Sat, Jul 20
|Les Voigt State Fish Hatchery
R. D. Pike Building Kickoff & Memorial Plaque Ceremony
The Friends of R.D. Pike Building, Inc., are holding their inaugural event on July 20th, 2024 at the Les Voigt State Fish Hatchery property located at 83875 State Hwy 13 in Bayfield, Wisconsin.
Time & Location
Jul 20, 2024, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM CDT
Les Voigt State Fish Hatchery, 83875 State Hwy 13, Bayfield, WI 54814, USA
About the event
Festivities will be held from 2 to 4p.m. and will include an introductory speech as well as the setting of a memorial plaque dedicated to Mr. Robinson Derling Pike. Mr. Pike was the major donator of land and provided political impetus for the transfer. Mr. Pike sold the property to the Commissioners of Fisheries of the State of Wisconsin on October 10, 1896.
The original R D Pike Building that served as hatchery headquarters, a personal residence for various hatchery superintendents and their families, and as a greeting area for visitors, still stands. This magnificent structure, gardens and grounds require major restoration and renovation. Â This is where the Friends of R D Pike Building come in.
Friends of R D Pike Building was incorporated in 2023 and is a certified 501c3 non-profit. The groups goals include a complete restoration and rehabilitation of behind the hatchery operations that are vital to Wisconsin and the nation. The group is actively fundraising to assist in the renovation, with the oversight and partnership of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to see the wonderful building return to its original glory.
The Pike family sold the expansive property to the State of the original structure, ultimately being able to use the facility and campus for educational events and interactive presentation to children and adults concerning the history, process and people Wisconsin in 1896 for $1 for the perpetual usage as a fish propagation site. The current Lake Superior hatchery operations now reside in a newer building on the grounds. The original building is still used to rear fish that are stocked inland.