Ballast Island facts for kids
Ballast Island is a small, private island in Lake Erie. It's about a quarter of a mile (0.4 km) northeast of South Bass Island. Boats often use it as a landmark when heading to or from Put-in-Bay from the east. There are shallow areas between Ballast and South Bass islands. However, there's a safe path through them, which locals call "the wagon tracks."
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What is Ballast Island?
Ballast Island is a very small piece of land, only about 4.89 square kilometers (1.89 square miles). It's not open to the public because it's owned by private families. It's known for its history and its role in helping boats navigate Lake Erie.
How Did Ballast Island Get Its Name?
The island got its name from a famous story. Legend says that Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry used rocks from this island. He needed them to "ballast" his ships. Ballasting means adding weight to the bottom of a ship to make it more stable in the water. This happened during the War of 1812.
Who Owned Ballast Island?
Ballast Island has a long history of ownership. In 1869, Joseph de Rivera St. Jurgo sold the island to Lemuel Brown. Lemuel Brown was a man of Erie Native American heritage. His family claimed ownership of many islands in the area.
The Gardner Family and Early Development
In 1874, a well-known man named George William Gardner bought Ballast Island from Lemuel Brown. Commodore Gardner was a famous person from Cleveland, Ohio. He even served as the Mayor of Cleveland from 1886 to 1890. He also loved boating and founded the Cleveland Yacht Club in 1878. He later started the Inter Lake Yachting Association in 1884. In 1981, he was honored in the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.
After buying the island, Commodore Gardner sold parts of it to his friends. These friends included Henry Corning, Will Claflin, and Civil War General James Barnett. They all had the right to build cottages there. This made Ballast Island a special place where wealthy families shared ownership.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Ballast Island was a busy place. A large hotel and a dining hall were built high on the cliffs. A windmill provided water, and special lamps gave light. Many cottages were built along the east and west shores. The Gardner Log Cabin was also built, and the Gardner family has lived in it for many generations.
Famous Visitors and Island Life
In the 1890s and early 1900s, a boathouse stood on the southeast side of Ballast Island. This boathouse was the home of the Longworth Canoe Club. The club was named after Nicholas Longworth. He was the father-in-law of Alice Roosevelt, who was President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter.
Many important people visited Ballast Island during this time. Four United States Presidents came to the island:
- Theodore Roosevelt
- William McKinley
- James Garfield
- Grover Cleveland
Ballast Island Through the Years
During the 1930s, a time known as the Great Depression, fewer people used Ballast Island. This was because it became too expensive for many families. However, in the 1930s and 1940s, large passenger boats like the Goodtime, Put-in-Bay, and Chippewa started bringing friends to the island again. This helped Ballast Island become lively once more.
Changes in Ownership
In the 1950s, some of the original owners of Ballast Island passed away. However, a special agreement about property ownership, called a partition deed, kept the island together. This was because one of the original signers, Constance "Kiki" Gardner, was still alive.
In 1958, Constance Gardner Moore, one of Kiki's daughters, bought property from another owner, Roseanne Gilmore. This made the Moore family part owners of Ballast Island. Around the same time, a businessperson from Cleveland bought two other sections of the island that were for sale.
