Middle Bass Island
Encyclopedia
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 Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, located in Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
. A small town, Middle Bass
Middle Bass, Ohio
Middle Bass is an unincorporated community in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. It is the only town on Middle Bass Island in Lake Erie. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43446....
, lies on the island. The 805-acre (3.258 km²) island is shaped like the Big Dipper
Ursa Major
Ursa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April...
and is one of three Bass Islands
Bass Islands
The Bass Islands are three American islands in the western half of Lake Erie. They are north of Sandusky, Ohio and south of Pelee Island, Ontario. South Bass Island is the largest of the islands, followed closely by North Bass Island and Middle Bass Island . They are located in Ottawa County in...
located at the center of a group of 23 smaller islands.
Some of its more famous neighbors are South Bass Island
South Bass Island
South Bass Island is a small island in western Lake Erie, and a part of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. It is the southernmost of the three Bass Islands and located 12 miles from the south shore of Lake Erie. It is the third largest island in the Lake Erie Islands. The island is a popular...
, with the town of Put-in-Bay
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Put-in-Bay is a village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. Many believe that the name originates from some early maps of South Bass Island that showed the harbor being named Pudding Bay, probably because it was shaped like a pudding sack. The...
, Kelleys Island, and Pelee Island. The island has a year-round population of 95 residents (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...
). Seasonal population surges to near 1,500 residents during the summer.
History
The island was landed upon by French explorer, Robert La Salle, in 1679. The abundance of wildflowers on the island impressed La Salle and his crew so much that they appropriately named it Isle des Fleures, the Floral Island. It would retain this name for the next 200 years until it was acquired by a German count in 1856. With the aid of immigrant German workers, the island was used for grape cultivation. This proved to be a very successful undertaking. Old aerial photos of the island (and its neighbor, North Bass IslandNorth Bass Island
North Bass Island is an island of the U.S. state of Ohio located in Lake Erie. A small unincorporated community, Isle Saint George, is on the island. The North Bass Island Post Office was established on May 25, 1864, and the name changed to Isle Saint George Post Office on March 2, 1874...
) show the majority of the island covered with neat rows of grapevines.
By 1875, Middle Bass Island's Golden Eagle Winery was reputed to be the largest wine producer in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Lonz family acquired the business in 1884 and owned and operated it until the death of George Lonz in 1968. Lonz Winery has often been compared with the wineries of the German Rhineland. The old castle-like structure has been visited by countless dignitaries including five American Presidents. The winery is now part of a corporation bearing the Lonz name. Since 1979, the wines have been made by Italian enologist Claudio Salvador.
On July 1, 2000 tragedy struck the Lonz Winery when a terrace collapsed leaving one dead and dozens injured.
Lonz Winery was purchased by the state of Ohio and Middle Bass Island State Park established 2001.
Tourism
In contrast to neighboring Put-In-Bay, Middle Bass is far less crowded and overtly "touristy." In addition to the State Park, the Island also has a restaurant/bar, J.F. Walleye's, and a small resort, St. Hazard's. A reasonable selection of food, some clothing and common hardware items are available at Eddies General Store in the center of the island.Middle Bass is serviced by the Miller Boat Line from Catawba Island and the Middle Bass Ferry Line from Put-In-Bay. It is common to use Middle Bass as a lower cost/less crowded base and then take the Sonny S (sole ship of the Middle Bass Ferry Line) to Put-In-Bay for the day. There is also an airport with a 1852 foot runway with commercial air-taxi service.