Our History

The beautiful land that the Yacht Club at Sister Bay rests upon has roots going back to 1877. According to the Sister Bay Historical Society, in the early years the property was a thriving flour mill and sawmill, with a dock and marina. The site became a hub of commerce and early tourism, as visitors traveled to spend time enjoying the same beautiful views and clear sparkling waters we enjoy today.

The property was originally owned by Thomas Dimond, until it was purchased by Andre Roeser, a miller in 1878. He purchased the lumber mill, flour mill and over a mile-and-a-half of shoreline with additional land that included a pier at the head of Sister Bay.

Roeser’s family owned and operated the business until 1941 when it was sold to brothers, Robert and Lester Berns, nephews of Adolph Roeser, who was Andre’s son. When the Berns brothers were called off to war in 1943, their sister took over the day-to-day running of operations. The family managed a diverse operation that included a sawmill and the sale of ice and coal. They also purchased 400 acres of forest on Chambers Island. As part of the war effort, the family harvested the island’s hemlock lumber for essential war material for Allied Forces.

In the 1970s, the business became Lampert’s, which operates today as Lampert Lumber on Hwy. 42 in Sister Bay.

In the 1980s, the land was purchased for private development, and the first condo building was erected in 1987.

In recent years, we’ve seen new shops, restaurants and the wonderful improvements at Sister Bay Beach, marina and park. Sister Bay’s history is long and varied. All the information and pictures here were obtained from the Sister Bay Historical Society.

Tourists can learn more about the origins of Sister Bay at The Corner of the Past Museum, 10310 Fieldcrest Rd. The museum is a 7-acre site that includes 16 cottages, a sawmill and log cabins filled with authentic furnishings, artifacts and displays.

The museum also hosts docent tours of the 1875 Anderson Family Farmhouse, Farmer’s Markets on Saturdays and a European-style Christmas Market in November and December.

Take advantage of this great resource by clicking the button below to visit the Sister Bay Historical Society website.