Grosse Ile (Michigan)
Grosse Ile (/ˌɡroʊs ˈiːl/ grows-EEL) is an American island in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan.[1] Located just east of the Canada–United States border in the Detroit River, it is the largest island in the river and the most-populated island in the state of Michigan. The island is administered by Grosse Ile Township.
 Aerial view of Grosse Ile in January 2016 | |
  Grosse Ile Location within the State of Michigan  Grosse Ile Location within the United States | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Detroit River |
| Coordinates | 42°07′48″N 83°09′37″W |
| Area | 9.60 sq mi (24.9 km2) |
| Administration | |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Wayne |
| Township | Grosse Ile |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone |
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| • Summer (DST) |
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History
The island was first explored and named by French explorers, who dubbed it as Grosse Île, which means "large island" in the French language. Originally occupied by Native Americans, the island was given to the early French explorers by the Potawatomi in 1776. The Potawatomi referred to the island as Kitcheminishen. Brothers William and Alexander Macomb, merchants and fur traders from Albany, New York and Detroit, bought the island from the Potawatomi, becoming the first European-American owners.[2]
The brothers had the island surveyed in 1819, and it was included into Monguagon Township in 1829. The island remained sparsely populated and an independent community, but it did not gain autonomy until the formation of Grosse Ile Township on October 27, 1914.[3] The island of Grosse Ile is considered an affluent part of the Downriver community just south of the city of Detroit.
Geography
The island is bordered on the west by the Trenton Channel and on the east by the Livingston Channel The island itself is divided by two canals. The area on the north, known as Hennepin Point, is undeveloped and the site of a historic lighthouse.[4] The Grosse Ile Municipal Airport occupies the southernmost area of the island. Grosse Ile is at the center of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.
While the majority of the township's residences live on Grosse Ile, the township itself contains over a dozen smaller islands—some of which are populated. Local residents sometimes refer to Grosse Ile as the Big Island, Main Island, or simply The Island to distinguish it from the township as a whole. The island is connected to the mainland by the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge and the Wayne County Bridge, both of which connect to West Jefferson Avenue.
References
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grosse Ile
- Karmazin, Nancy (26 Aug 2009). "Welcome to Grosse Ile, Michigan". Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- Catlin, George B. (2005). "Local history of Detroit and Wayne County (p. 104)". Retrieved December 12, 2009.
- Loftus, Brian E. (2009). "Grosse Ile North Channel Range Front Light". Retrieved December 13, 2009.
