Manitou Camp, Historic fishing camp on Manitou Island, Wisconsin.
Manitou Camp is a fishing settlement on an island in Wisconsin that preserves several wooden buildings from the late 1800s onward. The site contains cabins, a smokehouse, storage sheds, and structures for handling fish, showing how people worked and lived on the water.
The settlement began in the 1890s when four Swedish loggers built a cabin with hand-carved cedar logs that still stands today. Ownership shifted in the 1930s when Norwegian brothers took over and expanded the site with additional structures adapted to their needs.
The structures reflect the skills and traditions of Scandinavian fishing families who made this island their workplace. You can see how Norwegian and Swedish building methods shaped the design and construction of the camp.
Reaching the island requires a boat ride, so visitors should be prepared for wet weather and uneven ground around the structures. The site is accessible year-round, though conditions can be challenging depending on water and weather patterns.
A specialized smokehouse was built to process both fish and wild game, an unusual combination that reflects how island residents made use of all available food sources. This dual-purpose structure shows practical resourcefulness in a remote setting.
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