Manitowoc's Lueps Island

Bird's-eye view of the city of Manitowoc with a population of 5,168 inhabitants as it appears in 1870, the year the village was granted a city charter by the state legislature. On the left, the Manitowoc River winds its way around a flat land formation known as Lueps Island, which is destined to become the shipbuilding peninsula, and flows eastward under the 8th Street bridge to Lake Michigan, in the distance.

If you look at an aerial or panoramic photograph of Manitowoc, one of the most striking geographical features is the 36 acre peninsula known as Lueps Island that juts out into the u-shaped bend of the Manitowoc River

This small piece of land, due to its unique location, has a very colorful history.  It is mostly known as the site of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company and is now home to Broadwind Energy, a leading producer of wind turbine towers. 

The island is named for Jacob Lueps, who was born in Germany in 1817.  He was one of the earliest settlers of Manitowoc County, arriving in 1850.  He owned 200 acres of land including the peninsula extending to the current location of Holy Family Memorial Hospital, which included a large farm of fruit bearing trees.   

Jacob Lueps was active in the development of early railroads in the area, serving as a Director of the Milwaukee, Manitowoc, and Green Bay Rail Road.  This company was unable to succeed in their efforts resulting in a foreclosure of their loans.  Upon Lueps’ resignation in 1874, the line was reorganized as the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railway Company.      

The Lueps family, in addition to their interest in farming and railroads were well known for recording local weather data for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

In 1876, the year of Jacob Lueps’ death, the island was largely undeveloped and covered in swampland.  It was home to a glue factory and dry docks.  By 1902, Burger and Burger operated a large wooden ship repair business and the Wisconsin Central Railroad owned most of the adjoining land.  Around this time, they leased five acres for a shipbuilding plant to the Manitowoc Dry Dock Company, precursor to the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company. 

Between 1902 and 1916, Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company built more than 70 vessels including the steel passenger steamer Alabama, built in 1909.

World War I saw the shipbuilding plant on Lueps Island quadruple in size.  When the United States entered the war in 1917, the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. was taken over by the U.S. Shipping Board Emergency Fleet.

There was great need to expand. But the northern portion of the peninsula was still covered by swampland which was leased by the shipbuilders from the railroad.  A small boat yard owned by Henry Burger was moved across the river, where Burger Boat remains today.

The Manitowoc River around the peninsula was dredged and the material was used to fill in the swampland on the peninsula.  New shops and lofts were constructed, practically filling the peninsula.  Steps were built from Park Street down to the river where a ferry transported the growing workforce to the shipyards.

The shipbuilding company continued to grow, and the heroic efforts of Manitowoc County’s workers during the Second World War have been well documented.     

The development of these 36 acres of land mirrors the changes in our community.  It tells the story of our early settlement, the rise and fall of the railroads, the importance of shipbuilding to Manitowoc County, the resolve of our nation during war time, and a commitment to hard work and innovation that has followed us throughout our history.