High Island (Michigan)
Encyclopedia
High Island is an island
in Lake Michigan
and is part of the Beaver Island
archipelago. It is 3495 acres (14.1 km²) in size. The island is owned by the U.S. state
of Michigan
and is managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources as part of the Beaver Islands State Wildlife Management Area.
High Island got its name from a large, perched sand dune on the western side of the island. The sand, blown by the lake's prevailing winds
, has piled up into a sand dune
elevated 780 feet (238 m) above sea level, or 199 feet (61 m) above the level of Lake Michigan
.
The island is currently uninhabited. It lies approximately four miles (6 km) west of the much larger Beaver Island.
-cutting and truck farm
operation run in 1912-1927 by the House of David, a millenarian
sect based in Benton Harbor, Michigan
. The High Island farm grew large quantities of potato
es and other root crops much valued by the House of David congregation, who were vegetarians
.
The House of David http://www.houseofdavidmuseum.com/parktour/traindepotsouth.htm era created intense interest among gentile neighbors, partly because members of the sect had been required to take a vow of celibacy
prior to admission. The group largely abandoned its High Island operations in 1927 as the result of a sexual scandal involving sect leader Benjamin Purnell. The House of David population of High Island, at its peak, contained 120 to 150 persons, who lived in a village near High Island Bay on the east side of the island.
Before, during, and after the House of David era, High Island was the home of several extended families of Ottawa
(Odawa) Native Americans
, who were fishermen
. The island supported a public school as late as 1936. However, fish yield in the Beaver Island archipelago began dropping sharply in the 1930s, and after the Armistice Day Blizzard
of 1940, the remaining Odawa moved to Beaver Island.
nesting sites for the endangered piping plover
.
Many tern
s breed on a sandspit on the northeast corner of the island.
High Island was logged shortly after this 1856 incident, thereby removing a landmark vital to the recovery of the alleged treasure. As of 1987 the treasure had not been recovered.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
and is part of the Beaver Island
Beaver Island (Lake Michigan)
Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan and part of the Beaver Island archipelago. Once home to a unique American monarchy, the island is now a popular tourist and vacation destination....
archipelago. It is 3495 acres (14.1 km²) in size. The island is owned by the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and is managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources as part of the Beaver Islands State Wildlife Management Area.
High Island got its name from a large, perched sand dune on the western side of the island. The sand, blown by the lake's prevailing winds
Prevailing winds
Prevailing winds are winds that blow predominantly from a single general direction over a particular point on Earth's surface. The dominant winds are the trends in direction of wind with the highest speed over a particular point on the Earth's surface. A region's prevailing and dominant winds...
, has piled up into a sand dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
elevated 780 feet (238 m) above sea level, or 199 feet (61 m) above the level of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
.
The island is currently uninhabited. It lies approximately four miles (6 km) west of the much larger Beaver Island.
History
High Island was the home of a timberLumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
-cutting and truck farm
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
operation run in 1912-1927 by the House of David, a millenarian
Millenarianism
Millenarianism is the belief by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming major transformation of society, after which all things will be changed, based on a one-thousand-year cycle. The term is more generically used to refer to any belief centered around 1000 year intervals...
sect based in Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
. The High Island farm grew large quantities of potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es and other root crops much valued by the House of David congregation, who were vegetarians
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
.
The House of David http://www.houseofdavidmuseum.com/parktour/traindepotsouth.htm era created intense interest among gentile neighbors, partly because members of the sect had been required to take a vow of celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
prior to admission. The group largely abandoned its High Island operations in 1927 as the result of a sexual scandal involving sect leader Benjamin Purnell. The House of David population of High Island, at its peak, contained 120 to 150 persons, who lived in a village near High Island Bay on the east side of the island.
Before, during, and after the House of David era, High Island was the home of several extended families of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
(Odawa) Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, who were fishermen
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
. The island supported a public school as late as 1936. However, fish yield in the Beaver Island archipelago began dropping sharply in the 1930s, and after the Armistice Day Blizzard
Armistice Day Blizzard
The Armistice Day Blizzard took place in the Midwest region of the United States on 11 November and 12 November 1940...
of 1940, the remaining Odawa moved to Beaver Island.
Biology
High Island's Great Sand Bay, on the western side of the island, is one of the last suitable Great LakesGreat Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
nesting sites for the endangered piping plover
Piping Plover
The Piping Plover is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black ring around the neck...
.
Many tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
s breed on a sandspit on the northeast corner of the island.
Folklore
The royal treasury of the Kingdom of Beaver Island, ruled by James Jesse Strang until he was shot in June 1856, is thought by some to have been secreted on High Island. After Strang was badly wounded by an assassin, he was taken to Wisconsin for medical treatment, and it is thought that one of Strang's followers secreted the treasure at that time. Strang's care was not successful, and the crowned king of Beaver Island died of his wounds. The treasure is said to be have been buried 30 paces from a "large tree", easily noticeable in 1856 from its prominent location overlooking the island's northeast harbor.High Island was logged shortly after this 1856 incident, thereby removing a landmark vital to the recovery of the alleged treasure. As of 1987 the treasure had not been recovered.
Resources
Ramon Nelson's illustrated history book "Island Life, Island Toil: The House of David on High Island" (Sarah Jennings Press, 1990) provides some insights into House of David life on High Island.External links
- High Island, Michigan DNR