Ellison Bay was founded in 1866 by Johan Berndt Eliason, who came to America from Denmark. In 1848, Eliason reached Buffalo, New York, where he bought a sizeable piece of land in Door County through the U.S. government. The U.S. Land Office later reported the land belonged to "John Ellison" and that the cove on the property was called "Ellison Bay".

As in the past, Mother Nature has something special in store for visitors traveling north of Sister Bay: a breathtaking vista of Ellison Bay from the crest of a 200-foot-high escarpment. The sight is particularly beautiful when fall wears its fancy dress.

Visitors to Ellison Bay will find numerous potters and other artisans plying their trade.

North of Ellison Bay's quaint business district lies The Clearing, a school of the arts, literature and ecology. The Clearing's campus is set amid a pristine woodland high above the shores of Green Bay.

Nearby Newport State Park, a semi-wilderness area, has within its boundaries secluded hiking and cross-country ski trails.

For more information, contact the Top-of-the-Thumb Association (May through October) at (920) 854-5448.

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