With federal funding, Wisconsin Historical Society hopes to examine Sheboygan's port past

SHEBOYGAN – The Wisconsin Historical Society could look into the past of Sheboygan’s commercial piers, supported by funds from $1.3 million allocated for coastal community projects by Gov. Tony Evers.

The nonprofit was awarded a $16,629 grant for its project, “Piering into the Past: Archaeological Remains of Ghost Ports in Manitowoc, Sheboygan, and Ozaukee Counties,” which could lead to a deeper understanding of the state’s shoreline resources, and subsequently their preservation.

The project funding, still pending federal approval, is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration and Wisconsin Coastal Management Program. 31 grants were awarded to governments, universities, regional planning commissions and other organizations at different scopes across the state.

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“The collaborative public and private projects aided by our coastal programs do so much to expand public access, sustainable use practices, community development, habitat restoration and address pollution,” DOA Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld said in a news release. “This is a key program with lasting benefits for our state in too many ways to count.”

WHS’s Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Program hopes to look into these counties’ pasts, examining how they compare to other coastal communities along Lake Michigan that settled slowly and were far from major cities, like Milwaukee and Chicago, according to an explanation from the organization. The project will explore how maritime commerce, technology and other environmental conditions impacted European settlement and the state’s economy.

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To achieve this, the program will identify, map and evaluate five “submerged and associated shoreline cultural resources associated with historic lumber and commercial piers” in these neighboring communities. Information gained will contribute to the WHS’s maritime education initiatives and support a new partner, Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, according to WHS.

Sheboygan’s harbor and South Pier were once home to a coal company and served as a significant entry for commerce to four Wisconsin counties.

Shipwreck remains have been documented or found off Sheboygan’s shore, like the 1876 Lottie Cooper displayed near Deland Park, the 1853 Advance near the town of Holland and the Phoenix steamship.

Have a story tip? Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or [email protected]. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @alexx_garner.

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan's commercial port past to be highlighted using federal grant