Ellison Bay Disaster Community Portal

Myles Dannhausen, Jr | Source: Peninsula Pulse

When the Pioneer Store fell a little less than a year ago, many feared a part of Ellison Bay’s soul was lost forever. It was just a grocery store, but it had carved out a very special place in the hearts of locals and visitors alike over the years.

In fact, so entwined was it with Ellison Bay lore that many speculated the town would die without it, as if the town’s heart had been cut out. Such ruminations were not merely hyperbole, as the store’s absence left a massive hole in Ellison Bay’s routine.

“In a very real sense the Pioneer Store has been, since 1900, the heart of Ellison Bay,” said Pastor Michael Brecke. “The rhythm of Ellison Bay has always been centered on the Pioneer Store.”

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by Myles Dannhausen, Jr | Source: Peninsula Pulse

In the spring of 2005 a massive disaster drill was held in Sister Bay involving several Door County and state emergency response departments and agencies.

The drill was funded with Homeland Security dollars and imagined a scenario with multiple explosions at different locations and a gas attack. The United States Coast Guard, Army Reserves, Sheriff’s Department, and several fire departments swarmed downtown Sister Bay. At the time, the picture seemed far-fetched in the quiet community of Northern Door, but little more than a year later the drill became a startlingly similar reality in Ellison Bay.

At about 2:30 am on July 10, 2006, a series of blasts rattled the town – some said two, some three, others swore they heard more. Patrick and Margaret Higdon, parents of three, were killed. Seven others were hospitalized. An underground propane line at Cedar Grove Resort had been severed days prior, leaking gas through the Swiss cheese rock awaiting a spark.

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By Adam Aaro | Source: WBAY.com

Note: In the video, WBAY erroneously reports the buildings at Cedar Grove Resort were not rebuilt. The duplex which exploded and claimed the lives of Patrick and Peggy Higdon has indeed been rebuilt.

CLICK FOR VIDEO — The opening of the Pioneer General Store in Ellison Bay is just another sign that the town is getting back to normal after a propane line caused a deadly explosion just under a year ago.

The explosion happened around 2:30 a.m. of July 10th. Two people were killed in the blast and three buildings were destroyed, including structures on the Cedar Grove Resort and the Pioneer General Store.

The General Store was a Door County landmark, standing for over 100 years before the explosion forced the owners to tear it down.

But today, a new era begins for the store. Residents welcome back what some call the heart of the community.

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