Holy Island is a populated island located within
Lake Charlevoix
Lake Charlevoix ( ) is a lake in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the third largest inland lake in the state with a surface area of over 17,200 acres (70 km2) and 56 miles (90 km) of shoreline. The maximum depth in ...
in the U.S. state of
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
. The island is part of
Eveline Township in
Charlevoix County.
[
]
Geography
Holy Island is the largest and only named island within Lake Charlevoix, which sits at an elevation of above sea level.[ The island is approximately in size.][
]
History
The island was first settled by Mormon leader James Strang
James Jesse Strang (March 21, 1813 – July 9, 1856) was an American religious leader, politician and self-proclaimed monarch. In 1844 he claimed to have been appointed to be the successor of Joseph Smith as leader of the Church of Jesus Christ o ...
in 1855 at a time when the lake was still referred to as Pine Lake. He used the island for holding the Feast of First Fruits. After he died in 1856, the island transitioned into a popular summer resort.[
The island is accessible by a bridge from the mainland along Greenleaf Avenue. The first bridge was constructed as early as 1903 in another location but was moved to connect Holy Island in 1945. This early bridge was eventually replaced entirely in 2009 by a long, single lane ]pony truss
A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...
bridge that measures in width.
References
{{CharlevoixCountyMI-geo-stub
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite)
category:Islands of Charlevoix County, Michigan