Washington Island (Wisconsin) facts for kids

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Washington Island

Washington Island Location in Wisconsin Show map of Wisconsin Washington Island Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Geography
Location	Door County, Wisconsin
Coordinates	45°22′37″N 86°53′47″W / 45.376991°N 86.896362°W / 45.376991; -86.896362
Area	23.51 sq mi (60.9 km2)
Length	6 mi (10 km)
Width	5 mi (8 km)
Highest elevation	705 ft (214.9 m)
Administration
United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Door County
Town	Washington Island
Demographics
Population	708 (2010)

Washington Island

Washington Island is an island of the state of Wisconsin situated in Lake Michigan. Lying about 7 miles (11 km) northeast of the tip of the Door Peninsula, it is part of Door County, Wisconsin. The island has a year-round population of 708 people according to the 2010 census. It has a land area of 60.9 km² (23.51 sq mi) and comprises over 92 percent of the land area of the town of Washington, as well as all of its population. The unincorporated community of Detroit Harbor is situated on the island. It is the largest in a group of islands that includes Plum, Detroit, Hog, Pilot, Fish, and Rock Islands. These islands form the Town of Washington. Detroit Harbor bay is on the south side of the island. A large part of Washington Island's economy is based on tourism.

Washington Island is approximately 5 miles (8 km) wide by 6 miles (10 km) long. Together with the Door Peninsula, Washington Island forms a treacherous strait that connects Green Bay to the rest of Lake Michigan. Early French explorers named this water way, now littered with shipwrecks, Porte des Morts, which literally means "Door of the Dead" or, more colloquially, "Death's Door", giving both Door County and Door Peninsula their names.

History

Washington Island is one of a string of islands (which are an outcropping of the Niagara Escarpment) stretching across the entrance of Green Bay from the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin to the Garden Peninsula in Michigan. Its earliest known name is "Wassekiganeso", an Ojibwa name that translates to "his breast is shining" and apparently refers to the glint of the sun that at times reflects off the limestone cliffs.

The earliest records and maps of the French, with whom written history of the region begins, do not name the individual islands, but refer to them all as a group. The names chosen depended on which group of Native Americans they found on the islands at the time. The most common name from after 1650 to 1816 was the Potawatomi Islands (various spellings exist). The Potawatomi appear to have first come to especially the southern islands in the string about 1641 (at which time they may figure into the naming of Porte des Morts), then left the area for a while, and then returned again and remained there for a considerable length of time. The French form of this name (also variously spelled) is l'Isle des Poux, based on a shortened form of the tribe's name. This shortened form also appears as "Pous" and is at times erroneously confused with Puans, which refers to the Winnebago. At times the French used the latter portion of the tribe's name, "Pou_a louse", resulting in Louse Islands.

Before 1800, however, a few other names were applied to these islands. The Jesuit Records of 1670-1672 refer to them as the Huron Islands. Other records of the time refer to them as the Noquet Islands, named for the small band of Ojibwa that lived in the area of what is now called Big Bay de Noc, as well as, for a time, on Washington Island. Jonathan Carver, who traveled the area in the late 18th century, called them, simply, the Islands of the Grand Traverse.

In July 1816, Col. John Miller was in charge of garrisoning a new fort at the head of Green Bay to be called Fort Howard. A small fleet of three schooners and one sloop sailed from Mackinac. They were the sloop Amelia and the schooners Wayne, Mink, and Washington, the last being the largest and flagship of the fleet, as well as, reportedly, the largest vessel on the lakes at the time. The fleet was separated en route, and the Washington anchored in what is now Washington Harbor to wait for the others. With two days of waiting, some of the crew did some exploring on the island, and the officers, assuming theirs was the first ship to anchor there, named the harbor after the ship and in honor of President Washington, who had recently died. They also began naming the various islands in the area after significant members of their party, with the name of Col. John Miller being honored on the largest island as Millers Island. Other members of the party included Maj. Talbot Chambers, John O'Fallon, and Joseph Kean. Chambers Island retains its name today, while Keans Island and Fallons Island are now called Rock and Detroit Islands, respectively.

Not every map maker or journalist, however, knew of or paid attention to this. The names of Potawatomi and Louse continued to be used by many for many years (with a continued variety of spellings). At times Potawatomi was applied to the main island; sometimes to what is now Rock Island. At times the main island is totally missing from the map. When the lighthouse was built on Rock Island, it was called Potawatomi Light, the name it has retained. While a few maps did chart either [?]ellens or Mellens Island (a possible corruption of Miller), the settlement of the island began with the fishers and craftsmen living around Washington Harbor. A large non-Native American presence really didn't begin until the 1830s, when settlers on their way to Green Bay heard of larger-than-usual sized trouts. Most of these settlers were Icelandic and Irish. These commonly called the whole island by the name of their harbor and in the census of 1850, "Washington Island" appears. After that, both Potawatomi Islands, and Potawatomi Island soon fell out of use.

Most of the people who settled on the island were Scandinavian immigrants, especially Icelanders. Today, Washington Island is one of the oldest Icelandic communities in the United States and among the largest outside Iceland itself.

Culture

A majority of the people who settled on the island were Scandinavian immigrants, especially Icelanders. Today, Washington Island is one of the oldest Icelandic communities in the United States and among the largest outside Iceland itself. Because of a loophole exploited during Prohibition by the owner of Nelsen's Hall (one of the few bars on the island at the time), taking shots of Angostura Bitters is a local tradition. Washington Island's population consumes more bitters than anyone else in the world.

From 1896 to 1926, the economist Thorstein Veblen spent summers at his study cabin on Washington Island. On the island he learned Icelandic, which allowed him to write articles accepted by an Icelandic newspaper and translate the Laxdæla saga into English.

In 1914, Washington Island was the setting for a juvenile fiction novel by Harry Lincoln Sayler under the pen name "Gordon Stuart".

Modern day

Washington Island hosts the Midwest region's largest lavender farm, accompanied by a biennial festival held in summer. Two town parks, one county park, two town beaches, one public boat ramp, and three State Natural Areas dot the island. A fine arts school, the Sievers School of Fiber Arts, also calls the island home. There is one commercial fisherman on the island.

Climate

Transportation

Washington Island is served by two ferry routes. The first route is to take a 30-minute ferry ride from the Door Peninsula to Detroit Harbor on the island from a freight, automobile, and passenger ferry that departs daily from the Northport Pier at the northern terminus of Wisconsin Highway 42. The second route is a passenger-only ferry that departs from the unincorporated community of Gills Rock on a 20-minute route, which includes an optional bundled narrated train tour upon arriving on Washington Island.

The Washington Island Airport, a small public airport with two grass runways, is located on the island.

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