Croil Island

Croil Island is a 796-acre (3.22 km2) uninhabited island on the St. Lawrence River in the Town of Louisville in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States.[2] The island is currently occupied by the undeveloped Croil Island State Park.

Croil Island
Croil Island
Location of Croil Island in New York State
Geography
LocationSt. Lawrence River
Coordinates44°58′23″N 74°58′44″W
Area796 acres (322 ha)[1]
Highest elevation299 ft (91.1 m)
Administration
United States
StateNew York
CountySt. Lawrence
TownLouisville

History

The island was considered British territory prior to 1818, at which time ownership was officially transferred to the United States.[3]

Croil Island is named for a Scottish family that farmed upon the island in the mid-1800s. Prior to the purchase of the island in 1835 by William Croil, the island was known as Stacey Island.[4]

A land claim brought by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in the early 1980s sought to reclaim Croil Island and additional lands in northern New York. A 2013 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York dismissed the tribe's claim to the island, but upheld some of their claims elsewhere.[5]

Croil Island has been alternately known as Baxter Island, Grand Eddy Island, Ile au Chamailles, Stacy Island, Tsiiowenokwakarate, and Upper Sault Island.[2] The island has historically been home to several large farms, but no concentrated settlements.[3]

Croil Island State Park

Croil Island today hosts Croil Island State Park, an undeveloped state park maintained by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and owned by the New York Power Authority.[6] The island is popular with outdoor enthusiasts, although problems with littering and illegal camping led to warning signs being posted on the island in 2011.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation". 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook. The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. 2014. Table O-9. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  2. "Croil Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  3. Curtis, Gates, ed. (1894). "History Of Louisville, NY". Our County and its People - A Memorial Record of St. Lawrence County, New York. The Boston History Company. p. 537. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  4. "Farran's Point". The Lost Villages Historical Society. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  5. Beckstead, Bob (July 10, 2013). "Mohawks react to land claim ruling". Watertown Daily Times. Archived from the original on July 13, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  6. Hayden, Brian (March 29, 2011). "Croil Island Signs Reflect Existing Rules Says State". Watertown Daily Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  7. Fairchild, Benny (April 26, 2012). "Croil Island focus of Local Government Task Force meeting". Watertown Daily Times. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
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