Middle Bass Island is an island of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

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 ...

, located in

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 h ...

. A small town, Middle Bass, lies on the island. The 805-acre (3.258 km²) island is shaped like the

Big Dipper The Big Dipper ( US, Canada) or the Plough ( UK, Ireland) is a large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major; six of them are of second magnitude and one, Megrez (δ), of third magnitude. Four define a "bowl" ...

and is one of 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 () ...

located at the center of a group of 23 smaller islands. It is located in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio. Some of its more famous neighbors are

South Bass Island South Bass Island is a small island in western Lake Erie, and a part of Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. It is the southernmost of the three Bass Islands and located 3 miles (4.6 km) from the south shore of Lake Erie. It is the third l ...

, with the town 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 ...

, Kelleys Island, and

Pelee Island Pelee may refer to: * Île Pelée, an island off Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France * Pelee, Ontario, an island in Lake Erie, Canada *Point Pelee National Park, a park in Ontario, Canada *Mount Pelée, a volcano in Martinique *Peleus In Greek mytho ...

History

The island was landed upon by French explorer, Robert La Salle, in 1679. The abundance of wildflowers on the island impressed La Salle and his crew so much that they appropriately named it ''Isle des Fleures'', the Island of Flowers. It would retain this name for the next 200 years until it was acquired by a German count in 1856. With the aid of immigrant German workers, the island was used for grape cultivation. This proved to be a very successful undertaking. Old aerial photos of the island (and its neighbor, North Bass Island) show the majority of the island covered with neat rows of grapevines. By 1875, Middle Bass Island's Golden Eagle Winery was reputed to be the largest wine producer in the

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 territori ...

. The Lonz family acquired the business in 1884 and owned and operated it until the death of George Lonz in 1968. Lonz Winery has often been compared with the wineries of the German Rhineland. The old castle-like structure has been visited by countless dignitaries including five American Presidents. The winery is now part of a corporation bearing the Lonz name. Since 1979, the wines have been made by Italian

enologist Oenology (also enology; ) is the science and study of wine and winemaking. Oenology is distinct from viticulture, which is the science of the growing, cultivation, and harvesting of grapes. The English word oenology derives from the Greek word ' ...

Claudio Salvador. On July 1, 2000, tragedy struck the Lonz Winery when a terrace collapsed leaving one dead and dozens injured. Lonz Winery was purchased by the state of Ohio and Middle Bass Island State Park established in 2001. Lonz Winery 6-27-10

Lonz Winery has been renovated by the state of Ohio, and was reopened to the public on June 22, 2017. They are not producing or selling wine on site, but it is open for tours. The nearby Lonz mansion is planned to be renovated and open to the public by 2024.

Tourism

Middle Bass is serviced by the Miller Boat Line from Catawba Island and the Middle Bass Ferry Line from

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 ...

. It is common to use Middle Bass as a less crowded base and then take the ''Sonny S'' (sole ship of the Middle Bass Ferry Line) to Put-In-Bay for the day. Middle Bass Island Airport has a 1852-foot runway with commercial air-taxi service. Middle Bass-East Point Airport offers a 2,085-foot turf runway., effective 2013-07-11

References

External links

History of Middle Bass Island

Middle Bass Island State Park
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{{authority control Islands of Ottawa County, Ohio Islands of Lake Erie in Ohio Protected areas of Ottawa County, Ohio State parks of Ohio