What is Turtle Island in Lake Erie?

Turtle Island, located near the mouth of the Maumee River on Lake Erie’s west side, is a 1.5-acre island in the middle of the Michigan-Ohio border. Named for Chief Little Turtle, the island's lengthy history involves the Miami Indians, wars, property disputes, a lighthouse and several transfers of ownership.

The Miami tribe first used Turtle Island to gather seagull eggs. Later, the island housed a British fort and a lighthouse. Disputes over which state, Michigan or Ohio, held jurisdiction over the island led to many conflicts over the years. The island has since been abandoned and the lighthouse, officially closed in 1904, is on the "Lighthouse Digest" annual list of endangered U.S. lighthouses.