Why is it called Beaver Island?

Why is it called Beaver Island?

French explorers called it Île du Castor (for the castors [beavers] found there), and a French settlement (abandoned 1603) was one of the earliest in the area. In 1847 the religious leader James Jesse Strang took over the island for his Mormon colony, was crowned “king,” established his “capital” at St.

How was Beaver Island formed?

Beaver Island as we know it first appeared out of the ice eleven thousand years ago. Since then, its form has changed considerably because of the rise and fall of Lake Michigan, which has ranged over a differential of 375′. The Lake dropped to a very low level about 8,000 years ago, and stayed down for 4,000 years.

When was Beaver Island founded?

In 1845 the land was surveyed and in 1848 it was first put up for sale. Sixty ships entered Beaver Harbor in the summer of that year. In 1847 James Jesse Strang founded a small Mormon colony near the trading post.

Does anyone live Beaver Island?

BEAVER ISLAND, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) — Beaver Island is the largest island on Lake Michigan and one that sits just 30 miles to the west of Charlevoix. It is a summertime dream but winter can be challenging, especially for some 600 people who live there year-round.

Does Beaver Island have beavers?

But perhaps most promising for the sportsman visiting the Beaver Island archipelago are the island’s whitetailed deer. Never native to the Beavers, the first whitetails were brought to the islands by enterprising sportsmen in the early 1900’s.

Who founded Beaver Island?

James Jesse Strang
In 1847 James Jesse Strang brought his small band of Mormons to Beaver Island, and in 1849 the town of St. James was established. Strang had himself crowned King and was the only king ever crowned in the United States. He was an extremely intelligent man and was elected to Michigan State Legislature for two terms.

What kind of animals are on Beaver Island?

The island also hides wildlife, especially deer, rabbits, grouse and ducks, with fox, beaver, raccoons, even an occasional shy coyote in the forest. On its roads there are more butterflies than cars, and on the beaches more sandpipers than sunbathers.

What kind of wildlife is on Beaver Island?

Animals abound from white-tailed deer to beaver. Some individuals of the federally endangered Great Lakes population of the Piping Plover occasionally nest on Beaver Island. Bald Eagles can be regularly found and Common Loons nest on inland lakes.

How long has Beaver Island been an island?

The Lake dropped to a very low level about 8,000 years ago, and stayed down for 4,000 years. During this time, this land was not an island at all but an appendage of the mainland.

When was the logging railroad on Beaver Island?

The edge of this configuration was layered with beach gravel. When a logging railroad was built in 1904, it was placed on this firm bed. We know that Native Americans passed by Beaver Island as long ago as 2,200 years.

When did the Odawas come to Beaver Island?

In 1871 the archeologist Henry Gillman opened some of the mounds in the harbor, and was surprised at the “uncommonly skillful workmanship” of the artifacts he found. The Odawas (Ottawas) migrated westward in the ripples of Native American movement that retreated from contact with the whites, arriving on Beaver Island in the mid-1700s.

What did Henry Gillman find on Beaver Island?

Fire-cracked rocks mark their cooking fires along the bluff. In 1871 the archeologist Henry Gillman opened some of the mounds in the harbor, and was surprised at the “uncommonly skillful workmanship” of the artifacts he found.