Tuxis Island facts for kids
Tuxis Island, sometimes spelled Tunxis, is a small island located about 1029 feet (314 meters) off the coast of Madison in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The island is about 3.42 acres (1.38 hectares) in size and is mostly covered with trees. Tuxis Island rises about 16 feet (5 meters) above the sea.
This island was shaped by huge sheets of ice called glaciers long ago. You can still see signs of them, like special holes in the rocks called glacial potholes and small boulders on the south side. Tuxis Island is mostly made of granite, just like many other islands nearby. There is also some sand on the island.
Two other islands, Gull Rock and Round Rock, are quite close to Tuxis Island. Madison Reef is also nearby to the south. These landforms are sometimes thought of as part of the Thimble Islands. The name Tuxis comes from old Native American words, Tuxisshoag and Tuckshishoag.
To protect the many types of birds that build their nests there, Tuxis Island is closed to visitors without special permission from May to August each year. A road in Madison, Connecticut, called Tuxis Road, was also named after the island.
Island's Past
The very first people to live on Tuxis Island were the Hammonasset people. Over many years, Tuxis Island has had different owners, starting way back in 1674. Today, it is owned by the Madison Beach Club and a company that collects shellfish.
From 1901 to 1910, the New Haven YMCA ran a summer camp called Camp Jewell on the island. In 1914, a government official named Thomas L. Reilly asked for a breakwater to be built. A breakwater is a wall built in the water to protect a harbor from waves. He wanted it to go from the west side of Tuxis Island to Round Rock and then towards the Madison Wharf.
Nature on Tuxis Island
Most of the animals you can see on Tuxis Island are birds. About fifteen different kinds of birds build their nests there. These include geese, egrets, herons, seagulls, ospreys, and oystercatchers. You might also find some smaller mammals, amphibians (like frogs), and reptiles (like snakes or lizards) living here. The waters around the island are home to several types of fish. Shellfish and other small sea creatures without backbones can be found living on and around Tuxis Island too.
The trees on Tuxis Island are mostly deciduous, which means they lose their leaves in the fall. You might also see a few evergreen trees. The ground is covered with grasses, ferns, mosses, and small bushes. Many types of algae grow on the rocks in the water around the island. You can also find fungi here because the sea spray and tree cover make the island cool and damp.
Island Folklore
The Algonquin have a special story about how Tuxis Island was made. They say a giant named Odziozo scooped up a handful of rocks from the mainland. He then threw them into the Sound. The rocks became Tuxis Island. The big splash that happened when the rocks landed filled up the hole left on the mainland, creating Tuxis Pond.
Another rock fell from Odziozo's hand and became Samson Rock. The story says that when Odziozo turned to go home, he stepped on Samson Rock. This left a large footprint-shaped dent in the rock. Later, European settlers who came to the area connected this same legend to Samson from the Bible, which is how the rock got its name.
