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Turtle Island (Lake Erie)
Encyclopedia
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Turtle Island is a remote 1.5 acre (0.607029 ha) island in the western portion of Lake Erie
in the United States
. The island has unique political status, as its ownership is divided between the U.S. state
s of Michigan
and Ohio
, even though the island has no residents or use. The island is located about 5 mi (8 km) northeast of the mouth of the Maumee River
in Maumee Bay
. Today, the island houses several abandoned structures and the ruins of a lighthouse dating back to 1866.
were the first inhabitants of the small island prior to 1800. They used the island primarily to gather seagull eggs. The island was named after Miami chief Mishikinakwa (c. 1747–1812), who was an influential Indian leader in the Northwest Territory
during the American Revolution
. Nicknamed Little Turtle, he later became popular among the American people after dissenting from his native tribe in the pursuit of peace negotiations with the Americans.
The British
operated a small fort on the island around 1794 in defense of the mouth of the Maumee River
, but the fort was soon abandoned. There are conflicting accounts as to who maintained ownership of the island during this time. Local folklore alludes to the belief that the Indians owned the island and used it as a military fort, while others claim the British held control of it until losing it during the War of 1812
. Official accounts of the history of Turtle Island date back to 1827, when the island itself was sold at a government auction in nearby Monroe, Michigan
. Turtle Island was believed to not even be a true island on its own but rather a former extension of Little Cedar Point Peninsula. The island was bought but sold back to the government four years later.
received $5,000 of federal funding from Congress
to build the Turtle Island Lighthouse in 1831. At the time, the island's area was approximately 6.67 acres (2.7 ha), and the island included the lighthouse, the lighthouse keeper
's residence, and a small farm.
Unlike most islands in Lake Erie, Turtle Island consists primarily of clay and gravel deposits and was subjected to constant erosion, which is why some believed it to not be a real island. By 1839, lake storms and waves reduced the island by approximately 77% down to an area of only 1.5 acre (0.607029 ha). The government spent tens-of-thousands of dollars to no avail to prevent the erosion of the island. In 1866, an updated lighthouse costing $12,000 was constructed. It was described as one of the finest lighthouses on the Great Lakes, and its light could be seen up to 14 mi (22.5 km) away. However, the erosion of the island continued to threaten the lighthouse to the point where a 4 ft (1.2 m) tall concrete wall was constructed in 1883 around the lighthouse to prevent crashing waves and erosion from damaging the structure. Constant lake storms bombarded the tiny island. When the nearby Toledo Harbor Light was completed in 1904, the Turtle Island Lighthouse was no longer needed and was decommissioned after having cost the government an untold amount of money to continuously maintain over the past 72 years. During those 72 years, there were no shipwrecks within the vicinity of Turtle Island.
There were two keepers of the lighthouse: Ann Edson (1869–1870) and William Haynes (1875–1904).
reported on the status of the island by saying, “Vandals have wrecked the house, stealing everything that could be salvaged from the structure except the grim, bare walls which stand as a monument to the service this light rendered for nearly half a century.”
In 1933, A. H. Merrill transferred ownership of the island to George Merrill. He signed a lease with the Associated Yacht Club of Toledo
(AYC) for them to build a series of docks and use the island for recreational purposes. However, the AYC ran out of money during the Great Depression
and was forced to abandon their plans for rejuvenating Turtle Island. The AYC attempted to work with the state of Ohio to receive funding to revamp the island, but the state determined the cost of restoring the island would exceed its beneficial use by the public since the island was too small and remote. The AYC abandoned the island in 1937, and the island continued to decay with no improvements. The lighthouse keeper's headquarters were demolished, and the island suffered further damage from strong winds and waves during the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak.
of the Maumee River
was under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Territory
, because the borders originally drawn up for the Northwest Ordinance
of 1787 set a territorial boundary as a straight line from the southernmost edge of Lake Michigan
. When Ohio became the first in the Northwest Territory
to gain statehood in 1803, the state’s northern border did not include this important area, which was later given to the Michigan Territory when it was formally organized in 1805. Turtle Island fell under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Territory, and when the first Turtle Island Light was constructed in 1831, it was within the boundaries of the territory. When Toledo
was founded in 1833, it was part of the Michigan Territory, and the Port of Toledo operated the lighthouse. Because Ohio disputed Michigan's ownership over this area, it led to the heated Toledo War
border dispute
between the Michigan Territory and the state of Ohio for the area known as the Toledo Strip. In late-1836, President Andrew Jackson
intervened on behalf of Ohio and gave the Toledo Strip to Ohio in exchange for Michigan getting the Upper Peninsula
when it became a state soon after on January 26, 1837.
The Toledo Strip and the city of Toledo became part of Ohio, but Turtle Island remained part of the Michigan Territory. The lighthouse was still operated by the Port of Toledo, but the island was still claimed and charted as Michigan territory within Monroe County
. Control of the island was not disputed by either state, and the political status of the island was forgotten after the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1904. The state boundary of Ohio and Michigan remained unchanged from 1837–1973 when the status of Turtle Island was finally recognized and resolved long after tensions over the Toledo War had ended. The Supreme Court intervened, and on February 22, 1973, an agreement was met between the two states. The state lines were redrawn for the last time to cut exactly through the tiny island, while the ruins of the lighthouse itself were included in the Ohio half. The island was divided between Monroe County and Ohio's Lucas County
. This was merely an act of politics, as the island had been abandoned and continually decaying for the past 70 years. The Michigan half fell under the jurisdiction of Erie Township
, while the city of Toledo assumed full control over the other half.
The island remains privately owned, and Turtle Island only has remnants of structures still standing. In February 2002, the owner of the island attempted to build three new buildings on the island with the reported intent of using them for summer vacation rentals. Authorities in Monroe County
issued a decree to stop the construction, because the owner failed to get the building permits to build on the Michigan side of the island. The decree was ignored, but the structures were never completely finished before they were mostly destroyed by large ice packs
during the winter of 2009. Erie Township
, which has jurisdiction over the Michigan half of Turtle Island, has planned to remove the now-destroyed structures from the island and clean up remaining debris. This action has not taken place yet, because the cost of doing so would be too expensive. The township has continually debated on what to do with the island.
The only thing that remains of the 1866 Turtle Island Light is the tower, although the top of the tower was blown off during a tornado on Palm Sunday in 1965, exposing the iron spikes that once held in the place the lantern. Continued efforts at restoring the lighthouse have been unsuccessful. Portions of the concrete wall constructed to originally protect the lighthouse have also eroded away, further exposing the island. Lighthouse Digest
lists the decaying Turtle Island Light as critically endangered on its Doomsday List
of threatened lighthouses. Even though the island is remote, it is currently closed to the public, although it is impossible for this to be enforced.
Turtle Island is a remote 1.5 acre (0.607029 ha) island in the western portion of 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The island has unique political status, as its ownership is divided between 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...
s 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 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...
, even though the island has no residents or use. The island is located about 5 mi (8 km) northeast of the mouth of the Maumee River
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
in Maumee Bay
Maumee Bay
Maumee Bay on Lake Erie is located in the U.S. state of Ohio, just east of the city of Toledo. The bay and the surrounding wetlands form most of the Maumee River basin, and in 1975 part of the area was incorporated into Maumee Bay State Park. The park is not huge, covering , but its wetlands...
. Today, the island houses several abandoned structures and the ruins of a lighthouse dating back to 1866.
History
The Miami tribeMiami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
were the first inhabitants of the small island prior to 1800. They used the island primarily to gather seagull eggs. The island was named after Miami chief Mishikinakwa (c. 1747–1812), who was an influential Indian leader in the Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Nicknamed Little Turtle, he later became popular among the American people after dissenting from his native tribe in the pursuit of peace negotiations with the Americans.
The British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
operated a small fort on the island around 1794 in defense of the mouth of the Maumee River
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
, but the fort was soon abandoned. There are conflicting accounts as to who maintained ownership of the island during this time. Local folklore alludes to the belief that the Indians owned the island and used it as a military fort, while others claim the British held control of it until losing it during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Official accounts of the history of Turtle Island date back to 1827, when the island itself was sold at a government auction in nearby Monroe, Michigan
Monroe, Michigan
Monroe is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,733 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but both are politically independent. The city is located approximately 14 miles ...
. Turtle Island was believed to not even be a true island on its own but rather a former extension of Little Cedar Point Peninsula. The island was bought but sold back to the government four years later.
Turtle Island Light
When the island fell back to government ownership, the newly established Port of ToledoToledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
received $5,000 of federal funding from Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to build the Turtle Island Lighthouse in 1831. At the time, the island's area was approximately 6.67 acres (2.7 ha), and the island included the lighthouse, the lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
's residence, and a small farm.
Unlike most islands in Lake Erie, Turtle Island consists primarily of clay and gravel deposits and was subjected to constant erosion, which is why some believed it to not be a real island. By 1839, lake storms and waves reduced the island by approximately 77% down to an area of only 1.5 acre (0.607029 ha). The government spent tens-of-thousands of dollars to no avail to prevent the erosion of the island. In 1866, an updated lighthouse costing $12,000 was constructed. It was described as one of the finest lighthouses on the Great Lakes, and its light could be seen up to 14 mi (22.5 km) away. However, the erosion of the island continued to threaten the lighthouse to the point where a 4 ft (1.2 m) tall concrete wall was constructed in 1883 around the lighthouse to prevent crashing waves and erosion from damaging the structure. Constant lake storms bombarded the tiny island. When the nearby Toledo Harbor Light was completed in 1904, the Turtle Island Lighthouse was no longer needed and was decommissioned after having cost the government an untold amount of money to continuously maintain over the past 72 years. During those 72 years, there were no shipwrecks within the vicinity of Turtle Island.
There were two keepers of the lighthouse: Ann Edson (1869–1870) and William Haynes (1875–1904).
Early 1900s
With the completion of the Toledo Harbor Light in 1904, the shallower shipping lane around Turtle Island was rerouted to deeper waters, and the lighthouse on Turtle Island was abandoned. Turtle Island Light was officially decommissioned on May 15, 1904. The government removed the components of the lighthouse but left all the structures in place. The island was sold at an auction to A. H. Merrill for $1,650 in December 1904. The island went unused and was subsequently vandalized over the next 30 years. Most of the original structures were completely stripped of their elements. In the late-1920s, the Toledo BladeThe Blade (newspaper)
The Blade is a daily newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, first published on December 19, 1835.- Overview :David Ross Locke gained national fame for the paper during the Civil War era by writing under the pen name Petroleum V. Nasby. Writing under the pen name, Locke wrote satires ranging on topics from...
reported on the status of the island by saying, “Vandals have wrecked the house, stealing everything that could be salvaged from the structure except the grim, bare walls which stand as a monument to the service this light rendered for nearly half a century.”
In 1933, A. H. Merrill transferred ownership of the island to George Merrill. He signed a lease with the Associated Yacht Club of Toledo
Toledo Yacht Club
The Toledo Yacht Club is a private yacht club in Bay View Park, in Toledo, Ohio.The Toledo Yacht Club is located on the Maumee River, at the western end of Lake Erie.-History:The Toledo Yacht Club is among the oldest yacht clubs in North America...
(AYC) for them to build a series of docks and use the island for recreational purposes. However, the AYC ran out of money during the Great Depression
Great Depression in the United States
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement...
and was forced to abandon their plans for rejuvenating Turtle Island. The AYC attempted to work with the state of Ohio to receive funding to revamp the island, but the state determined the cost of restoring the island would exceed its beneficial use by the public since the island was too small and remote. The AYC abandoned the island in 1937, and the island continued to decay with no improvements. The lighthouse keeper's headquarters were demolished, and the island suffered further damage from strong winds and waves during the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak.
Border dispute
The small strip of land surrounding the mouthMouth (water stream)
A river mouth or stream mouth is a part of a stream where it flows into another stream, river, lake, reservoir, sea, or ocean.* River delta* Estuary* Liman...
of the Maumee River
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
was under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Territory
Michigan Territory
The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan...
, because the borders originally drawn up for the Northwest Ordinance
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States, passed July 13, 1787...
of 1787 set a territorial boundary as a straight line from the southernmost edge 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...
. When Ohio became the first in the Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
to gain statehood in 1803, the state’s northern border did not include this important area, which was later given to the Michigan Territory when it was formally organized in 1805. Turtle Island fell under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Territory, and when the first Turtle Island Light was constructed in 1831, it was within the boundaries of the territory. When Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
was founded in 1833, it was part of the Michigan Territory, and the Port of Toledo operated the lighthouse. Because Ohio disputed Michigan's ownership over this area, it led to the heated Toledo War
Toledo War
The Toledo War , also known as the Michigan-Ohio War, was the almost entirely bloodless boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan....
border dispute
Territorial dispute
A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or more states or over the possession or control of land by a new state and occupying power after it has conquered the land from a former state no longer currently recognized by the new state.-Context and...
between the Michigan Territory and the state of Ohio for the area known as the Toledo Strip. In late-1836, President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
intervened on behalf of Ohio and gave the Toledo Strip to Ohio in exchange for Michigan getting the Upper Peninsula
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
when it became a state soon after on January 26, 1837.
The Toledo Strip and the city of Toledo became part of Ohio, but Turtle Island remained part of the Michigan Territory. The lighthouse was still operated by the Port of Toledo, but the island was still claimed and charted as Michigan territory within Monroe County
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
. Control of the island was not disputed by either state, and the political status of the island was forgotten after the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1904. The state boundary of Ohio and Michigan remained unchanged from 1837–1973 when the status of Turtle Island was finally recognized and resolved long after tensions over the Toledo War had ended. The Supreme Court intervened, and on February 22, 1973, an agreement was met between the two states. The state lines were redrawn for the last time to cut exactly through the tiny island, while the ruins of the lighthouse itself were included in the Ohio half. The island was divided between Monroe County and Ohio's Lucas County
Lucas County, Ohio
----...
. This was merely an act of politics, as the island had been abandoned and continually decaying for the past 70 years. The Michigan half fell under the jurisdiction of Erie Township
Erie Township, Michigan
Erie Township is a civil township of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,850 at the 2000 census. The township is served by Mason Consolidated Schools.-Geography:...
, while the city of Toledo assumed full control over the other half.
Current status
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
issued a decree to stop the construction, because the owner failed to get the building permits to build on the Michigan side of the island. The decree was ignored, but the structures were never completely finished before they were mostly destroyed by large ice packs
Drift ice
Drift ice is ice that floats on the surface of the water in cold regions, as opposed to fast ice, which is attached to a shore. Usually drift ice is carried along by winds and sea currents, hence its name, "drift ice"....
during the winter of 2009. Erie Township
Erie Township, Michigan
Erie Township is a civil township of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,850 at the 2000 census. The township is served by Mason Consolidated Schools.-Geography:...
, which has jurisdiction over the Michigan half of Turtle Island, has planned to remove the now-destroyed structures from the island and clean up remaining debris. This action has not taken place yet, because the cost of doing so would be too expensive. The township has continually debated on what to do with the island.
The only thing that remains of the 1866 Turtle Island Light is the tower, although the top of the tower was blown off during a tornado on Palm Sunday in 1965, exposing the iron spikes that once held in the place the lantern. Continued efforts at restoring the lighthouse have been unsuccessful. Portions of the concrete wall constructed to originally protect the lighthouse have also eroded away, further exposing the island. Lighthouse Digest
Lighthouse Digest
Lighthouse Digest is a specialty magazine for lighthouse and maritime history enthusiasts published in East Machias, Maine. Launched in May, 1992, by FogHorn Publishing, it is dedicated to preserving lighthouse history, current and yesteryear, for future generations.-Scope:Coverage includes...
lists the decaying Turtle Island Light as critically endangered on its Doomsday List
Doomsday List
The Doomsday List is a list of endangered lighthouses compiled by Lighthouse Digest magazine. The list usually consists of lighthouses in the United States, Guatemala, and Canada, but occasionally will include sites from other countries as well. Inclusion on the list raises awareness that a...
of threatened lighthouses. Even though the island is remote, it is currently closed to the public, although it is impossible for this to be enforced.
Further reading
- Gardner, B. Ellen. Turtle Island Lighthouse: The Darkened Light. Cornwall, New York: Hawk's Cry Publications, 1997. ISBN 0964967928
- Oleszewski, Wes. Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses. Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998. ISBN 0932212980.
- Turtle Island Light Station, The Keepers' Log, Notice to Keepers Volume 10, Issue 4, Page 40.
- U.S. Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe 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...
. Historically Famous Lighthouses. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1957. - Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia. Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia. Erin, Ontario: Boston Mills Press, 2006. ISBN 1550463993
