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

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

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

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. 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. – 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 by ...

. 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 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. The island was part of the

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

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 became Canada). Signed under John Tyler's presidency, it r ...

, 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 an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

. 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 Chippewa (aka Ojibwa). The largest section ...

and the

Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (pronounced "Soo Saint Marie", oj, Baawiting Anishinaabeg), commonly shortened to Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians or the more colloquial Soo Tribe, is a federally recognized Native American tribe in ...

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 acres ...

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 state, head of government, and chief executive 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 s ...

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

Background

Prominent residents

See also

References

External links