Hidden History of Sturgeon Bay - Paperback

by Heidi Hodges (Author), Kathy Steebs (Author)

Beyond the stunning beauty of Wisconsin's Sturgeon Baylies a hidden past of colorful characters, tragic shipwrecks and compelling community achievements.

Arriving as an immigrant to the town, Joseph Harris Sr. became a founding father, creating the Door County Advocatenewspaper and leading a campaign to construct the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. More than one hundred local volunteers formed the ranks of Company F, nicknamed Les Terriblesby the French for their bravery and sacrifice in World War I. After surviving the Civil War, former slave Peter Custis endured unimaginable tragedy while forging a life in the city.

Authors Heidi Hodges and Kathy Steebs expose the forgotten history of Sturgeon Bay. It's a story of dogged perseverance.

Author Biography

Heidi grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but spent family vacations in Door County, at Peninsula State Park, at Gills Rock and at a little log cabin south of Sturgeon Bay. She received a BA in technical communication from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1988, focusing on photography and journalism. To complete her major, she interned at the Door County Advocate in 1987 and '88. She remained at the Advocate for thirteen years after the internship, until leaving to start her own photography and freelance writing business in 2001. In 2009, she won a National Newspaper Award for a special-issue magazine she spearheaded, Taking Flight, chronicling her journey through breast cancer. In 2013, she was named editor of the Door County Magazine, where she continues today, working her "dream job" of highlighting this place she's loved all her life. Heidi lives in Sturgeon Bay with her two sons, Fred and Gordon, surrounded by family, friends and lots of beautiful water. Kathy Steebs was born and raised in Door County, where she met and married her husband, Scott. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a BA in English, she worked as technical writer in Milwaukee. In 2000, she moved back to Door County with her husband and son, Wil. In addition to freelance technical writing, she also writes for Door County Magazine. Kathy has been a tireless researcher of local history, finding the "hidden" histories of the area. Her most prized possession is a copy of Hjalmar Holand's History of Door County, Wisconsin: The County Beautiful, which she inherited from her mother-in-law, Keta Steebs.