Grosse Ile ( ) is an American island in Wayne County 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, ...

. Located just west 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' ...

in the

Detroit River The Detroit River is an List of international river borders, international river in North America. The river, which forms part of the border between the U.S. state of Michigan and the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ont ...

, it is the largest island in the river and the most-populated island in the state of Michigan. The island is administered by

Grosse Ile Township Grosse Ile Township is a civil township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,777 at the 2020 census. The township encompasses several islands in the Detroit River, of which the largest is named as Grosse Ile. Na ...

History

The island was first explored and named by

French explorers French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

who called it ''Grosse Île'', meaning "large island" in the French language. Originally occupied by Native Americans, the island was given to the early French explorers by the

Potawatomi The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...

in 1776. The Potawatomi referred to the island as ''Kitcheminishen''. Brothers

William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...

and Alexander Macomb, merchants and fur traders from Albany, New York and Detroit, took the island from the Potawatomi, becoming the first European-American owners. The brothers had the island surveyed in 1819, and it was included into Monguagon Township in 1829. The island remained sparsely populated and an independent community, but it did not gain autonomy until the formation of Grosse Ile Township on October 27, 1914. The island of Grosse Ile is considered an affluent part of the

Downriver Downriver is a region of the Detroit metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan covering 18 municipalities in Wayne County, south of Detroit, along the western shore of the Detroit River. Etymology The name derives from the fact that the ...

community just south of the city of

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Geography

The island is bordered on the west by the Trenton Channel and on the east by the Livingston Channel. The island itself is divided by two canals. The area on the north, known as Hennepin Point, is undeveloped and the site of a historic lighthouse. The

Grosse Ile Municipal Airport Grosse Ile Municipal Airport is on Grosse Ile, in Wayne County, Michigan. It is owned by the Township of Grosse Ile. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized it as a loc ...

occupies the southernmost area of the island. Grosse Ile is at the center of the

Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife refuge in North America. Established in 2001 and managed jointly by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service, it is located ...

. A variety of river islands are located near Grosse Ile. To the southwest are Calf Island, Swan Island,

Celeron Island Celeron Island is an island in the Detroit River. It is in Wayne County, in southeast Michigan, and the southernmost island within Grosse Ile Township. Its coordinates are , and the United States Geological Survey gave its elevation as in 1980 ...

and Round Island. To the southeast are

Meso Island Meso Island is an island in the Detroit River. It is in Wayne County, in southeast Michigan. Its coordinates are , and the United States Geological Survey gave its elevation as in 1980. Numerous types of fish spawn at the island; a 1982 report b ...

Hickory Island Hickory Island is an inhabited island in the Detroit River. It is in Wayne County, in southeast Michigan. Its coordinates are , and the United States Geological Survey gave its elevation as in 1980. Hickory Island is one of fifteen islands tha ...

, and Sugar Island; to the east are

Elba Island Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, and the third larges ...

, Fox Island,

Powder House Island Powder House Island (also known as Dynamite Island) is an artificial island on the lower Detroit River in southeast Michigan, directly adjacent to the Canada–United States border. It was constructed in the late 1880s by the Dunbar & Sullivan ...

and Stony Island, as well as Bois Blanc Island (which is part of Canada). While the majority of the township's residents live on Grosse Ile, the township itself contains over a dozen smaller islands—some of which are populated. Local residents sometimes refer to Grosse Ile as the ''Big Island'', ''Main Island'', or simply ''The Island'' to distinguish it from the township as a whole. The island is connected to the mainland by the

Grosse Ile Toll Bridge The Grosse Ile Toll Bridge is a swing bridge that crosses the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River connecting Grosse Ile Township, Michigan to the mainland in Riverview, Michigan which is located in Wayne County, Michigan. History The Grosse ...

and the Wayne County Bridge, both of which connect to West Jefferson Avenue.

References

{{authority control Islands of Wayne County, Michigan Islands of the Detroit River River islands of Michigan Michigan populated places on the Detroit River

History

Geography

See also

References