Marinette County in northeastern Wisconsin is criss-crossed with miles of fast-flowing streams and rivers. Consequently, the county is also blessed with nine waterfalls and excellent whitewater rafting and canoeing. Marinette, the county seat, is the home of the Marinette County Historical Museum with excellent exhibits detailing the area’s rich lumbering and maritime history.
The greatest fire disaster in American history took place seven miles south of Marinette. On Oct. 8, 1871, a fire storm completely destroyed what had been the logging boom town of Peshtigo, killing 1,200 people and burning hundreds of thousands of acres of forest. When residents rebuilt the town, they preserved this grim history in the Peshtigo Fire Museum.