Editing Grosse Ile Township, Michigan (section)

==History==
===Founding and early times===
The [[Potawatomi]] occupied areas of the island, which they called ''Kitcheminishen'',<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Society|first=Grosse Ile Historical|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FtIeAABNh-MC&dq=Kitcheminishen&pg=PT19|title=Grosse Ile|date=2007-08-15|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-1-4396-1868-4|language=en}}</ref> for a long period prior to European encounter. They were one of the tribes in the Council of Three Fires.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Westward Migration of Anishinabe {{!}} Formation of The Council of Three Fires {{!}} Waséyabek Development Company, LLC|url=https://waseyabek.com/announcement/migration-anishinabe-formation-council-three-fires/|access-date=2020-12-19|language=en-US}}</ref>

The flags of three nations—France, England, and the United States—have flown over Detroit and Grosse Ile since the first French explorers visited the island during the late 17th century. The early French explorers named the island as ''la grosse île''—the "big island" in French. Father [[Louis Hennepin]], a Catholic priest and missionary, accompanied fellow French explorer [[René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle]] in 1679 on the ship ''[[Le Griffon]]'' in exploring the [[Great Lakes]].<ref name=":0" /> The Sacred Heart [[Roman Catholic Church]] on Grosse Ile says that Father Hennepin came ashore and said mass at a location on the east shore of the island near the present site of St. Anne's Chapel. No record exists of this event, but Father Hennepin wrote in his journals about the fruit orchards and wild animals on Grosse Ile, showing he was here. The north end of Grosse Ile is named Hennepin Point in his honor.

French explorer [[Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac]] and his convoy of 25 canoes sailed down the Detroit River and camped on the shore of Grosse Ile during the evening of July 23, 1701. On the morning of July 24, Cadillac returned upriver and landed ashore, where he claimed French possession of the territory under the authority of [[King Louis XIV]]. This site is in present-day Detroit, near the present intersection of West Jefferson and Shelby streets.

Grosse Ile maintained its own name and identity as a community through the 18th century. The British established control of the island and present-day Michigan in 1763 after their victory in the [[French and Indian War]]. They anglicized the spelling to "Grosse Isle".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2016-07-15|title=Grosse Ile, Michigan|url=https://www.discoverdownriver.com/grosse-ile-michigan/grosse-ile-michigan/|access-date=2020-12-19|website=Discover Downriver|language=en-US}}</ref>

Although the Potawatomi, like most [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]], did not have the same sense of property ownership as did Europeans and Americans, they considered the island to be part of their ancestral lands. On July 6, 1776, they deeded the island to brothers [[Alexander Macomb (merchant)|Alexander]] and [[William Macomb (merchant)|William Macomb]], brothers from Albany who had become leading fur traders and merchants in [[Detroit]], partly from selling supplies to the British at Fort Detroit and the local Indian Department.<ref name=":1" /> They are considered to be the founders of the European-American community on the island.<ref name="dill">[http://www.mlloyd.org/gen/macomb/text/amsr/wt.htm David B. Dill Jr. "Portrait of an Opportunist: The Life of Alexander Macomb"], ''[[Watertown Daily Times]],'' (September 9, 1990). First of a 3-part series</ref>

===Settlement to present===
Settlement started in the 19th century. At least three homes still standing on the island were built during this period by a descendant or relative of the Macomb brothers. The Rucker Homestead, the oldest structure in use on Grosse Ile, has portions that date to 1816. The front structure was added by John Anthony Rucker in 1835. The [[Rucker-Stanton House]] on West River Road was built in 1848 by the great-grandson of William Macomb. The Wendell House on East River Road was built in the late 1860s by John Wendell, who married a granddaughter of William Macomb.<ref name=":0" />

Westcroft Gardens, a Michigan Centennial Farm located on West River Road, is operated by descendants of the Macombs. Westcroft, which is open to the public, features a nursery well known for growing and selling hybrid [[azalea]]s and [[rhododendron]]s. Westcroft is one of the oldest farms in Michigan still owned by the same family. Most of the original buildings at Westcroft Gardens are still standing and well preserved.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History|url=https://www.westcroftgardens.com/history-partners|access-date=2020-12-19|website=Westcroft Gardens|language=en-US}}</ref>

Macomb Street of the central business district of Grosse Ile was named in honor of Alexander and William Macomb. A monument commemorating the day that the tribal chiefs and elders signed the deed to the Macomb brothers is located at the foot of Gray's Drive and near the shoreline of the [[Detroit River]]. The original deed, which was written on [[parchment]], is stored in the [[Burton Historical Collection]] at the [[Detroit Public Library]].

===Trenton Channel and boating===
[[File:Grosse Ile waterfront.jpg|thumb|A section of Grosse Ile waterfront]]
Boating has been both a means of transportation and recreation since the first residents lived on the island. Native Americans used [[canoe]]s to travel between Grosse Ile's islands and the mainland in Michigan and Canada. Early European settlers primarily used [[sailboat|sail-powered vessels]] to travel to and from the islands.

By the late 19th century, Grosse Ile was known as a popular destination for recreational boaters. It was also served by steamboats operating from Detroit and small towns along the river and lakes. During this time period, Sugar Island, which is one of the twelve islands commonly considered to comprise Grosse Ile, featured an amusement park, dance pavilion, and bathing beach.<ref name=":0" /> [[Paddle steamer]]s regularly carried people from Detroit and other points along the Michigan side of the Detroit River to Sugar Island.

During this era and into the early 20th century, a number of wealthy residents from Detroit and other nearby towns built summer homes along the shoreline (mainly on the southern end) of Grosse Ile in order to enjoy views of the Detroit River or [[Lake Erie]]. The interior section of the island was sparsely populated, as most of the land was undeveloped woodlands or part of farms. The residential population of Grosse Ile totaled 802 at the 1920 [[U.S. Census]]. The majority of houses were located around the perimeter of the island and main roads crossed the community chiefly in either a north–south or east–west direction.

In 1894, the federal government funded and constructed a series of channel [[range light]]s to assist ships to avoid shallow areas in the Detroit River and its shoreline. The northernmost of the channel range lights was the Grosse Ile Light, which is now the only lighthouse remaining on the island. The original 1894 Grosse Ile lighthouse resembled a [[water tower]] on stilts, as it was constructed on wooden pilings along with a {{convert|170|ft|adj=on}} walkway to shore.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grosse Ile Lighthouse|url=https://www.michiganwatertrails.org/location.asp?ait=av&aid=9|access-date=2020-12-19|website=Michigan Water Trails}}</ref>

It was rebuilt in 1906 and designed as the classic white structure that has become one of the iconic landmarks on the island. The lighthouse is considered a symbol of Grosse Ile; its image is used on the masthead of the ''Ile Camera'' community newspaper and many other places. The lighthouse's beacon was turned off in the 1940s, and the structure is no longer an important navigation aid for [[lake freighter]]s. Small boaters still refer to the lighthouse in their navigation of the area.<ref name=":1" />

In 1965, the Grosse Ile Township purchased the lighthouse from the [[U.S. Department of the Interior]] for $350, with funds provided by the Grosse Ile Historical Society (GIHS). The GIHS was given the responsibility to preserve and maintain the lighthouse. The GIHS annually holds a tour of the lighthouse during a weekend each fall, which is the only time of the year that it is open to the public.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grosse Ile North Channel Range Front Light|url=http://www.lighthouse.boatnerd.com/gallery/Detroit/grosseile.htm|access-date=2020-12-19|website=www.lighthouse.boatnerd.com}}</ref>

Island resident Cameron Waterman invented the [[outboard motor]] and successfully tested his invention during February 1905 in the ice-filled Detroit River off the shore of Grosse Ile.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grosse Ile Township {{!}} Economic Development|url=https://www.waynecounty.com/departments/econdev/grosse-ile-township.aspx|access-date=2020-12-19|website=www.waynecounty.com}}</ref> He established the Waterman Marine Motor Company in Detroit. The company eventually manufactured and sold up to 1,000 outboard motors per year until Waterman sold the business in 1917. During the fall of 2005, the GIHS celebrated the 100th anniversary of Waterman's invention by hosting a public exhibition featuring fully restored Waterman outboard motors. These are highly collectible and very rare.

During the [[Prohibition era]], Grosse Ile became a crossing point for [[rum-running|bootleg]]gers illegally smuggling alcoholic beverages from [[Canada]]. They typically arrived at the island via small speed boats. During the winter months, some daring [[smuggling|smugglers]] drove cars across the frozen river.<ref name=":1" />

===Aviation and military===
[[File:NAS Grosse Ile NAN2-47.jpg|thumb|Naval Air Station]]
During the 1920s and 1930s, a small airport on the southern end of Grosse Ile was the location of historic early aviation activities. The [[Curtiss-Wright]] Flying Service operated a flying school at the airport. The Aircraft Development Corporation built the world's first all-metal [[airship]], the [[ZMC-2]], for the Navy in a large hangar.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U. S. Navy ZMC-2, world's first metalclad airship, constructed at Grosse Ile airport, Detroit, for the U. S. Navy, by the Aircraft development corporation, division of Detroit aircraft corporation {{!}} SFO Museum|url=https://www.sfomuseum.org/aviation-museum-library/collection/9647|access-date=2020-12-19|website=www.sfomuseum.org}}</ref> [[Amelia Earhart]] is rumored to have stopped at the airfield on occasion.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-05-08|title=Amelia Earhart's Visit to Grosse Pointe|url=https://patch.com/michigan/grossepointe/amelia-earharts-visit-to-grosse-pointe|access-date=2020-12-19|website=Grosse Pointe, MI Patch|language=en}}</ref>

Grosse Ile was the home of a [[U.S. Navy]] base for forty years. The U.S. Naval Air Station Grosse Ile opened in 1929 after three years of construction of [[seaplane]] and [[dirigible]] facilities. During [[World War II]], the naval base developed into an important center for military [[flight training]]. The base was expanded considerably to accommodate large numbers of American and British fliers who trained on the island.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Naval Air Station Grosse Ile – Military History of the Upper Great Lakes|url=https://ss.sites.mtu.edu/mhugl/2017/10/22/naval-air-station-grosse-ile/|access-date=2020-12-19|language=en-US}}</ref> As a young man during WWII, [[George H. W. Bush]] was stationed at the base for training during 1945 for about two months. He later became a politician and President of the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-21|title=George H.W. Bush Downriver Residency|url=https://www.discoverdownriver.com/history/george-h-w-bush-downriver-residency/|access-date=2020-12-19|website=Discover Downriver|language=en-US}}</ref>

During the height of the [[Cold War]], in 1954 the [[U.S. Army]] installed an [[Project Nike|Ajax-Nike missile]] base at the airfield; it was functional until being decommissioned in 1963. The Navy closed the base during November 1969. The federal government transferred it in 1971 to the township government for civilian use as a municipal airport.<ref name=":2" />

Today, the [[Grosse Ile Municipal Airport]] is used primarily for general aviation. It has also been the site of public airshows. Occasionally it serves as a temporary docking area for [[blimp]]s that visit southeastern Michigan to fly over major sporting events. The United States [[Environmental Protection Agency]] (USEPA) operated the Large Lakes Research Station in one of the buildings on the airport grounds, until its closure in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Group|first=Colin Maloney For MediaNews|title=EPA employees say moving from Grosse Ile to Ann Arbor puts 'lives in danger'|url=https://www.thenewsherald.com/news/epa-employees-say-moving-from-grosse-ile-to-ann-arbor-puts-lives-in-danger/article_a6987ff2-d344-11e9-ad62-ef260b01e9ba.html|access-date=2020-12-19|website=News-Herald|language=en}}</ref> The airport campus is also the site of Grosse Ile Township Hall, which was moved to this location in 2000 from Macomb Street, and a number of private businesses.

===Railroads and bridges===

In 1873 the Canada Southern Bridge Company, a subsidiary of the [[Canada Southern Railroad Company]], established a railroad from the Michigan mainland to the island that carried both passengers and freight. The company laid tracks across Grosse Ile and built bridges over the Detroit River to enable trains to be transferred to a ferryboat on Stony Island (one of the islands near the east shoreline of Grosse Ile's "main island"). Once on the ferryboat, the train cars were taken to [[Ontario, Canada]] across the river, where they were put back on a rail track to travel to [[Buffalo, New York]] and other points east. Canada Southern operated trains on this route for about ten years before ceasing service due to financial difficulties.<ref name=":0" />

After Canada Southern ended its operations, the [[Michigan Central Railroad]] (MCR) operated a train that provided service between the island and [[Trenton, Michigan]]. From Trenton, travelers could connect with trains or streetcars to Detroit and other cities in the region. In 1904, the Michigan Central Railroad built a small brick and stone depot along the tracks near East River Road on the east side of the island.

Train service peaked during the early 20th century, but rapidly declined after [[Edward W. Voigt]]'s [[Grosse Ile Bridge Company]] opened the [[Grosse Ile Toll Bridge]] for automobile traffic on November 27, 1913 (Thanksgiving Day). The bridge, which is privately owned, is on the west side of the island and connects to the city of [[Riverview, Michigan|Riverview]]. After automobile traffic crossing the bridge became the most popular means of traveling to and from the island, the Michigan Central Railroad ceased daily passenger service in early 1924; in 1929 it ended its occasional freight service.<ref name=":0" />

During 1931, the county government converted the Michigan Central Railroad's defunct rail bridge crossing the Trenton Channel into the [[Wayne County Bridge]] for use by vehicular, bike and pedestrian traffic. The rail tracks across the island were replaced by a roadway that is now known as Grosse Ile Parkway. The Wayne County Bridge is commonly referred to as the "Free Bridge" by residents because it does not charge a toll.

Today, about three-quarters of the vehicle traffic going to and from Grosse Ile travels over the Wayne County Bridge, while one-quarter crosses the Toll Bridge. The Toll Bridge has been hit twice by [[lake freighter]]s, causing it to close temporarily (in 1965 and in 1992). The Wayne County Bridge was closed to vehicle traffic for major renovations between May 2, 2007, and December 21, 2007. During the 2007 county bridge closure period, the Toll Bridge provided the only route for vehicles to travel to and from the island.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History – Grosse Ile Bridge|url=https://grosseilebridge.com/history/|access-date=2020-12-19|language=en}}</ref>

===Grosse Ile Historic District===
Today, the MCR train depot is owned and operated as a community museum by the Grosse Ile Historical Society (GIHS). Nearby is the old [[U.S. Customs House (Grosse Ile, Michigan)|U.S. Customs House]], which was relocated to the current site in 1980 from Macomb Street. The GIHS also owns the Custom House, and these are the only structures in the [[National Historic Landmark District|National Historic District]] along East River Road that are regularly open to the public. The district features Saint James [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]], the oldest church building on the island, constructed during 1867 in part with funds provided by a freed slave named [[Lisette Denison Forth|Elizabeth Denison]]. The district includes six homes, built from the 1840s to 1860s, that are outstanding examples of period architecture, particularly [[Gothic Revival]] and [[Jacobethan]] Revival.<ref>{{Cite web|title=grosse ile historical society|url=https://www.gihistsoc.org/|access-date=2020-12-19|website=grosse ile historical society|language=en}}</ref>

===Modern times, growth and preservation===

Grosse Ile has good views of commercial shipping and [[pleasure boat]] traffic on the Detroit River. Lake freighters and oceangoing ships traveling to destinations around the Great Lakes regularly pass near the east side of the island, where the main channel of the Detroit River separates Grosse Ile from Ontario, Canada.

While the shoreline areas of Grosse Ile feature the majority of historically significant places and structures, approximately a dozen 1920s-era homes in the Jewell Colony subdivision, located in the middle of the island, are listed on the Michigan Register of Historic Places. Jewell Colony was the first planned subdivision on the island.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grosse Ile Twp. – Wayne County Economic Development|url=https://accesswayne.org/grosse-ile-township/|access-date=2020-12-19|language=en-US}}</ref>

During the later 20th century, Grosse Ile had a significant increase in the rate of residential development, given its advantageous location and other amenities. By the 1980 census, the population of Grosse Ile had increased to approximately 9,300— about 106% over its population in the 1960 census.

Fearing the destruction of the natural character and small-town charm of the community, during the early 1990s the Grosse Ile Township established an "Open Space Program", to be funded by a voter-approved dedicated local property tax to buy undeveloped land. The township acquired large tracts of environmentally sensitive land to slow the pace of development, preserve the environment, and protect housing values.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Welcome to Township of Grosseile, Michigan|url=https://www.grosseile.com/news_detail_T3_R69.php|access-date=2020-12-19|website=www.grosseile.com}}</ref>

In 1993, a group of residents established a 501(c)(3) [[non-profit organization]] named the Grosse Ile Land & Nature Conservancy, to aid in the protection and stewardship of the diverse natural resources on the island. A number of private owners donated environmentally important woodland and wetland areas to the Conservancy to protect them (and to get a tax write-off.)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grosse Ile Nature and Land Conservancy|url=http://www.ginlc.org/|access-date=2020-12-19|website=www.ginlc.org}}</ref>

The U.S. EPA granted stewardship responsibilities to the Conservancy for a {{convert|40.5|acre|adj=on}} marsh and upland area on the federally owned section of the Grosse Ile Municipal Airport. This tract of land, which at one time was the location of the Navy's seaplane base and later the Army's Nike missile base, has been restored to its natural state; it features rich biodiversity and rare coastal wetlands. Named the Nature Area by the Conservancy, this land is periodically used by local teachers and [[Scouting in Michigan|Boy Scout groups]] to teach children about nature and the importance of conservation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nature Area|url=http://www.ginlc.org/nature_area.html|access-date=2020-12-19|website=www.ginlc.org}}</ref>

Grosse Ile is a community of about 10,371 residents.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |title=Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Grosse Ile township, Wayne County, Michigan |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=September 8, 2011 }}</ref> ''Money'' magazine ranked Grosse Ile as one of the "Top 100 Best Places to Live" in 2009.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2009/snapshots/PL2635440.html|title=Best Places to Live 2009 - Top 100: Grosse Ile, MI|date=July 13, 2009|magazine=Money Magazine|access-date=2009-07-14}}</ref>