Rock Island (Wisconsin)
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Green Bay, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 45°24′55″N 86°49′15″W / 45.415322°N 86.820831°W |
| Administration | |
Rock Island is a wooded island off the tip of Wisconsin's Door Peninsula at the mouth of Green Bay, in Door County, Wisconsin.[1] The 974.87-acre (394.5 ha) (approximately 1.6 miles long and 1.1 miles wide) uninhabited island is almost entirely owned by the Wisconsin DNR, which maintains Rock Island State Park. It is the northernmost part of the town of Washington.
History
Rock Island was originally settled by Native Americans. European explorers and missionaries used it as one of several stops along the Grand Traverse route between upper Michigan and Wisconsin. The island was home to the first permanent European settlement on the Door peninsula, a small fishing village on the eastern shore. The settlers later relocated to nearby Washington Island, leaving the original village abandoned. On the North shore of the island you can still find the grave markers of some of the original villagers.
The island became a navigational landmark in 1836 following the construction of the Potawatomi Lighthouse on the northern tip.
In 1910 wealthy inventor Chester Thordarson purchased 775 acres (314 ha) of the island. 30 acres (12 ha) on the southwest side of the island were cleared in 1920 and Thordarson began construction of a summer estate. His large boathouse, which is decorated in with characters from the Norse Runic alphabet, is open to the public.
The Wisconsin DNR purchased the island and buildings from Thordarson's heirs in 1965. Today the only other landholder on the island is the US Coast Guard, which maintains an automated navigation light near the old lighthouse.
Lighthouse
The Rock Island Lighthouse was one of several the government had constructed at the time, and the woodworking around the door frames and windows are from these plans. The main structure is two stories, four including the basement and lantern room. The main two floors have walls of foot-thick limestone, while the lantern room is surrounded only by wood. The lighthouse also includes a summer kitchen, which the lighthouse keepers would use during the warmer months. This room is currently used as a gift shop and makeshift kitchen.
The lighthouse has been restored to its original condition by the Friends of Rock Island State Park including obtaining a replica of the Fresnel lens used in the original light. In the summer, volunteer docents give tours, staying for a week at a time. There is no running water or electricity in the lighthouse, but one room is heated.
Carvings
On Rock Island, there are carvings made by workers helping build the Thordarson buildings that can still be seen today.
Plant Life
Rock Island has flowers such as Trillium, Jack in the Pulpit, and Lady's Slipper in abundance, as well as other plants, such as Cow Parsnip, Indian paintbrush, and poison ivy. The non-native Icelandic Thyme was planted on the island by Thordarson.
Transportation
Rock Island can be reached via a passenger ferry named the Karfi from Washington Island. No vehicles, including bicycles, are permitted on the island.
References
Sources
- Wisconsin DNR publication PUB-PR-136 98rev.
- "Rock Island & the Lighthouse". Retrieved 2009-06-24.
- "Pottawatomie Lighthouse History". Retrieved 2009-06-24.
- Rock Island: Block 2001, Block Group 2, Census Tract 9801, Door County, Wisconsin United States Census Bureau