Sugar Island is an island in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

in the St. Marys River between the United States and the Canadian province of

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. The entire island constitutes Sugar Island Township in Chippewa County at the eastern tip of the

Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula b ...

. According to the 2000 census there were 683 people living on a land area of ; about 14 people per square mile.

Background

The island lies between Lake George and Lake Nicolet, and to the north of

Neebish Island Neebish Island is located in the United States of America, U.S. state of Michigan, in the St. Marys River (Michigan-Ontario), St. Marys River, which connects Lake Superior and Lake Huron at the easternmost point of Michigan's Upper Peninsula of Mi ...

and St. Joseph Island. Pine Island is just east of its southern tip. Vehicle access to the island is via a ferry service at its northwestern tip, connecting east of

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie ( ') is a city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Chippewa County, Michigan, Chippewa County and is the only city within the county. With a population of ...

. The island was part of the

Canada–United States border The international border between Canada and the United States is the longest in the world by total length. The boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Canada' ...

dispute settled by the

Webster–Ashburton Treaty The Webster–Ashburton Treaty, signed August 9, 1842, was a treaty that resolved several border issues between the United States and the British North American colonies (the region that later became the Dominion of Canada). Negotiated in the U ...

, and affirmed to be part of the United States when the treaty was signed August 9, 1842. In 1945 Sugar Island was nominated as a possible location for the headquarters of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

. The island has large undeveloped areas, and both the

Bay Mills Indian Community The Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC) (Ojibwe: Gnoozhekaaning, lit. "Place of the Pike"), is an Indian reservation forming the land base of one of the many federally recognized Sault Ste. Marie bands of Ojibwe. The largest section of the reservati ...

and the

Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (pronounced "Soo Saint Marie", ), commonly shortened to Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians or the more colloquial Soo Tribe, is a federally recognized Native American tribe in what is now known as Michig ...

have interests on the island. The Sault Tribe consider it to be part of their ancestral homelands. The

University of Michigan Biological Station The University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) is a research and teaching facility operated by the University of Michigan. It is located on the south shore of Douglas Lake in Cheboygan County, Michigan. The station consists of 10,000 acre ...

operates the Chase Osborn Preserve, a tract near the southern tip of the island. The Preserve is named for

Chase Osborn Chase Salmon Osborn (January 22, 1860 – April 11, 1949) was an American politician, newspaper reporter and publisher, and explorer. He served as the 27th governor of Michigan from 1911 to 1913. The governor spent time at Possum Poke in Georg ...

, an island resident who had been the

governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of government of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the state's 49th governor. She was re-ele ...

Prominent residents

, Governor of Michigan (1911-1913)

References

External links

1
University of Michigan Biological Station
{{authority control Islands of Chippewa County, Michigan River islands of Michigan St. Marys River (Michigan–Ontario) Canada–United States border disputes Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians

Background

Prominent residents

See also

References

External links