Sturgeon Bay in Door County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Pioneer Farmer

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 30, 2017

1. Pioneer Farmer Marker

Inscription. The Farm Forty (SW 1/4 of NW 1/4 Section 26 Township 28 North, Range 26 East) was part of the first commercial orchard in Door County. In 1895, this orchard of 77 acres was the largest in Wisconsin. Joseph Zettel, a Swiss immigrant who arrived in Door County in 1856, planted the first trees of this commercial orchard in 1862. at the Chicago World Fair of 1893, he exhibited 20 varieties of apples which kept their color and flavor longer than those of any other exhibitor. His orchard produced 3000 bushels of apples in 1893. In 1907, this forty acres was bought by one of Joseph Zettel's sons, Jacob, who continued to operate the orchard and farm this tract until 1948. In 1965, it became The Farm.

This statement from the commemorative biographical record of the counties of Brown, Kewaunee, and Door, Wisconsin, published in 1895 pays tribute to Joseph Zettel:

Among the men of mark in the noble army of pioneers of this section of the state, there is no name more deserving of being perpetuted in the pages of this biographical record than that of Joseph Zettel.
It is fitting that this horticulturally historic forty acres be preserved and this mini orchard be part of our rural heritage at The Farm.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture

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• Immigration • Notable Events • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1856.

Location. 44° 52.377′ N, 87° 18.808′ W. Marker is in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in Door County. It is on State Highway 57 0.1 miles east of Mathey Road. The marker is on The Farm, a historical farm. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4285 Wisconsin 57, Sturgeon Bay WI 54235, 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 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Orchards of Door County (approx. 1.2 miles away); A Fortunate Mix (approx. 1.4 miles away); Town of Sevastopol (approx. 1.4 miles away); Bradley Crandall Sawmill Site (approx. 3.9 miles away); Steam Barge Joys (approx. 4 miles away); Public Library (approx. 4 miles away); ‘Old Bell’ Tower (approx. 4.1 miles away); Historic Sturgeon Bay (approx. 4.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sturgeon Bay.

Also see . . . The Farm official site. (Submitted on December 9, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn

2. The Farm

Credits. This page was last revised on December 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 90 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 9, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.

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