of the loft, a stanchion used for milking the cows, plus other pieces of old farm equipment. The Barn also currently houses some interesting examples of winter-time transportation from many years ago — for example, an ice boat, and the Sister Bay mail sleigh.

This barn was built in 1887 and was once the dominant building on the Ed Koessl Sr. farm, which was located on Highway 57 near the intersection with Highway 42, where the Birchwood Lodge stands today. The center structure was moved intact down Highway 57 to its present location in the winter of 2001.

Koessl Barn

There was a Blacksmith shop just across the road from where the Anderson House stands, on the east side of what is now Highway 57. It was owned for a number of years by Emma Anderson’s father, Frank Flaschel. In the May 11, 1895 issue of the Door County Democrat, the editors wrote: “Mr. Flaschel is both farmer and Blacksmith, and bu indubitable energy and industry has become prosperous and well-to-do.” Flaschel was of German descent, and his shop was on the edge of what is called the German settlement.This replica Blacksmith shop was constructed by local builder Don Erickson, and was originally housed on his property on Scandia Road in Sister Bay.

The Blacksmith was an essential craftsman in the era of horse-drawn carriages, wagons and buggies. There were a number of Blacksmith shops in and around Sister Bay beginning in the 1870s. The present structure is a replica of a typical shop and features a collection of Blacksmithing tools donated to the Museum.

Blacksmith Shop

Most farms had a chicken coop, which provided fresh eggs and high quality fertilizer. Erickson built the coop with two doors—one for the chickens and another for the farmer. During the day, the small door was left open so the chickens could go in and out at will to feed and take water. The large door was left open for ventilation. By evening, the free-range chickens would head into the hen house to be safe from any predators that might come to harm them. The farmer would then close both doors until the next morning.After the Ericksons sold their farm, this was donated by the Robert and Debra Leitz family.

This chicken coop is a replica of one that would have been found on an old farm. Like the replica Blacksmith shop, it was built by Don Erickson for his collection of pioneer buildings at his farm in Sister Bay. Free-range chickens were allowed to enter and exit at will during the day in good weather. At night, the birds returned to the roost and the doors were closed to keep out predators.

Chicken Coop

Prior to the advent of mechanical pickers, much of the cherry crop was harvested by migrant workers. There were African Americans from the southeast, Native Americans and Mexicans (often including whole families) who moved from place to place on the back of flat-bed trucks to harvest crops as they matured. They arrived in Sister Bay in July as the cherry crop ripened, and they often stayed for the apple harvest. The story of the German POWs is told in a 2002 book titled Stalag Wisconsin. It was also turned into a musical called Victory Farm, that has been produced periodically at the Northern Sky Theater in Peninsula State Park.This cabin was originally located on the Frank Logerquist farm (behind the current Carroll House restaurant) and then moved to the Kramer farm on Fieldcrest Road. The Kramers donated it in 2000.

Many, many hands were needed to pick Door County’s cherry crop up until the 1960’s when mechanical tree shakers were developed. Many of the workers came from outside the area and needed housing — so they were put up in tents and barns, and in many cases, cabins like these. During World War II, when workers were difficult to find, pickers were brought in from Mexico, Jamaica and Barbados, but even those were not enough. In 1945, at the end of the war, about 2,000 German POWs were stationed at seven camps in Door County, and they helped to pick the crop.

Picker's Cabin

This log cabin was originally a home, then was used as a rental cottage. With its second floor, it certainly offered more space than the rustic wood cabins displayed earlier on this tour, but in the wintertime, a large family must have gotten to know each other pretty well in a home of this size. Note some of the interesting furnishings inside: the bed, which is a replica of a Scandinavian bed built by a local Sister Bay couple for their daughter, an oak ice box, a beautiful wooden trunk, and a Scandinavian door harp. The upholstered sofa and two matching chairs were brought to Door County from Sweden many years ago and donated by a Door County resident.

This cottage, made of hand hewn logs, was built by a member of the Olson family in Ephraim, and is thought to date back to the late 19th century. In consideration of the Scandinavian heritage of the Olson family, and much of Sister Bay, the Historical Society decided to name this home the Scandinavian Cottage. The furniture and other decorative items inside are typical of those from Sweden or Norway, and were donated by local residents.

Scandinavian Cottage

The multi-stage restoration process of the Barn began in March 2022 when the 110-ton structure was placed on beams and moved across Highway 42, down Country Lane, and onto our grounds. The land on which the Barn was built was originally purchased by Gunnar Anderson in 1865 in an unusual transaction. Anderson purchased 108 acres of timber and shore front property for 550 bushels of potatoes to be delivered over a three-year period. The contract stated that “all small and rotten potatoes to be picked out and if the potatoes should fail, then the deficiency is to be paid in cash at the rate of 75 cents per bushel.” The Anderson family later built the Barn and developed the Little Sister Resort.

The Little Sister Barn is an over 100-year-old barn that originally housed dairy cows, and later served as a site for square dances and other local events. Many local residents have fond memories of community get togethers there. When the Little Sister Resort was sold, and the Barn became available, it became clear that the Barn would be an ideal building to turn into a year-round History Center at Corner of the Past.

Little Sister Barn

The granary is in the process of being restored and will at some point be used for displays of additional artifacts. The granary was once moved across the road from the Koessel farm, and it went through a number of uses — at one time, it housed the Domicile gift shop, and at another time it was used as a rental cottage. When the most recent owner, Jim Salinsky, decided to build a condominium development on the property, he donated the granary to Corner of the Past.

This building is one of the newest of our acquisitions. Although it may not look like a typical granary, it once was part of the Ed Koessl Sr. farm, which was at the junction of Hwy. 57 and Rt. 42. That farm, which is now the site of the Birchwood Lodge, also contained the Koessl Barn and Machine Shed that were moved to our museum grounds.

Koessl Granary

The 10 cottages at Liberty Lodge were in use for about 100 years, and in a number of cases, multiple generation of families stayed in them. In 2006 they were slated for demolition. Three were saved — this Birch Cottage; the Balsam Cottage next door, which now serves as our offices, and the Pine Cottage, which is on the grounds of the Liberty Grove Historical Society near Ellison Bay. The Birch Cottage has been restored to look like what it might have been in the 1940s and 1950s, when the summer cottage era was at its peak.In the early days of this resort, tourists came by boat and stayed the entire time there. The owners provided the recreational opportunities — boats, other sporting equipment, and campfires — and three meals a day were offered at the lodge. The cool bay breezes in the summer made this tourist slogan ring true: "Door County — the air-conditioned peninsula.”

The first tourist resort in the Sister Bay Area was the Liberty Park Lodge built in 1898 just north of Sister Bay. It is still in operation today, and is known simply as the Liberty Lodge. Around the 1910s, the lodge owners added 10 cottages across the road on the shore of Green Bay, and this Birch Cottage was one of them.

Birch Cottage

This sawmill was restored to working condition by volunteers and has run twice since being at Corner of the Past — once after its restoration to make sure that it was in working order, and again at its dedication in 2007 when it was powered by the Historical Society’s 1939 Ford 9N tractor. Originally it would have been powered by a steam engine.David and Barbara Olson donated the sawmill to the Sister Bay Historical Society in 2000. Barbara Olson was the granddaughter of Hjalmar Holand, the noted Door County historian and author.  Nearby this sawmill is another, smaller device that would have been used to cut firewood.

The lumber industry was a major part of the economy of Northern Door County, and virtually all of the county was logged over in the early years. A number of farmers maintained their own mills to provide lumber for themselves and their neighbors. This 100+ year-old sawmill originally belonged to Hjalmar Holand of Ephraim, noted Door County historian and author.

Sawmill

Inside the Machine Shed you’ll find a number of exhibits and displays that highlight important early families and businesses of Sister Bay — for example, Wenzel and Mary Bunda, whose 1880s dry goods store is now the site of their great-grandson’s clothing store, On Deck. You’ll also see pictures and artifacts from other important businesses from early Sister Bay days — including the Roeser dock, sawmill and grist mill (now Lampert’s), the Masterfreeze Corporation, the Isaacson bus line, the Sister Bay hotel (now the Sister Bay Bowl), and Husby’s, among many others. You’ll also find pictures and stories of the steamship Carolina that brought well-to-do tourists from Chicago and Milwaukee from the late 1800s to about 1930.  And you’ll see displays that show the evolution of churches in the area, and the contributions made by those who have served in the Armed Forces.

This shed was built in the 1950’s to house farm equipment and serve as a repair workshop. It was located on the Ed Koessl Sr. Farm, which also housed the Koessl Barn that’s on the museum grounds. The restoration includes a replicated tool room displaying antique hand tools, and a gallery for vintage photos.

The Old Anderson House Museum and The Corner of the Past Walking Tour

Preacher's Cabin

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information