North Bass Island facts for kids
North Bass Island as viewed from Middle Bass Island.
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Map of the Bass Islands.
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Lake Erie |
| Archipelago |
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| Area | 688.6 acres (278.7 ha) |
| Administration | |
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United States
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| State | Ohio |
| County | Ottawa |
| Township | Put-in-Bay |
| Largest Community | Isle Saint George, Ohio |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 8 (2018) |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| • Summer (DST) |
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North Bass Island is a cool island in Lake Erie, part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It's home to a tiny community called Isle Saint George. This small place even has its own post office, which started way back in 1864! The island is located about the same distance from Port Clinton, Ohio, and Kingsville, Ontario, Canada.
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Discover North Bass Island
North Bass Island is about 688 acres big. That's like 688 football fields! What makes it special is that it hasn't been built up with lots of businesses or homes. The state of Ohio actually bought most of the island, about 589 acres, to keep it natural. This area is now called North Bass Island State Park.
Island History and Population
For a long time, North Bass Island was mostly used for growing grapes in vineyards. Not many people live here. In 2000, only 13 people lived on the island all year round. By 2007, there were about two dozen permanent residents living on just 12 private properties. It's a very quiet place!
Getting to North Bass Island
North Bass Island has a small airport called North Bass Island Airport. It has a paved runway that's about 1,804 feet long. Flying here can be tricky because the Canadian border is less than two miles from the runway! The airport runway was improved in 2019 to make it safer for planes.
The island does not have regular ferry service for people. However, it has had a dock since 1880 that is used for commercial boats, especially for grape farming. This dock was also updated in 2019 to make sure it could still be used by these important vessels.
The Famous One-Room Schoolhouse
North Bass Island was once home to Ohio's very last public one-room school! The North Bass Island School stopped operating in 2005, but it's still kept as a historical center. This school was special because it was the only one-room schoolhouse on an island in Ohio.
Kids who lived on North Bass Island and wanted to go to high school had to fly to the mainland or another island. They would attend high schools in places like Put-in-Bay, Port Clinton, or Sandusky. It shows how dedicated these students and their families were to getting an education! The school building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.
Geography of North Bass Island
North Bass Island is the second largest and the most northern island in the Bass Islands group. These islands are part of a bigger group called the Lake Erie Islands archipelago. On the southwest side of the island, there's a small bay called Manila Bay. A tiny unnamed creek flows out from this bay. The island is part of Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio.
Historical Claims and Disputes
North Bass Island has been part of some interesting history. It was involved in a border dispute between the United Kingdom during the Battle of Lake Erie. More recently, in 2006, a part of the island was claimed by the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma.
