DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — For many Packers fans, it’s no surprise to hear that Packers CEO Mark Murphy or former player AJ Dillon made a trip up the peninsula. But what might surprise you is just how far back the Packers' connection to Door County really goes
- Nick Dokolas of Segway the Fox Tours leads NBC26 on part of the Sturgeon Bay NFL tour
- Packers historian Cliff Christl explains Curly Lambeau’s ties to Door County
- Current homeowners share how Lambeau’s history draws curious visitors to their Sturgeon Bay home
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
When Nick Dokolas discovered the Packers' deep-rooted connection to Door County, he was intrigued—and knew it had to become a tour.
"His grandfather immigrated here from Belgium," Nick Dokolas owner of Segway the Fox tours said.
Curly Lambeau, the legendary Packers founder, had family ties to Door County, his grandfather immigrated to Brussels in Southern Door.
Curly Lambeau often spent time in Sturgeon Bay, visiting his girlfriend, Packers Golden Girl Mary Jane Van Duyse, her former home is part of Dokolas’ tour.
"On June 1st, 1965, he came by to pick her up and her father was mowing the lawn, so he decided to stop and help him mow the lawn," Dokolas said.
But that act of kindness quickly turned tragic.
"Curly died in Sturgeon Bay of a heart attack," Packers Historian Cliff Christl said.
Lambeau briefly worked in Door County and even had a home here.
"Lambeau actually had coached the Gibraltar High School football team for a brief period of time," Christl said
The Segway tour passes the home where historians say Lambeau died in 1965.
Current homeowner Cody LaCrosse says he and his wife knew the history when they bought the house in 2018, but didn’t expect the attention it would bring.
"It kinda feels like you're a little bit like a fish in a bowl and people are looking at you, but we knew we'd get the historical significance, and people are going to do that," Cody Lacrosse said.
To join a Sturgeon Bay/Door County NFL Connections tour, Dokolas says tours are available daily at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4 p.m.
