In 1861, the Township of Two Creeks received its new name.

A petition stated: “In 1859 the town of Rowley was severed from Two Rivers and the question of subdivision was put to the voters. In thus determining the division, no opportunity was given to voters to express name preference, and the town was organized under the name of Rowley, which is odious to the resident voters as a whole. At the last town hall, the voters voted unanimously to ask your honorable body to change Rowley’s name, which is objectionable on account of personal association, to the name of Two Creeks.

It was during this time that G. Pfister & Company of Milwaukee established a large tannery in the crossroads community.

Pfister quickly held 22 land entrances in sections 11, 13, and 24 of the township – mostly along Lake Michigan.

His possessions totaled 1,429.9 acres of land.

With plenty of hemlock bark nearby, the business quickly grew and employees traveled to the bustling village.

Soon a post office was created, called Nero. A sawmill was built and a jetty was constructed to receive bark, cordwood and other materials needed to run the tannery.

The company’s leather was shipped to Milwaukee – and re-shipped to other cities from there.

The Pfister Leather Company also built houses for its tannery and sawmill employees. Most of these houses were at the intersection of the community crossroads.

“Tanners were expected to possess a reasonable amount of technical knowledge and efficiency in managing their chosen line of work. Hemlock bark consumed by the factory was secured within approximately 12 miles of the tannery. It was not uncommon to see 24 or more teams of oxen and horses, following each other in line, dragging loads of bark and other produce to the village to sell at the company store.

The company also encouraged village citizens to produce their own hemlock bark, ties, fence posts and more which they would buy from settlers in exchange for credit in the company store.

In 1863 the unincorporated village of Two Creeks was founded and the tannery was expanded.

In addition to the tannery, the village also included a public school, general store, boarding house, blacksmith shop, tavern, wagon maker, tailor and cobbler, meat market, and telegraph office.

In 1866, the town of Two Creeks was thriving with a population of approximately 150 to 200 people in 60 families.

In the summer of 1869, Fred Vogel Jr. took over management of the Pfister Leather Company, as his father had purchased it.

A few years later, the leather tanning business was incorporated as the Pfister Vogel Leather Company.

CONTINUED: In 1958, a train disappeared from Manitowoc’s rail yard and was later found 10 miles away in Two Rivers Harbor

CONTINUED: Manitowoc in the 1920s: Between a monthly income of $40 and $60 and Prohibition, this is what life was like.

After about 20 years, the supply of hemlock dwindled and the tannery industry was dissolved. The factory was destroyed by fire around 1885.

The Pfister and Vogel Leather Company continued to work nearly 300 acres of farmland and purchase hay and peas to sell and ship.

Soon a shift from logging to agriculture would take the lead in Two Creeks.

Amy Meyer is executive director of the Manitowoc County Historical Society.