La Pointe is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in the town of La Pointe, Ashland County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States. It is on the western shore of

Madeline Island ''Madeline'' is a media franchise that originated as a series of children's books written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans, an Austrian-American author. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series a ...

, the largest of the

Apostle Islands The Apostle Islands are a group of 22 islands in Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula in northern Wisconsin. The majority of the islands are located in Ashland County—only Sand, York, Eagle, and Raspberry Islands are located in Ba ...

. Downtown La Pointe is adjacent to the Madeline Island Ferry dock. La Pointe has a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

with ZIP code 54850. While the area encompassing the Town of La Pointe is made up of the entire

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...

, the residents of the community live almost exclusively on Madeline Island because it is the only Apostle Island open to commercial development.Madelineisland.com
The

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

does not publish population figures specific to the unincorporated community, but the surrounding

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

had a population of 428 in the 2020 census.

History

According to

William Whipple Warren William Whipple Warren (May 27, 1825 – June 1, 1853) was a historian, interpreter, and legislator in the Minnesota Territory. The son of Lyman Marcus Warren, an American fur trader and Mary Cadotte, the Ojibwe-Metis daughter of fur trader ...

's ''History of the Ojibway People'' (18xx), ''Moningwunakuaning'' "is the spot on which the Ojibway tribe first grew, and like a tree it has spread its branches in every direction, in the bands that now

885 Year 885 ( DCCCLXXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Charles the Fat summons a meeting of officials at Lobith (moder ...

occupy the vast extent of the Ojibway earth; and also that 'it is the root from which all the far scattered villages of the tribe have sprung.'" La Pointe was originally the site of a

fortified A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

French

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

from 1693 to 1698 and from 1718 to 1759. The current city began to develop in the late 18th century as an

American Fur Company The American Fur Company (AFC) was founded in 1808, by John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant to the United States. During the 18th century, furs had become a major commodity in Europe, and North America became a major supplier. Several British co ...

outpost under the leadership of

Michel Cadotte Michel Cadotte (July 22, 1764 – July 8, 1837) (also spelled Michael, and the surname as Cadott, Cadeau, and other variations), Kechemeshane in Ojibwe (or ''Gichi-miishen'' in the contemporary spelling, meaning "Great Michel") was a Métis fur trad ...

. Warren, whose mother was French-Ojibwa, learned from maternal tribal elders that the Ojibwa originally lived near the mouth of the

St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...

. At the time of great sickness and death, the Great Spirit interceded through Manabosho, a common uncle of the Anishinubag (spontaneous people). Through the discovery of the snakeroot they were granted the rite, enabled through their Medawe (religion), "wherewith life is restored and prolonged." The great Megis (seashell) showed itself as a glossy thing reflecting on the sea. It led them first to a place near Montreal where they stayed for some time. Next it led them to Boweting (Sault Ste. Marie); again they stayed for some time. At last it led them to Moningwunakauning (La Pointe, Madeline Island), "where it has ever since reflected back the rays of the sun, and blessed our ancestors with life, light and wisdom," says Warren. So the flickering shaft of light is the Megis, and La Pointe is the center of the Earth for the Ojibwa.

Kechewaishke Chief Buffalo (Ojibwe: Ke-che-waish-ke/''Gichi-weshkiinh'' – "Great-renewer" or Peezhickee/''Bizhiki'' – "Buffalo"; also French, Le Boeuf) (1759? – September 7, 1855) was a major Ojibwa leader, born at La Pointe in Lake Superior's Apost ...

, commonly known as ''Chief Buffalo'', was an

Ojibwa The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

leader born at La Pointe in 1759. Recognized as the principal chief of the

Lake Superior Chippewa The Lake Superior Chippewa (Anishinaabe: Gichigamiwininiwag) are a large number of Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) bands living around Lake Superior; this territory is considered part of northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in the United States. They ...

(Ojibwa) for nearly a half-century until his death in 1855, he led his nation into a treaty relationship with the

United States 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 fede ...

, signing treaties in 1825, 1826, 1837, 1842, 1847, and 1854. He was also instrumental in resisting the efforts of the United States to remove the Ojibwa and in securing permanent reservations for his people near Lake Superior. Licensed Indian traders operated at this location and nearby stores at Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation and other convenient places. Today, the town's history is preserved at Madeline Island Historical Museum.

Tourism

Tourism makes up a large part of the local economy. La Pointe, like Bayfield (on the mainland), has become a popular tourist destination during the summer, when many local events are scheduled. Downtown La Pointe offers many bars,

restaurants A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearanc ...

, and other amenities. Camping, swimming, hiking, and other outdoor recreational activities are abundant and popular on the island.

Travel

Madeline Island and the town of La Pointe are accessible by the Madeline Island Ferry line. The steel-hulled car/passenger ferries depart from Bayfield on a set schedule. Many attractions on the island are within walking distance of the ferry dock, such as the museum and library. It may be necessary to bring a vehicle to reach attractions that are farther away, such as Big Bay State Park. County Highway H serves as a main route in the community. There is also a public boat marina near the ferry dock. Ground transportation to the island during the winter (late December through February) is by way of 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 ...

, which is open when ice levels are safe enough for vehicles to pass. The

Major Gilbert Field Airport Major Gilbert Field Airport, also known as Madeline Island Airport, is a town-owned public use airport located 2 miles (3 km) northeast of the central business district of La Pointe, Wisconsin, a town in Ashland County, Wisconsin, ...

is a general aviation airport that features a 3,000-foot by 75-foot landing strip, as well as overnight tie-downs and an array of other services. The airport is publicly-owned by the Town of La Pointe.

Notable people

, Native American leader *

, prominent fur trader * Ozhaguscodaywayquay, noted Native American businesswoman *

Thomas D. O'Brien Thomas Dillon O'Brien (February 14, 1859 – September 3, 1935) was an American lawyer, judge, and academic from Minnesota. He was one of the five co-founders of William Mitchell College of Law and a justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Bio ...

, Justice of the

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

Supreme Court *

Minnesota Territory The Territory of Minnesota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1849, until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Minnesota and west ...

legislator

Gallery

File:Mad Ferry 4.jpg, Vehicles loading onto the Madeline Island

ferry boat 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 tax ...

File:BuffaloGrave.jpg, Headstone of Great Buffalo, in the '' La Pointe Indian Cemetery''. File:Mad Ferry 2.jpg, The ''Island Queen''

File:Mad Ferry3.jpg, Madeline Island

References

External links

Jalbert, Andrew J. ''Schooner Lucerne: Lessons from a Great Lakes Shipwreck'' (July 27, 2007) SEA HISTORY magazine, The Wreck of the Schooner Lucerne.Official website for the Town of La PointeMadeline Island Chamber of CommerceMadeline Island
from Wisconsin Historical Society
Madeline Island Ferry LineBig Bay State Park
{{authority control Towns in Ashland County, Wisconsin Former county seats in Wisconsin Piers in Wisconsin Apostle Islands Towns in Wisconsin