The historic Johanna Brotch House has been recognized by the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS)  by the placement of a WHS historic marker at her former home of 515 East Lincoln Avenue in Bay View.  She was Bay View’s first and only female ship owner.  Her husband, Bay View Lake Captain John Brotch, not only captained the ships (2) she owned, but he was also Bay View’s most prolific schooner captain (4 and possibly five different ships).  With one of the ships, the schooner Arctic, they were a team: Johanna as an entrepreneur running the business side of the ship (supplies, bookkeeping, etc.) while John sailed it across all the Great Lakes.  They lived at 515 East Lincoln Avenue with their six children.  The house was built for her by her brother William A. Draves, Bay View’s greatest and true “Rags-to-Riches” story.  The placement of the WHS marker at Johanna’s home is extremely significant because it is:

*  The first time in the entire state of Wisconsin (to include Bay View) that a WHS marker has been placed at the home of either a female ship owner, a female entrepreneur, or a Great Lakes ship captain.    

*  Only the third WHS marker in Bay View, the first new one in 26 years, and the only one for a historic home.   A dedication ceremony for the marker is scheduled for the summer of 2024.  All are welcome to attend this free event, held rain or shine.  Look for updates to more specific dates and times on this website. There will also be a YouTube episode about the rescue of the house from destruction and subsequent restoration.  Complete details are found in the book, “A Brother Helps His Sister:  The True Story of William A. Draves, the Schooner  Arctic, and the House at 515 East Lincoln Avenue” available for sale on Amazon.com now (link is on this site “YouTube Site/The Books”).

  Note the historic Johanna Brotch House is also the headquarters of The Historic Bay View Lake Captains Society.