Gills Rock, Wisconsin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gills Rock, Wisconsin
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Aerial view in 2020
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 Gills Rock, Wisconsin
Location in Wisconsin
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| County | Door |
| Town | Liberty Grove |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 920 |
Gills Rock is a small, charming community located at the very northern tip of the Door Peninsula in Door County, Wisconsin, United States. It's part of the town of Liberty Grove. This area was once known as Hedgehog Harbor.
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Exploring Gills Rock's Past
This special place was known by the Potawatomi people as Wah-ya-qua-kah-me-kong. This name means "head of the land" or "land's end," which perfectly describes its location at the tip of the peninsula. Later, the area was named Gills Rock after Elias Gill, who owned land here in the 1800s.
A Community Built on Fishing
Gills Rock has a long and proud history of commercial fishing. Even today, fishing is a very important part of life for many people in the community. You can learn all about this history at the Death's Door Maritime Museum, which is located right in Gills Rock.
Adventures in Death's Door
The area is also very popular with scuba divers. They come to explore the many old shipwrecks found in and around a narrow waterway called Death's Door. This strait connects Lake Michigan to Green Bay. The Pilot Island Light is a lighthouse on Pilot Island, which is close to Gills Rock.
Travel to Washington Island
Gills Rock is an important place for travel. It is where you can catch a passenger ferry to Washington Island. If you need to take your car, the vehicle ferry to Washington Island leaves from Northport, Wisconsin, which is a short distance east of Gills Rock.
Gills Rock in Pop Culture
Gills Rock is even mentioned in popular culture! It is the fictional birthplace of a character named Gwen Raiden from the TV series Angel.
Learning in the Community
Students in Gills Rock attend schools that are part of the Gibraltar Area Schools district. The two main schools serving the community are Gibraltar Elementary School and Gibraltar Secondary School.
Images for kids
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Looking north at downtown Gills Rock
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Sign on Wisconsin Highway 42
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Welcome sign
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The Island Clipper ferry
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Gust Klenke's garage
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A Fish tug named Gem near Gills Rock, photo taken March 1973
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The fishing village at Gills Rock, published in 1941
