South Bass Island is a small island in western

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...

, and a part of Ottawa County,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is the southernmost of the three

Bass Islands The Bass Islands are three American islands in the western half of Lake Erie. They are north of Sandusky, Ohio, and south of Pelee Island, Ontario. South Bass Island () is the largest of the islands, followed closely by North Bass Island () a ...

and located 3 miles (4.6 km) from the south shore of Lake Erie. It is the third largest island in the

Lake Erie Islands The Lake Erie Islands are a chain of archipelagic islands in Lake Erie. They include Kelleys Island, Erie Island, Pelee Island, the Bass Islands, and several others. The majority of these islands are under the sovereignty of the State of Ohio in t ...

, and is part of Put-in-Bay Township. In the bay of South Bass is

Gibraltar Island Gibraltar Island (or the "Gem of Lake Erie") is an island in Ohio, located within Lake Erie. This small 6.55-acre (0.026 km²) island is just offshore of South Bass Island. It is part of Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio. The rocky ...

, home to the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

's Stone Laboratory. The island is a popular recreation spot and is often referred to as the "

Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...

of Lake Erie." The village of

Put-in-Bay Put-in-Bay is a village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States, east of Toledo. The population was 154 at the 2020 census. The village is a popular summer resort and recreational destinati ...

is a popular tourist destination during the summer. It is served by ferry from nearby Port Clinton and Sandusky, both on the mainland. The island is the annual host of the Inter-Lake Yachting Association regatta, known as Bay Week.

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial commemorates the Battle of Lake Erie that took place near Ohio's South Bass Island, in which Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led a fleet to victory in one of the most decisive naval battles to occur i ...

, including Perry's Monument, commemorates the

Battle of Lake Erie The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, on Lake Erie off the shore of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of the Briti ...

, which the United States won 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 bega ...

. It is located on South Bass Island, near Put-In-Bay.

Geography

Approximately long and wide and comprises , the island is separated by an

isthmus An isthmus (; ; ) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea counterpart of an isthmu ...

into a smaller, residential northeastern side (East Point) and a southwestern side that contains an airfield and the village center of

, the island's only incorporated community. The island is north of the nearest point on the mainland (Scott Point in the peninsular Catawba Island Township) and approximately north northeast of Port Clinton, Ohio, and north northwest of

Sandusky, Ohio Sandusky ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Erie County, Ohio, Erie County, Ohio, United States. Situated along the shores of Lake Erie in the northern part of the state, Sandusky is located roughly midway between Toledo, Ohio, Toledo ( wes ...

. As of the 2000 census there were 631 residents on the island.

Access

Transportation to the island via car, bike, or walk-ons is provided by ferries from the Miller Boat Line (departing from the northern point of Catawba Island), and Jet Express (departing from Port Clinton, Sandusky, and Lorain, Ohio). Other boat access is provided by various charter boat companies in the area. The island also has a small airport. Golf carts are a popular method of transportation on the island.

Notable residents

* John Brown Jr.

Representation in other media

*Pamela F. Service's 'tween' novel ''Phantom Victory'' (1994), features a main character, Terri, who lives on South Bass Island and works at the excavation of the historic Victory hotel, which burned down in 1919.

References

South Bass Island: Blocks 1024 thru 1067 and Block 1069, Census Tract 501, Ottawa County, Ohio
United States Census Bureau

Gallery

File:Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial .JPG, The 352-foot

village. File:Boat House1.jpg, The ''Benson Ford'', a

lake freighter Lake freighters, or lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that operate on the Great Lakes of North America. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. Since the late 19th century, lakers have carried bulk cargoes of m ...

, has been adapted as a tourist attraction in Put-in-Bay. File:Brig Niagara cannons.jpg, The '' Brig Niagara'' firing its cannons, off Put-in-Bay

References

External links

Lake Erie Islands Historical Society
{{authority control Islands of Ottawa County, Ohio Islands of Lake Erie in Ohio

Geography

Access

Notable residents

See also

Representation in other media

References

Gallery

References

External links