Manitou Island (Lake Superior)

Manitou Island is a small island in Lake Superior, off the northeastern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of Grant Township, in Keweenaw County. Located approximately three miles from the mainland, it encompasses around 1,000 acres (4.0 km²). Manitou has seen limited impact from human activity because of its remote location and the often-treacherous waters caused by a strong current at the peninsula's tip. It is mostly forested, with scattered bogs and an inland lake known as "Perch Lake". Dense underbrush can make travel around the island rather difficult, though a few unimproved trails do exist. The Keweenaw Land Trust protects 93 acres (0.38 km²) of the island as the Manitou Island Light Station Preserve.

Manitou Island

Manitou Island
Geography
Location	Lake Superior, Grant Township, Keweenaw County, Michigan, United States
Coordinates	47°25′00″N 87°37′00″W / 47.41667°N 87.61667°W / 47.41667; -87.61667
Administration
United States
State	Michigan
County	Keweenaw County
Township	Grant Township

History

Test pits have been found on the island, hinting at a short-lived past as a possible mining site. Though trees abound, Manitou's remoteness and its lack of quality timber make logging economically unfeasible. Commercial fisherman have used the island as a camping site in the past, staying overnight on the south beaches while setting their nets in the area. Today public access is facilitated by a timber and rock crib dock near the old lighthouse.

Beginning in 2002, Manitou Island became the focus of an effort by local birdwatchers to explore and document the various avian species there. Approximately 203 separate species have been recorded, including large numbers of migratory raptors and waterbirds. Observers have also compiled a "list of over 80 species as at least possible breeders." Organized observations by the Keweenaw Audubon Society are now happening regularly.^[1] Efforts to investigate this unique habitat and its feathered residents are ongoing, in conjunction with the conservation activities of the Land Trust.

The large number of avian visitors should be understood in the larger context of other sites around Michigan and the Great Lakes. This would include Peninsula Point Light, Tawas Point State Park and Whitefish Point Light/Whitefish Point Bird Observatory (which contains a lighthouse configured like this one). Important Bird Areas are found in many parts of Michigan.

Lighthouses

Manitou Island Light Station

Main article: Manitou Island Light Station

Manitou Island's most important use to date has been the Manitou Island Light Station on its eastern tip. First built in 1849, this lighthouse is still in use, although it is unmanned and solar powered. The island is presently in the custody of the Keweenaw Land Trust, which acquired the Light Station and surrounding land in 2004. The new owners have announced plans to encourage public use of Manitou through camping, rock collecting, hiking, boating, kayaking, fishing, and sightseeing at the old light station, while preserving the island's unspoiled scenery and natural habitats.^[2]

Gull Rock

Main article: Gull Rock Light Station

Gull Rock, a tiny islet about one-half mile off Manitou's western tip, contains a historic lighthouse built in 1867 which still functions (like the Manitou light) as an unattended navigational aid. Recently a local preservation society acquired the islet and its dilapidated light station, with a view to its ultimate restoration.^[3]

References

1. Manitou Island Bird Survey.
2. Keweenaw Land Trust.
3. Gull rock Lightkeepers organization

Further reading

• Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses (2002) ISBN 1-59223-102-0; ISBN 978-1-59223-102-7.
• Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. ISBN 0-8143-2554-8 ISBN 9780814325544.
• Jones, Ray & Bruce Roberts, American Lighthouses (Globe Pequot, September 1, 1998, 1st Ed.) ISBN 0-7627-0324-5; ISBN 978-0-7627-0324-1.
• Jones, Ray,The Lighthouse Encyclopedia, The Definitive Reference (Globe Pequot, January 1, 2004, 1st ed.) ISBN 0-7627-2735-7; ISBN 978-0-7627-2735-3.
• Lynn, Bruce. "A Light is on in the Graveyard [Whitefish Point]." Lighthouse Digest (Aug 1997), pp. 1–3.
• Noble, Dennis, Lighthouses & Keepers: U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy (Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute Press, 1997). ISBN 1-55750-638-8; ISBN 978-1-55750-638-2.
• Oleszewski, Wes, Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
• Penrod, John, Lighthouses of Michigan, (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) ISBN 978-0-942618-78-5 ISBN 9781893624238.
• Pepper, Terry. "Seeing the Light: Lighthouses on the western Great Lakes".
• Putnam, George R., Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1933).
• Splake, T. Kilgore. Superior Land Lights. Battle Creek, MI: Angst Productions, 1984.
• United States Coast Guard, Aids to Navigation, (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945).
• Price, Scott T. "U. S. Coast Guard Aids to Navigation: A Historical Bibliography". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office.
• Wagner, John L. "Beacons Shining in the Night: The Lighthouses of Michigan". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
• Wagner, John L., Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective, (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) ISBN 1-880311-01-1 ISBN 9781880311011.
• Wargin, Ed, Legends of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio (Ann Arbor Media Group, 2006). ISBN 978-1-58726-251-7.
• Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1-55046-399-3.

External links

• Manitou Island Light Station Preserve - Keweenaw Land Trust
• Bird Survey of Manitou Island, includes several photos of the island.
• Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses, Detroit News.
• Lighthouse Central, Manitou Island Lighthouse The Ultimate Guide to Upper Michigan Lighthouses by Jerry Roach. (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC - 2007). ISBN 978-0-9747977-2-4.
• Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Manitou Island Lighthouse at Terry Pepper, Seeing The Light.
• National Park Service Marine Heritage Project, Inventory of Historic Light Stations, Manitou Island Light.
• . United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01. Manitou Island Light.
• Light List, Volume VII, Great Lakes (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard.
• Wagner, John L., Beacons Shining in the Night, Michigan Lighthouse Bibliography, Chronology, History, and Photographs, Clarke Historical Library, Central, Michigan University.
• Wobser, David. "Manitou Island Light". Boatnerd.com. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
• Yahoo Images: Manitou Island More photos of Manitou Island, including the lighthouse (be sure not to confuse images of "Manitou Island" with those from "North Manitou Island" or "South Manitou Island," which are both in Lake Michigan!).