Wisconsin has a very Scandinavian
heritage which can explain much of our behavior and lifestyles but if you look
deeper into the smaller ethnic group of Belgians you can easily start to
distinguish their unique livelihood when compared to the broader group of
Scandinavians.
Belgians first started the
migration to Wisconsin because of a push factor, crop failure as well as a pull
factor, cheap land. In the early 1950’s the United States government was
selling land at the whopping price of $1.25 per acre. The hardworking and
motivated Belgians endured the long haul, first arriving in New York, then
sailing to Detroit, taking a train to the eastern side of Lake Michigan and
crossing Lake Michigan to Milwaukee. Other Scandinavian ethnicities such as
Teutonic, Slavic, and Norwegian had already taken residence in places such as
Green Bay and Milwaukee. Sticking to their culturally similar roots the Walloon
Belgians made their homestead towards the north.
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| Source: Wisconsin Past and Present: A Historical Atlas |
The forested landscape that
remained after the glaciation provided plenty of building materials to
construct Belgian homes. Despite their eagerness to settle the construction
process was significantly halted due one of the worst fires in United States
History. The Peshtigo Fire in the fall of 1871 started due to a variety of
environmental factors including drought, topography, and strong winds.
(Wisconsin’s Past and Present: A Historical Atlas, 1998) The fire pushed
northeast, up the Door Peninsula burning through the newly settled Belgian
community and ended up taking over 200 lives.
The Peshtigo fire was a lesson to
the construction of Belgian homes because from then on the vernacular home’s
erected consisted of a brick exterior. This not only made the home, less vulnerable
to fires but also more weather resistant. Making the most of the minimal winter
heat they were quaint, square, and included a fireplace. The geological
structure of the Door Peninsula offered the availability of dolomite that was
pulled from nearby quarries such as the Lathem and Smith Quarry on the Western
side of the Door Peninsula.
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| Summer Kitchen Photo Source: Jenna Wiedmeyer |
Although not known for their elegant craftsmanship Belgian homes favored a trademark that is seen on many homes throughout the region. A cross or bulls-eye window located beneath the roof truss on the front of the home is seen on dozens of barns and homes. This is sometimes used by those who constructed the home as a type of branding.
The Walloon speaking Belgian community is only one of many Scandinavian groups that settled in Wisconsin. Their distinct building styles and their settlement on the western side of the Door Peninsula makes this part of Door County a beautiful and historic region to drive through.
To gain a better sense of the Walloon Belgian Community as well as a historical look at some of the farms throughout the region open the following Google Earth File > Belgian Farms
Data Source:
Allen G. Noble (ed.), To Build in a New Land: Ethnic Landscapes in North America. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992
