Eliza Island
Encyclopedia
Eliza Island is located in the western part of Bellingham Bay
in the state of Washington, USA. It lies just east of the southern part of Lummi Island
, in Whatcom County
. Eliza Island has a land area of 0.571 km² (0.2205 sq mi, or 141.1 acre
s). There was a population of ten persons as of the 2000 census
.
The island was named by Charles Wilkes
during the Wilkes Expedition
of 1838-1842. One of the few names given by Wilkes that does not honor either members of his crew or American naval officers, Eliza refers to Francisco de Eliza
, the Spanish commander of a 1791 expedition to the Pacific Northwest. It may be that Wilkes named the island for his daughter or his sister, both named Eliza.
The south end of Eliza island is home to commercial and recreational crabbing.
Eliza Island has a small airstrip that can only be used during daylight hours, and one dock which is used strictly for loading and unloading. It is a private island with only approximately 3 people that live there year round. Private generators provide electricity, a water desalinization system is used to provide water to the residents. Only people who are 55 or older or disabled are allowed to use motor transportation such as a Gator or golf cart, everyone else can only go by foot or perhaps by bicycle. There is a designated swimming beach on the south side of the island where the beach is sandy and somewhat shallow.
Bellingham Bay
Bellingham Bay is a bay located on the northern Pacific coast of Washington state in the United States. It is separated from the Strait of Georgia on the west by the Lummi Peninsula, Portage Island, and Lummi Island. It is bordered on the east by Bellingham, Washington, to the south-east by the...
in the state of Washington, USA. It lies just east of the southern part of Lummi Island
Lummi Island
Lummi Island lies at the southwest corner of Whatcom County, Washington, USA, between the mainland part of the county and offshore San Juan County. The Lummi Indian Reservation is situated on a peninsula east of the island, but does not include Lummi Island. The island has a land area of...
, in Whatcom County
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." As of 2010, the population was 201,140. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city...
. Eliza Island has a land area of 0.571 km² (0.2205 sq mi, or 141.1 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s). There was a population of ten persons as of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
The island was named by Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...
during the Wilkes Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
of 1838-1842. One of the few names given by Wilkes that does not honor either members of his crew or American naval officers, Eliza refers to Francisco de Eliza
Francisco de Eliza
Francisco de Eliza y Reventa was a Spanish naval officer, navigator, and explorer. He is remembered mainly for his work in the Pacific Northwest...
, the Spanish commander of a 1791 expedition to the Pacific Northwest. It may be that Wilkes named the island for his daughter or his sister, both named Eliza.
The south end of Eliza island is home to commercial and recreational crabbing.
Eliza Island has a small airstrip that can only be used during daylight hours, and one dock which is used strictly for loading and unloading. It is a private island with only approximately 3 people that live there year round. Private generators provide electricity, a water desalinization system is used to provide water to the residents. Only people who are 55 or older or disabled are allowed to use motor transportation such as a Gator or golf cart, everyone else can only go by foot or perhaps by bicycle. There is a designated swimming beach on the south side of the island where the beach is sandy and somewhat shallow.
External links
- http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-context=dt&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-CONTEXT=dt&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_P001&-tree_id=4001&-transpose=N&-redoLog=false&-all_geo_types=N&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001000&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001001&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001002&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001003&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001004&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001005&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001006&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001007&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001008&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001009&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001010&-geo_id=100$10000US530730109001011&-search_results=15000US530730109001&-_showChild=Y&-format=&-_lang=en&-show_geoid=YEliza Island: Blocks 1000 thru 1011, Census Tract 109, Whatcom County, Washington] United States Census Bureau
- Aerial photo