Nominate the Twin Cities of Marinette Wisconsin and Menominee
Michigan for The Small Business Revolution. You will be helping us get
the boost we need to revitalize our twin city community and inspire small towns
across the country. Simply click here and fill out one nomination for each
city. Use a population of 18,000. Write your compelling nomination
or copy and paste the story below.
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Copy the story below. You may want it for the nominations of Marinette Wisconsin andMenominee Michigan Population 18,000.
The Small Business Revolution’s injection of, energy and optimism for main street, is just what we need to fan the flames of recovery and offer Deluxe Corp the opportunity to unite our community as inspiration to small towns across the country.
Until suffering the deadliest wildfire in American history, October 8, 1871, the twin cities of Marinette, Wisconsin, and Menominee, Michigan, were booming in the logging industry’s heyday. The twin cities themselves were built on the sawdust used to fill in the wetlands.
With a burning desire to recover from this tragedy, the area was reborn by supplying the white pine to rebuild the City of Chicago who suffered a firestorm that same night. Wealthy families emigrated from the East Coast to take advantage of our seemingly inexhaustible timber resources.
As the cities on the coast of Lake Michigan developed and diversified their industrial bases, Marinette and Menominee progressed on Green Bay. But the resources of timber disappeared and there was not a plan ready to fill the gap left behind. The fledgling logging industry could not provide year-round employment, and most of the prosperous families left the area.
The promise and optimism that we had enjoyed for decades turned to bitterness and this is one of our most significant challenges. While WW2 spawned a ship-building industry that thrives today, a renewed optimism for our community has never been recreated.
Although we are fortunate to have a natural landscape that is close to paradise, we also have the country’s longest-running rivalry between our two town’s high school football teams and this puts tremendous pressure on friends and neighbors to pick a side. This spirit of competition and the struggles of the past have turned into an unyielding obstacle when it comes to working together and the ability to create a progressive and vibrant community.
Key leaders have slowly begun pushing the wheels of development forward. That effort has been fostered by a couple from Nashville who moved their art studio, talent, and ambition north and now call Marinette home (www.rustywolfe.com). The pair brought with them a fresh perspective and are working to spread the message that community, not competition, should be the driving force in helping the area reach new potential.
They have ignited a spark of momentum by creating new businesses and redeveloping downtown properties. Others have sensed the power and are beginning to see the potential. We are nestled against the largest freshwater system in the world and our shorelines and downtown's are still home to turn-of-the-century architectural styles waiting for a breath of new life. menomineeoperahouse.org
Our four seasons of coastal waters, plentiful wildlife, and abundant woodlands offer an unparalleled opportunity for outdoor adventures and discovery of our hidden assets. www.menomineemarina.com www.marinette.wi.us
