Town of Sevastopol

Town of Sevastopol. Orchard Country. , Sevastopol is the heart of Door Peninsula's famous fruit orchards. , Swiss immigrant Joseph Zettel planted the first orchard one mile from here in 1862. His State Fair apple exhibit led University of Wisconsin scientists Emmett Golf and Arthur Hatch to create research orchards nearby in 1892. Fruit production flourished in this lime rich soil and mild climate. , "Cherryland USA" , The first cherry orchard was planted in 1896 and Sevastopol soon boasted the largest orchards and the most cherry trees in the U.S. The peak of cherry production was from 1920 to 1960. Since then, disease, pests, severe winters, and poor profits have reduced production. , Tommy’s Road Side Market , John and Antonia Tomjanovich came to Door County from Zlobin, Yugoslavia in the early 1920s. In the 1940s, they opened a roadside market in front of their house. Because the name Tomjanovich didn't easily roll off the tongue, they named their stand "Tommy's." The stand closed in the late 1960s. , Why Sevastopol? , The town was named in honor of Sebastopol, a Black Sea port that famously fought off invading armies in 1855. The town clerk incorrectly registered a "v" instead of a "b" and it was never changed. , Steve Laubenstein and his wife, Kate, opened a new store in 2009 across the road from the original "Tommy's." They named it Grandma Tommy's Country Store in honor of Steve's grandmother Antonia. , (photo captions) , . Joseph Zettel (standing foreground, right) and family display their renowned orchard circa 1900. Their apples won awards at the Chicago Columbia Exhibition in 1893 and Pan American Exhibition in 1901. (Photo credit: Door County Historical Society) , . Surrounded by cherry orchards, the picker’s camp and canning factory of the Reynolds Preserving Company await the July 1930 harvest season. (Photos courtesy of Tom Reynolds) , . “Cherry Cheesecake” photos and enticing flyers lured young men and women to the cherry camps. About 10,000 pickers were hired each summer by Door County growers. , . Antonia Tomjanovich, 1968 (Photo courtesy of Steve Laubenstein) , . Tommy’s Road Side Market, Garden Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (Photo courtesy of Steve Laubenstein)