Death’s Door

Death's Door: A passage between the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Michigan. It lies between the northeast end of Wisconsin's Door Peninsula - America’s most water surrounded county - and Washington, Pilot, Plum and Detroit islands. Door County is named after this legendary passage. The origin of the name could derive from a single incident - the loss of a large Indian war party in a sudden squall during the time of the Indian Wars that raged in Wisconsin during the 17th and early 18th centuries. The strait is referred to as Cap a la Mort in 1728 and remains on sea charts as either Port des Morts or Port du Morts well into the modern era.  Deaths Door is a dangerous place. In the era of wooden sailing ships the door’s hidden shoals, unpredictable winds and converging currents, sank numerous vessels attempting it’s passage. “It’s menace was great enough that a canal was cut through at Sturgeon Bay in 1881 to allow vessels to pass through to Green Bay without hazarding the Door. Nevertheless, many sailing vessels continued to use the Door rather than pay canal tolls and tug fees.”  The exact orgin of the name “Deaths Door” remains a mystery. In one story, the Ho Chunk tribe lure a large amphibious Potowatomi war party to it’s demise, in another account, the roles are reversed. There are numerous versions of the tale. Below is a typical account from the newspaper era.

From the Appleton Post-Crescent December 29, 1905