Ellison Bay is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
in northern
Door County, Wisconsin
Door County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, its population was 30,066. Its seat of government is Sturgeon Bay.
It is named after the strait between the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. ...
, United States, within the
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
of
Liberty Grove and is located on
Highway 42 along the
Green Bay. As of the
2020 census, its population is 249.
Sur La Baie, one of Wisconsin's largest and most expensive homes, is located nearby.
History
A Native American name for the bay was Joe-Sahbe Bay, after a son of the Potowatomi Chief Neatoshing, who was also known as Mishicott. Joe-Sahbe means "Feather of the rolling cloud".
The community was founded in 1872 by
John Eliasen, a
Danish immigrant.
Lumber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
and
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
were important businesses in the 19th century, replaced by fruit growing in the early 20th century, and today
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
is the main business.
Education
Gibraltar Area Schools serves the community. Gibraltar Elementary School and
Gibraltar Secondary School are the two schools.
Demographics
Attractions
Important attractions include
The Clearing, a private center for
adult education
Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained educating activities in order to gain new knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralph G. ''The Pr ...
that was originally established by
Jens Jensen, a prominent landscape architect. It is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. Other attractions include the
Mink River four miles south, Turtle Ridge Gallery, a cooking school, former Church turned Asian art gallery turned coffee shop, and pottery studios.
Ellison Bluff
Ellison Bluff County Park includes a scenic hiking trail, a picnic area, and a fenced catwalk. The bluff area has wildflowers and trees. One cedar was found to be over 250 years old. Rough-winged swallows hunt for insects along the bluff. Other birds seen at the park include American redstart, great-crested flycatcher, broad-winged hawk, wood thrush, scarlet tanager, yellow-throated vireo, and pileated woodpecker. 170 acres of the park is protected as the Ellison Bluff State Natural Area.
2006 explosion
On July 10, 2006, an explosion leveled the 136-year-old Pioneer Store, killing two vacationers and injuring 13 others. The blast also burned down one cottage and damaged another. It is believed a propane gas leak caused the explosion, which may have resulted from a contractor damaging unmarked underground propane lines.
"Explosion Kills Two Guests at the Cedar Grove Resort in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin; Likely Caused by Propane Leak"
/ref>
Climate
Gallery
References
Sources
*''Around the Shores of Lake Michigan: A Guide to Historic Sites'' by Margaret Beattie Bogue (1985, University of Wisconsin Press
The University of Wisconsin Press (sometimes abbreviated as UW Press) is a Non-profit organization, non-profit university press publishing Peer review, peer-reviewed books and journals. It publishes work by scholars from the global academic comm ...
)
External links
Video tour of Ellison Bluff County Park
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Wisconsin
Census-designated places in Door County, Wisconsin