Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Scott Williams Steve “Doc” Gibson and his girlfriend, Dawn Hamilton, look out from inside one of the old fishing boats added to the diverse attractions at Doc’s Harley-Davidson of Shawano County.
Leader Photo by Scott Williams Dating back to the 1930s and ’40s, the two 48-foot-long fishing vessels cost $3,000 each and another $3,500 to transport both from Marinette.
Even if you thought there was still something missing from Doc’s Harley-Davidson of Shawano County, you probably never would have imagined this.
Owner Steve “Doc” Hopkins has reached far back into his childhood to capture the inspiration for his roadside menagerie’s newest addition: boats.
Alongside his motorcycle showroom, amusement park, wildlife exhibition and other attractions, Hopkins now is displaying two historic fishing boats salvaged from Lake Michigan.
Hopkins plans to clean up the 48-foot-long vessels, assemble staircases outside and — what else? — invite motorcyclists and other patrons to climb aboard.
The imaginative business owner said the old boats harken back to his days growing up near Algoma during the 1960s, when commercial fishing was booming on Lake Michigan and he could watch such vessels chug around town.
“They’re part of my history,” he said. “I’ve just always appreciated looking at them.”
Since Hopkins moved his business in 1998 to state Highway 29 east of Shawano, he has surrounded the Harley-Davidson dealership with an eclectic assortment, including a classic car museum, a Ferris wheel and other rides, a collection of exotic animals, an old-style saloon and more. The property is perhaps most recognizable for the “Dukes of Hazzard” car displayed outside in an airborne position, with a police car close behind.
The 58-acre compound long ago became a tourist attraction — for motorcycle riders and nonriders alike — and the latest evolution is expected to make it even more so.
Patti Peterson, tourism manager for the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce, said the addition of historic old fishing boats adds a new component to a fun collection that already draws big crowds by offering, as she put it, “a little something for everybody.”
“He keeps coming up with ideas,” Peterson said. “You never know what he’s going to do next.”
As usual, Hopkins has a method to his madness.
After recently acquiring an additional 18 acres just east of his Harley-Davidson property, he has decided to create a parking lot where patrons can park RVs or other vehicles for overnight stays — free of charge. The boats will be displayed there, too, and will be equipped with beds for visitors who want to climb inside and spend the night.
“They’re pretty rough inside,” he said of the vessels. “They’re not the Ritz-Carlton, but they’re free.”
Hopkins was shopping for a sailboat in Marinette about a year ago when he noticed the old fishing boats in a nearby marina. Dating back to the 1930s and 1940s, the boats looked much like the commercial vessels he enjoyed watching as a kid, hauling fresh catches of Lake Michigan whitefish, perch and grubb.
After much negotiation, Hopkins purchased the boats for $3,000 each and paid another $3,500 to transport them to his business property in Bonduel.
He hopes to have the boats ready for patrons to enjoy by next spring, along with the rest of the overnight parking lot.
Wendell Wilke, a lake shipping historian from Algoma, has provided Hopkins with a deeper appreciation of the history of the boats. Wilke remembers seeing both vessels in action before commercial fishing on Lake Michigan declined and most boats either relocated or deteriorated.
Wilke said the Harley-Davidson dealership in Shawano County is achieving important historical preservation for a type of boat that is largely forgotten.
“It is a bygone era,” he said. “It’s kind of nice to keep one or two of them intact.”