History
As immigrants arrived on the eastern seaboard in the early 1800s, stories of the frontier’s riches lured the newcomers westward. Recognizing opportunity, Asa Thorp was one of Fish Creek’s earliest settlers.
Asa was a New York cooper by trade. He established an early pier, a warehouse, and a sawmill to supply residents and ships’ captains with supplies and cordwood.
Later, he and is wife, Eliza, ran a small boarding house and hotel for workmen and travelers. He was known as the “Founder of Fish Creek” and built his log cabin home in 1849. It is currently located next to the patio at Pelletier’s Restaurant.
The cabin is listed on the Wisconsin Historical Society’s State Register of Historical Places.
The Village of Fish Creek was established in 1857. In 1858, the Township of Gibraltar – consisting of the villages of Fish Creek, Juddville, and Maple Grove – was established. Farmers, lumbermen, and fishermen settled their families on the surrounding fields, building homesteads bordered with the rocks they cleared.
The settlers’ efforts were rewarded… and the community prospered. Three general stores supplied goods to the community. Several churches, a school, and a library fulfilled the spiritual and educational needs of the villagers. With the establishment of a post office, the United States government officially acknowledged the Township of Gibraltar.
By the turn of the 20th century, visitors from Chicago, St. Louis, and Milwaukee “discovered” the virtues of Door County. Dr. Hermann Welcker’s resort, organized in the tradition of the European spa, offered a program of food, rest, and healthy meals. Within a few years, the resort’s guest were building homes on Cottage Row. Soon enough, where horses had pulled wagons over dirt roads, Model Ts were transporting visitors to their accommodations.
Today, the essence of Fish Creek remains and is reflected in the residents and business owners who have inherited this unique history. Wander the paths of Founder’s Square and visit Asa Thorp’s original cabin. Most of the stores in Founder’s Square are original cottages that housed Door County visitors in the 1800s.