Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek in Door County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Cold Cure

Hemlock

Photographed by Sean Flynn

1. Cold Cure Marker

Inscription. Ah-choo! Menominee Indians made a tea of the hemlock's inner bark to treat colds. Today, hikers enjoy the dark evergreen for its beauty. Examine its short, flat needles. Do you see two white stripes underneath?

Hemlock is an indicator species, a tree whose presence signifies Wisconsin's northern forest. It is favored by another indicator species, the black-throated green warbler. Listen for this tiny bird's slow, wheezy song. If you're lucky, you'll spot a deeply cupped nest woven with spider webs and curly strips of white birch bark.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Horticulture & Forestry • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 45° 9.428′ N, 87° 12.148′ W. Marker is in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, in Door County. It is in Peninsula State Park. It can be reached from Shore Road. The marker is found in Peninsula State Park along the Sentinel Trail, a short hike from Highland Road and about ½-mile from the Eagle Tower. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fish Creek WI 54212, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Growing a Forest (within shouting distance of this marker); A Worldly Pine (about 400 feet away, measured

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in a direct line); Late Bloomer (about 700 feet away); The Candelabra Tree (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rock Pavement (approx. 0.2 miles away); Triple Trunk (approx. ¼ mile away); Albert E. Doolittle (approx. 0.3 miles away); A State Park System is Formed (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fish Creek.

Also see . . . Tsuga canadensis (Eastern Hemlock) Pinaceae. From Lake Forest College

Excerpt: "Native Americans used the inner bark, roots, and needles of the Eastern Hemlock in antiseptics, cold medicines, and remedies for rheumatism and arthritis. In times of famine, they ate the inner bark. Its soft, lightweight wood makes lousy firewood, but it does work well in crates, general construction, and paper pulp. Tannins in the tree’s bark soften leather."

(Submitted on January 1, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Photographed by Sean Flynn, December 31, 2023

2. Cold Cure Marker

Cold Cure Marker along the Sentinel Trail image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, December 31, 2023

3. Cold Cure Marker along the Sentinel Trail

Credits. This page was last revised on August 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 163 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 1, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.