Bois Blanc Island is an island in

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Straits of Mack ...

within Bois Blanc Township,

Mackinac County Mackinac County ( ) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 10,834. The county seat is St. Ignace. Formerly known as Michilimackinac County, in 1818 it was one of the firs ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. The island covers about and is about 12 miles (19 km) long, 6 miles (9.6 km) wide and has 6 lakes. It lies southeast of

Mackinac Island Mackinac Island ( ; french: Île Mackinac; oj, Mishimikinaak ᒥᔑᒥᑭᓈᒃ; otw, Michilimackinac) is an island and resort area, covering in land area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac ...

and almost due north of the city of Cheboygan. "Bois Blanc" is

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

for "white wood". The name is commonly thought to be a reference to either: (a) the

paper birch ''Betula papyrifera'' (paper birch, also known as (American) white birch and canoe birch) is a short-lived species of birch native to northern North America. Paper birch is named for the tree's thin white bark, which often peels in paper like ...

, or more likely (b) the

basswood ''Tilia americana'' is a species of tree in the family Malvaceae, native to eastern North America, from southeast Manitoba east to New Brunswick, southwest to northeast Oklahoma, southeast to South Carolina, and west along the Niobrara River ...

, called "bois blanc" in other contexts. The basswood's white underbark was extensively used by Native Americans and French-speaking fur traders for cordage, including the sewing up of

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...

s and the manufacture of webbing for

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

s. The French Canadian colloquial term for "inner bark" was bois blanc. The Native Americans themselves have a name for Bois Blanc Island and the meaning is the same as the Canadian name. It is called Wigobiminiss. Wigobi or wicopy signifies "tying bark" or "inner bark". Miniss means "island". "Boblo" is an English corruption of the French pronunciation of the name. Several islands with the same name dot the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

, and nearly all are known as "Boblo" or "Bob-lo" by the local populations.

History

Bois Blanc was ceded by the local

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawa ...

( Chippewa) as "an extra and voluntary gift" to the

U.S. federal government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a f ...

with the

Treaty of Greenville The Treaty of Greenville, formally titled Treaty with the Wyandots, etc., was a 1795 treaty between the United States and indigenous nations of the Northwest Territory (now Midwestern United States), including the Wyandot and Delaware peoples ...

in 1795. The cession for the area, Article 3, item 13 of the treaty states: "The post of

Michilimackinac Michilimackinac ( ) is derived from an Ottawa Ojibwe name for present-day Mackinac Island and the region around the Straits of Mackinac between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.. Early settlers of North America applied the term to the entire region ...

, and all the land on the island on which that post stands, and the main land adjacent, of which the Indian title has been extinguished by gifts or grants to the French or English governments; and a piece of land on the main to the north of the island, to measure six miles, on Lake Huron, or the strait between lakes Huron and Michigan, and to extend three miles back from the water of the lake or strait; and also, the Island De Bois Blane, being an extra and voluntary gift of the Chippewa nation." The treaty ceded most of

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

and a slice of

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

to the government, as well as sixteen strategic sites well within Indian territory, on waterways in the future states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

, U.S. Navy Captain Arthur Sinclair's fleet took shelter at the island while waiting to attack the British at Fort Mackinac. In 1880 the island provided a haven to alleged murderer Henry English who escaped from Pennsylvania authorities before his trial; he was apprehended on Bois Blanc by Pinkerton agents. Later, he was returned to Pennsylvania and acquitted. In 1827, the United States mapped the island. The United States Life Saving Service established a life-saving station at Walker's Point in 1890. A few years earlier the Pointe Aux Pins Association was formed. After extensive use as a source of kilned lime and firewood for

and other local frontier settlements, Bois Blanc was settled in the late 19th century as a summer

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...

community. In 1908, on behalf of the association, President Walter B. Webb hired the Mason L. Brown Company, a Detroit surveying firm, to map and record the Pointe Aux Pins subdivision. Pointe Aux Pins was the first resort community on the island. Much of Bois Blanc Island is state-owned forest land containing White and Norway pines that tower tall. As recently as the 1950s, Bois Blanc provided lumber to Mackinac Island where woodcutting is prohibited. Bois Blanc Island was without electric service until 1964, when the Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-Op completed a project to install a continuous 3.7-mile underwater cable from Point Nipigon to Bois Blanc. At that time, there were approximately 200 structures on the island. An electric service upgrade in 1999 replaced the original cable with two submarine cables spanning the Straits of Mackinac.

Transportation

Private and commercial motor vehicles are brought to and from Bois Blanc Island by

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water ta ...

. There are no paved roads. However, a maintained county road extends from the island's northeast corner to the far western tip. Fire Tower Road bisects the island and is also the route used for public access to Twin Lakes and Lake Thompson, Bois Blanc's largest inland lakes. There are numerous un-maintained roads and trails. Plaunt Transportation is the sole provider of ferry services for the island. Ferries sail daily when the straits are not frozen over from Cheboygan to

Pointe Aux Pins Pointe aux Pins is a peninsula running south into Lake Erie at about 82 degrees west longitude. The majority of land which comprises the peninsula is owned by the province of Ontario and is designated as Rondeau Provincial Park. A navigationa ...

. ''Kristen D'' is a ferry which operates between Cheboygan and Bois Blanc Island. The ferry can accommodate 16 vehicles. The island is served by Bois Blanc Island Airport, a paved landing strip located on the island (Airport Code 6Y1, elev. 664').Michigan Airport Directory - Bois Blanc
/ref> During some winters, an

ice road An ice road or ice bridge is a human-made structure that runs on a frozen water surface (a river, a lake or a sea water expanse).Masterson, D. and Løset, S., 2011, ISO 19906: Bearing capacity of ice and ice roads, Proceedings of the 21st Inte ...

is marked by cut evergreen trees, allowing travel over the ice between the island and the mainland. The route generally runs from Pries Landing on the mainland, to Sand Bay on Bois Blanc.

Notes

External links

* *
Bois Blanc LighthouseBois Blanc Island Ferry Service
{{authority control Islands of Mackinac County, Michigan Islands of Lake Huron in Michigan Populated places on Lake Huron in the United States