University Archives helps uncover how Door County’s Brussels got its name

Ever wondered how Brussels in Southern Door County got its name? It has a lot to do with crop shortages in Belgium, which sparked the emigration of Belgians to a new land called Wisconsin. A file unearthed in UW-Green Bay’s Cofrin Library described a report by Ministère de la Région Wallonne, stating that even though the lands of Wisconsin weren’t ideal for cultivation, the Belgians cleared the lands and traded wooden shingles. The emigrants who settled in Wisconsin brought with their names from home, including the capital, Brussels. Read the full story on Door County Pulse.