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Rock Island (Wisconsin)
Encyclopedia
Rock Island is a wooded island off the tip of Wisconsin's
Door Peninsula
at the mouth of Green Bay. The 974.87 acres (394.5 ha) uninhabited island is almost entirely owned by the Wisconsin DNR
, which maintains Rock Island State Park
. It is the northernmost part of the Town of Washington
.
Rock Island was originally settled by Native Americans
. European
explorers and missionaries
used it as one of several stops along the Grand Traverse route between upper Michigan
and Wisconsin. The island was home to the first permanent European settlement on the Door peninsula, a small fishing village on the eastern shore. The settlers later relocated to nearby Washington Island
, leaving the original village abandoned. On the North shore of the island you can still find the grave markers of some of the original villagers.
The island became a navigational landmark in 1836 following the construction of the Potawatomi Lighthouse
on the northern tip.
In 1910 wealthy inventor Chester Thordarson
purchased 775 acres (313.6 ha) of the island. 30 acres (12.1 ha) on the southwest side of the island were cleared in 1920 and Thordarson began construction of a summer estate. His large boathouse, which is decorated in with characters from the Norse Runic alphabet, is open to the public.
The Wisconsin DNR purchased the island and buildings from Thordarson's heirs in 1965. Today the only other landholder on the island is the US Coast Guard
, which maintains an automated navigation light
near the old lighthouse
.
In the summer, lighthouse keepers stay for a week at a time, and live in the lighthouse giving tours. There is no running water or electricity in the lighthouse, but a heater in one room of the lighthouse is heated by propane for the keepers.
from Washington Island. No vehicles, including bicycles, are permitted on the island.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
Door Peninsula
Door Peninsula
The Door Peninsula is a peninsula in eastern Wisconsin, separating the southern part of the Green Bay from Lake Michigan. The peninsula begins in northern Brown and Kewaunee counties and proceeds northeast to include all of Door County. It is the western portion of the Niagara Escarpment. Well...
at the mouth of Green Bay. The 974.87 acres (394.5 ha) uninhabited island is almost entirely owned by the Wisconsin DNR
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is an agency of the state of Wisconsin. Its purpose is to preserve, protect, manage and maintain the natural resources of the state. The WDNR has the authority to set policy for itself and to recommend regulations for approval by the State Legislature...
, which maintains Rock Island State Park
Rock Island State Park (Wisconsin)
Rock Island State Park is a Wisconsin state park located on Rock Island, off the tip of the Door Peninsula in Lake Michigan. The only public transportation to the island is by the passenger ferry "Karfi" from Washington Island. However, there is mooring/dock space for people with their own...
. It is the northernmost part of the Town of Washington
Washington, Door County, Wisconsin
Washington is a town in northern Door County, Wisconsin, United States, with a population of 660 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Detroit Harbor and Washington are located in the town....
.
History
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...
. European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
explorers and missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
used it as one of several stops along the Grand Traverse route between upper 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 Wisconsin. The island was home to the first permanent European settlement on the Door peninsula, a small fishing village on the eastern shore. The settlers later relocated to nearby Washington Island
Washington Island (Wisconsin)
Washington Island is located about 7 miles northeast of the tip of Door Peninsula in Door County, Wisconsin. The island has a year-round population of 660 people . It has a land area of 60.89 km² and comprises over 92 percent of the land area of the town of Washington, as well as all of its...
, leaving the original village abandoned. On the North shore of the island you can still find the grave markers of some of the original villagers.
The island became a navigational landmark in 1836 following the construction of the Potawatomi Lighthouse
Potawatomi Lighthouse
Pottawatomie Lighthouse, also known as the Rock Island Light, is located in Rock Island State Park, on Rock Island in Door County, Wisconsin. Established in 1836, it is the oldest light station in Wisconsin and on Lake Michigan...
on the northern tip.
In 1910 wealthy inventor Chester Thordarson
Chester Thordarson
Chester Hjortur Thordarson — born Hjörtur Þórðarson — was an Icelandic-American inventor who eventually held nearly a hundred patents. He was instrumental in the development of the modern energy transmission grid with his work in transformers. He achieved his first distinction at the 1904 World's...
purchased 775 acres (313.6 ha) of the island. 30 acres (12.1 ha) on the southwest side of the island were cleared in 1920 and Thordarson began construction of a summer estate. His large boathouse, which is decorated in with characters from the Norse Runic alphabet, is open to the public.
The Wisconsin DNR purchased the island and buildings from Thordarson's heirs in 1965. Today the only other landholder on the island is the US Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, which maintains an automated navigation light
Navigation light
A navigation light is a colored source of illumination on an aircraft, spacecraft, or waterborne vessel, used to signal a craft's position, heading, and status...
near the old lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
.
Lighthouse
The Rock Island Lighthouse was one of several the government had constructed at the time, and the woodworking around the door frames and windows are from these plans. The main structure is two stories, four including the basement and lantern room. The main two floors have walls of foot-thick limestone surrounding them, but the lantern room is only surrounded by wood. There is also a summer kitchen, where the lighthouse keepers would cook in the summer so the rest of the house wouldn't get too hot. This room is today used for a gift shop, makeshift kitchen, and a place to take your shoes off before touring the lighthouse.In the summer, lighthouse keepers stay for a week at a time, and live in the lighthouse giving tours. There is no running water or electricity in the lighthouse, but a heater in one room of the lighthouse is heated by propane for the keepers.
Plant Life
Rock Island has flowers such as Trillium, Jack in the Pulpit, and Lady's Slipper in abundance, and other plants, such as cow parsnip and poison ivy, also grow there. Indian paintbrush can also be found.Transportation
Rock Island can be reached via passenger ferryFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
from Washington Island. No vehicles, including bicycles, are permitted on the island.
Sources
- Wisconsin DNR publication PUB-PR-136 98rev.
- http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-show_geoid=Y&-tree_id=4001&-_caller=geoselect&-context=dt&-errMsg=&-all_geo_types=N&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_P001&-redoLog=false&-transpose=N&-search_map_config=|b=50|l=en|t=4001|zf=0.0|ms=sel_00dec|dw=0.14220362683109156|dh=0.07567039374579135|dt=gov.census.aff.domain.map.EnglishMapExtent|if=gif|cx=-86.81761578743385|cy=45.41486453547703|zl=4|pz=4|bo=318:317:316:314:313:323:319|bl=362:393:358:357:356:355:354|ft=350:349:335:389:388:332:331|fl=381:403:204:380:369:379:368|g=06000US5502983600&-PANEL_ID=p_dt_geo_map&-_lang=en&-geo_id=100$10000US550299801002001&-CONTEXT=dt&-format=&-search_results=15000US550299801002&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_URock Island: Block 2001, Block Group 2, Census Tract 9801, Door County, Wisconsin] United States Census Bureau