OBJECT HISTORY: Fish Boil Kettle

Door County may be the only place in the world where you can expect to be fed a meal that was cooked in a washing machine. The area’s earliest history surrounds fishing, and later tourism which, every year, brings in over $500 million in the current day. Fish boils embody the spirit of both the fishing and tourism industries, while providing a unique experience that cannot be found anywhere else.

The fish boil tradition began in the late 1890s, with its origin garnering intense debate. One attributes them to Scandinavian fishermen who, in an attempt to feed their crew, would often bring potbelly stoves onto their boats and boil fish directly on the deck. The other story surrounds loggers on the peninsula, who held boils to feed their camp after an intense day of manual labor. The lack of clarity adds to the legend of the fish boil, with the only certainty concerning the need to feed large groups of people. The tradition lost steam in the early decades of the twentieth century, but regained momentum in the churches and men’s clubs of the 1930s and 1940s as a way to bring together the community.

Though Lawrence and Annette Wickman purchased Viking Grill in Ellison Bay in 1949, but did not host public fish boils until the summer of 1961. Lawrence, the family’s patriarch, often volunteered at fish boils for local events, and was inspired to begin hosting them at the restaurant to bring the community together. When Dan Peterson purchased Viking Grill in 1984, and made it clear that he intended to continue on with the fish boil tradition, which he did until he sold the restaurant in 2022.