▁and ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁service , ▁he ▁trained ▁on ▁the ▁U . S . S . ▁Hart ford ▁and ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁Naval ▁Hospital ▁in ▁Ann apolis , ▁Maryland . ▁He ▁tra ve led ▁extens ively ▁while ▁in ▁the ▁service . ▁ ▁After ▁his ▁st int ▁in ▁the ▁Navy , ▁Dom ke ▁returned ▁home ▁to ▁Michigan ▁and ▁worked ▁on ▁the ▁family ▁farm . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁Dom ke ▁married ▁a ▁local ▁woman , ▁L ora ▁Sch ult z . ▁The ▁couple ▁lived ▁in ▁Detroit ▁for ▁a ▁while ▁and ▁Dom ke ▁found ▁work ▁in ▁a ▁painting ▁firm ▁that ▁special ized ▁in ▁decor ating ▁churches . ▁During ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression , ▁the ▁company ▁fol ded ▁and ▁Dom ke ▁found ▁himself ▁out ▁of ▁work . ▁He ▁purchased ▁some ▁sw amp y ▁a cre age ▁outside ▁O ss ine ke ▁to ▁set ▁into ▁motion ▁his ▁dream ▁of ▁self - emp loyment . ▁ ▁Dom ke ▁initially ▁opened ▁a ▁gas ▁station ▁on ▁his ▁land , ▁as ▁it ▁ab utt ed ▁U . S . ▁ 2 3 , ▁and ▁added ▁some ▁tour ist ▁cab ins . ▁However , ▁his ▁main ▁goal ▁was ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁natural ▁history ▁park . ▁Dom ke ▁stated ▁that , ▁" our ▁country ▁has ▁very ▁elaborate ▁and ▁expensive ▁zo os ▁of ▁our ▁present ▁animal ▁life , ▁but ▁of ▁pre histor ic ▁life , ▁although ▁much ▁has ▁been ▁found , ▁only ▁a ▁little ▁has ▁been ▁placed ▁before ▁the ▁general ▁public ." ▁So ▁starting ▁in ▁ 1