On November 24th, 1892 the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northern Michigan Railroad started what many people thought was impossible, crossing Lake Michigan in the winter with a car ferry. The Ann Arbor #1 set out on that date from Frankfort Harbor, Michigan and was loaded down with four railroad cars filled with coal.

From February 21-23, 1922, much of eastern Wisconsin was hit by an ice storm. Snow and freezing rain coated trees, power lines, streets and railroads, cutting off electricity, phone and telegraph service.

The storm was headlined across the state, including Manitowoc County. The Manitowoc Herald News on February 23, 1922 featured the storm and the damage it left.

General stores were the center of economic activity in many small communities in the late 1890s and early 1900s. They were place where seed and crops were bartered or sold and everything people were not able to make or raise at home or on the farm could be found. Storekeepers were leading citizens of their communities, and that was very much true for early Clarks Mills General Store proprietors Richard and Elizabeth (Hammond) Burke.

During the 1800s until the early 1900s, Kingsbridge was a booming little crossroad village. In a 1997 Pinecrest Spirit article it is said that in 1880 Kingsbridge had a population of 65 people. As settlers came to Manitowoc County, more and more little crossroad villages like Kingsbridge started to form. Crossroad villages usually included a blacksmith shop, saloon, post office, cheese factory and in many cases a church and school. Kingsbridge was not a typical crossroads village, however.

For decades, Marge Miley helped us all remember the stories, lessons, and people of days gone by through her wonderful “Milestones” column. We all tend to measure our lives and history through major events, or milestones, such as a move, marriage, birth of our children, or the passing of a loved one. As we look back at our lives, these events stand out and give us perspective.

Operating until 1994, the history of the Schuette Brothers Store, owned by the Schuette family for nearly 150 years at the corner of Eight and Jay Streets in Manitowoc tells a story that mirrors our County’s growth, values and challenges. Founded by German immigrant, John Schuette in 1849, the store passed from one generation to the next evolving along with our community.

Nearly one hundred years ago, on Tuesday, January 27, 1920, The Chronicle of Two Rivers announced Jane Addams, head of Hull House, Chicago, one of the most prominent women of the country, was booked to deliver an address at the Opera House on N. Eighth Street in Manitowoc on Thursday evening. Her lecture was free, the expenses being defrayed by local businessmen.

Reminders of our community’s past remain all around us. Framed photos, street names, and historic buildings help us share the story of our county’s founding and growth. The Dempsey name can still be seen etched in history by all who pass by the namesake’s building at the corner of North Eighth Street and Maritime Drive in downtown Manitowoc. But who was M. H. Dempsey?

On December 27, 1932 area women joined to take part in the Junior Service League's 4th Annual Charity Ball. The ball, which was held at the Manitowoc Elk's Club, was a project of the Junior Service League, which began in Manitowoc and Two Rivers in 1928.

We are just three weeks past the 110th anniversary of the Francis Hinton’s sinking in Lake Michigan. The Francis Hinton, a 115-foot long wooden steam-powered vessel which sank in November 1909, was carrying a large load of lumber when it went down in a gale between Manitowoc and Two Rivers. It went undiscovered for over 75 years until it was discovered by local divers in 1987.

Can you picture a 400-foot balloon train parading down Washington Street in Two Rivers? That’s exactly what occurred during the 1951 holiday parade held on November 21.

Theodore Churchill Shove was born in 1831 in New York and came to Manitowoc with his family in 1850. Shove studied to be an attorney and soon turned his focus to the growing banking industry. He began as a teller at the Wollmer Bank and opened his own bank, the T.C. Shove Banking in 1858. The bank operated until tragedy struck in 1892.

We, as Americans have much to be proud of. As citizens of a democracy, we enjoy freedom from oppression, the privilege to elect our leaders, and a quality of life that most of the world could only dream of.

The Second World War was a time of great national unity and patriotism. For a short time of this era, the eyes of the nation fell upon the small city of Manitowoc, along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Take a walk through Pioneer’s Rest cemetery in Two Rivers and you’ll find a monument that shows the good a community can do when people come together after a tragedy. In the fall of 1887 the people of Two Rivers took up a collection to pay for a wonderful memorial to honor the victims of the steamer Vernon.

In the early history of Manitowoc County, Branch, originally named Lenaville, boasted many businesses and amusement places. Some of the earliest businesses included a shingle mill and logging camp, grist mill, brewery, two sawmills, and two blacksmith shops in the early 1850s.

The name change from Lenaville to Branch occurred in 1872 with the first train passing through. Railroad construction had previously been put on hold during the Civil War. The station was built in 1872. Seven passenger trains and a freight train passed through Branch daily.

In the “History of Manitowoc County”, written in 1905 by Ralph Plumb, he described, “fire companies made up of volunteer bands of male residents were organized, and, although at first there was little apparatus, nevertheless the needs of the day were met.”

It wouldn’t be until the late 1850s when the village of Manitowoc focused on purchasing a fire engine. Previously it was thought that fire engines were costly and volunteer bucket brigades were doing a fine job. Charles Esslinger became village president and said, “Perhaps we should order two. One for the north side and one for the south side.”

Members of the military hailing from Manitowoc have taken part in many historic conflicts, but one stands out as a particular demonstration of the endurance and dedication of a group of Manitowoc men. First organized in 1881 as the Rankin Guards, in honor of then-congressman Joseph Rankin, Company H of the Second Regiment of the Wisconsin National Guard presents an interesting story of Manitowoc volunteers working in service of their country.

This year, the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, based at Holy Family Convent on Silver Lake, celebrate 150 years of operation in the Manitowoc area. The community was established in 1869, and since its founding, its works of service have focused on education and health care in the surrounding community.

Their Motherhouse, Holy Family Convent on Silver Lake, was built in 1874. In 1881, a fire that started when the convent was struck by lightning left only portions of three walls intact. In a Herald Times Reporter article written in 1981, the fire is described based on eyewitness accounts. The fire reportedly “burned between the ceiling and the roof in the attic,” preventing neighbors’ notice of the fire until it broke through the roof. In the face of the destruction, the Manitowoc community rallied around the Sisters, and many people donated to help them rebuild.