Orchard Island is a residential and tourist census-designated place

Census-designated place

A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

 located in Washington

Washington Township, Logan County, Ohio

Washington Township is one of the seventeen townships of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,945 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships:...

 and Stokes

Stokes Township, Logan County, Ohio

Stokes Township is one of the seventeen townships of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 5,367 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northwestern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:...

 Townships, Logan County

Logan County, Ohio

Logan County is a county in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,858. The county seat is Bellefontaine. The county is named for Benjamin Logan, who fought Native Americans in the area....

, 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...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Location

Orchard Island is part of an island chain which encompasses the southeastern shore of Indian Lake

Indian Lake (Ohio)

Indian Lake is a reservoir in Logan County, western Ohio, in the United States. It is approximately 20 mi southeast of Lima...

, north of Russells Point

Russells Point, Ohio

Russells Point is a village located in Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,619 at the 2000 census. It is situated on Indian Lake.-Geography:Russells Point is located at ....

. Orchard being the largest, neighbor islands include Wolfe, Fox, Willow Bank, and Crystal Beach.

History

At the turn of the 20th century, the island was home for several assemblies of the intellectual Chautauqua

Chautauqua

Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with...

 movement beginning in 1910. Notable speakers on the variety circuit who visited the island, among entertainers, included William Jennings Bryan

William Jennings Bryan

William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...

. The island was owned by the Orchard Island Improvement Company during this period in which a hotel was maintained before the island was eventually partitioned and sold to private individuals.

Economy

The island is home to several marinas and aquatic recreation establishments. Real estate accounts for a share of the economic activity, with many estates, chalets, and cottages serving as rental property for tourists during the peak summer season.