A view of Iron Ore Bay on the southern end of Beaver Island. North Fox Island is visible on the horizon.

Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan and part of the Beaver Island archipelago. Once home to a unique American monarchy, the island is now a popular tourist and vacation destination. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1672x464, 299 KB) Photo of Iron Ore Bay in southern Beaver Island, facing south, with North Fox Island visible on the horizon. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1672x464, 299 KB) Photo of Iron Ore Bay in southern Beaver Island, facing south, with North Fox Island visible on the horizon. ... The Fox Islands consist of the North Fox and South Fox islands, in Lake Michigan. ... --67. ... The Mergui Archipelago The Archipelago Sea, situated between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland, the largest archipelago in the world by the number of islands. ...

Geography

Beaver is thirteen miles long, three to six miles wide, and forms part of Charlevoix County, Michigan. It is mostly flat and sandy, with large forested tracts. According to U.S. census data, the island has 55.77 mi² (144.56 km²) of land, and a year-round population of 551. The more densely settled portion, comprising perhaps one-sixth of Beaver's total land area, lies in St. James Township on the northern end. Peaine Township, Michigan, taking up the remaining five-sixths of the island, contains sizable parcels of state-owned land and is mostly undeveloped. Charlevoix County is a county located in the state of Michigan. ... 1880 US Census of Hoboken, New Jersey The United States Census is mandated by the United States Constitution[1]. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats (congressional apportionment), electoral votes, and government program funding. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... St. ... Peaine Township is a township located in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

Beaver Island lies approximately 32 miles from the city of Charlevoix on the mainland, and can only be reached by air or boat. The island has two airports, one public and one private. The ZIP code is 49782. Beaver Island is also the name of an unincorporated community comprising the settled areas of the island. Charlevoix is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Mr. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Economy

Traditionally, the island's main industries have been fishing, logging and farming; but today, the economy revolves around government services, tourism, and home & cottage construction. Recreational opportunities abound in Beaver's harbor, beaches, inland lakes and the state forest, which covers a large portion of the island. A golf course, nature trails, multiple restaurants and hotels, a marina and numerous other amenities cater to both residents and tourists alike.

Beaver Island bills itself as "America's Emerald Isle", partly reflecting the fact that many of its residents are of Irish descent. The Irish people (Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a European ethnic group who originated in Ireland, in north western Europe. ...

Central Michigan University owns and operates a research facility on the island. Central Michigan University (also known as CMU) is a coeducational state university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

The Mormon kingdom on Beaver Island

Known mostly these days for its beaches, forests, recreational harbor and seclusion, at one time Beaver Island was a Mormon kingdom.

It started with the death of Joseph Smith, founder of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormonism). Most Mormons considered Brigham Young to be Smith's successor but many others followed James Jesse Strang. His group relocated to Voree, Wisconsin, and set up a community there. Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The Church of Christ was the original name given to the church formally organized by Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Book of Mormon, see Latter Day Saint movement. ... See also, Brigham Young University Brigham Young (June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877) was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. ... 1856 daguerreotype of James Strang, taken on Beaver Island, Lake Michigan, by J. Atkyn, one of his assassins. ...

Likely seeking both a buffer from persecution and isolation to increase his control of the group, Strang moved his followers to Beaver Island in 1848. The Strangites flourished under Strang's leadership and became a political power in the region. They founded the town of St. James (named after Strang), and built a road called the "King's Highway" into the island's interior that remains one of its main thoroughfares. The Mormons cleared land, built cabins, farms and other improvements, and sought to establish themselves as a permanent presence on Beaver Island. Year 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as the Strangite church, is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement and a part of the Mormon faith. ...

Strang was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1853, and again in 1855. He also founded the first newspaper in Northern Michigan, the Northern Islander. During Strang's stint in the legislature, he made Beaver the center of a brand-new county: Manitou County included the Beaver Islands, Fox Islands, and the Manitou Islands, with the county seat at St. James. Strang also founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite), claiming it to be the sole legitimate continuation of Joseph Smith's church. His organization still exists today (though not on Beaver Island), numbering between 100 and 300 adherents. Once established on Beaver Island, Strang declared himself polygamous. He had five wives and fathered a total of fourteen children. Cora B. Anderson House of Representatives Office Building, Downtown Lansing The Michigan State House of Representatives is the lower body of the Michigan Legislature. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Northern Michigan - or more properly Northern Lower Michigan - is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan, popular as a tourist destination, resort area, and vacation area. ... Manitou County was an insular county in Michigan that was made up of Beaver Island, its surrounding islands, and the Manitou and Fox Islands in Lake Michigan. ... The Fox Islands consist of the North Fox and South Fox islands, in Lake Michigan. ... The Manitou Islands are two uninhabited islands in Lake Michigan, located off the Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan. ... The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as the Strangite church, is a denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement. ...

In 1850 Strang proclaimed himself king, but not of the island itself. Rather, he claimed to be king over his church, which at that time contained most of the island's inhabitants. He was crowned on July 8 of that year inside a large log "tabernacle" built by his followers, in an elaborate ceremony that featured a crown (described by one witness as "a shiny metal ring with a cluster of glass stars in the front"), a red royal robe, a shield, breastplate and wooden scepter. The Mormon tabernacle and Strang's modest house are both long gone, as are the Strangite royal regalia, but a print shop built by his disciples remains--the only Mormon building left on Beaver. Today, it houses a museum dedicated to the island's history. For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Strang and his followers often clashed with their non-Mormon neighbors on Beaver Island and adjacent areas. While claiming to be king only over his own adherents, Strang tended to exert authority over non-Mormons on the island as well, and was regularly accused of forcibly seizing their property and of physically assaulting them. Open hostility between the two groups frequently resulted in violence. Mormons were beaten by local ruffians at the post office, while Strang once fired a cannon at an unruly group who had threatened to drive his people from the island. The Strangites held an increasing monopoly on local government, blurring the distinction between church and state in their utopia.

While Beaver Island's would-be monarch held many progressive ideas (such as the conservation of woodlands), his autarchial style of rule came to be seen by many as intolerable. One edict, for instance, dictated the type of clothing that Strangite women must wear (see bloomers). Two women refused and Strang had their husbands flogged, a task made easier after one of them was caught in the act of adultery with the wife of his business partner. Look up Autarchy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1850s fashion bloomers 1851 caricature of fashion bloomers as being similar to Turkish attire An example of late 19th-century / Edwardian athletic bloomers: the Smith College class of 1902 basketball team 1890s caricature of athletic bloomers as leading women to adopt masculine habits Bloomers is a word which has been...

While recovering from their injuries, the husbands began plotting against Strang. On June 16, 1856 the United States Naval gunboat USS Michigan pulled into the harbor at St. James and invited Strang aboard. As Strang walked down the dock, the two men shot him from behind and then ran to the ship. The boat pulled out and dropped the men off at Mackinac Island without arresting them. Neither was ever convicted of their crimes. is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... USS Michigan was the United States Navy’s first iron-hulled warship and served during the American Civil War. ...

After Strang died from his wounds on July 9, 1856, mobs came from Mackinac Island and nearby St. Helena Island and drove the Strangites (then numbering approximately 2,600 persons) off Beaver Island, confiscating their property. With the Mormons' departure, local government in Manitou County (including Beaver Island) all but ceased. Courts and elections were rarely held. County offices were usually unfilled, and the area acquired a lawless reputation affirmed by Michigan governor John J. Bagley in 1877 when he called for the county's abolition. A bill was accordingly introduced, but it did not pass. A new attempt in 1895 was successful, and the Beaver Islands became part of Charlevoix County while the Fox and Manitou Islands became part of Leelanau County. is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Mackinac Island (pronounced or MACK-in-aw) is an island covering 3. ... St. ... The following are governors of the Territory of Michigan and the U.S. state of Michigan. ... John Judson Bagley (July 24, 1832–December 27, 1881) was born in Medina, New York to John and Mary M. (Smith) Bagley. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Charlevoix County is a county located in the state of Michigan. ... The Manitou Islands are two uninhabited islands in Lake Michigan, located off the Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan. ... Leelanau County is a county located in the state of Michigan. ...

"America's Emerald Isle"

Irish fishermen from Gull Island, Mackinac Island, various port cities on the mainland, and County Donegal in Ireland quickly replaced the Mormons on Beaver Island. Their community, increased by more Irish immigration, would develop a unique identity that was enhanced by the island's isolation from the mainland. Church services and even ordinary conversations were conducted in Gaelic for many years. By the mid 1880's, Beaver was supplying most of the fresh-water fish consumed in the U.S., but overfishing and changes in technology brought the bonanza to an end by 1900. Statistics Province: Ulster Dáil Éireann: Donegal North East, Donegal South West County Town: Lifford Code: DL Area: 4,841 km² Population (2006) 146,956 Website: www. ... This article is about the modern Goidelic language. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ...

In addition to its murdered "king," Beaver Island would later become the home of two other persons who proved locally noteworthy. Father Peter Gallagher, priest from 1865 to 1898, was a colorful and charismatic leader, dominating island life and even getting into a fistfight with one of his parishioners in the island chapel. Feodor Protar, who arrived in 1893, was a disciple of Russian author and pacifist Leo Tolstoy. He served as a local doctor and friend-to-all while living as a recluse in a cabin in the island's interior. Protar died in 1925, leaving many admirers who would treasure his memory for decades to come. 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy(Lyof, Lyoff) (September 9 [O.S. August 28] 1828 – November 20 [O.S. November 7] 1910) (Russian: , IPA:  ), commonly referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer – novelist, essayist, dramatist and philosopher – as well as pacifist Christian anarchist and educational reformer. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Logging, always an important part of the island economy, expanded greatly with the formation of the Beaver Island Logging Company in 1901. Docks, housing, railroads and a mill transformed local scenery for a time, but fishing still remained the main concern. A steep decline in the fish population in the 1940's led to the exodus of most of the island's residents, until tourism in the 1970's brought renewed interest in Beaver. Today the island has become a popular vacation destination for people all over the Great Lakes area, capitalizing on both its unique history and unspoiled beauty. Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Transportation

Beaver Island is served by two airlines, one of which offers air taxi and chartered airline service to the island: http://www.islandairways.com/, and also http://www.freshairaviation.com. Beaver Island Boat Company maintains a regularly-scheduled auto ferry from Charlevoix: http://www.bibco.com/

• Welke Airport
• Beaver Island Airport

Welke Airport (FAA LID: 6Y8) is a public airport Beaver Island in Charlevoix County, Michigan, USA. It is served by one airline. ... Beaver Island Airport (IATA: SJX, ICAO: KSJX) is a general aviation airport located on Beaver Island in Charlevoix County, Michigan, USA. Beaver Island Airport has three runways. ...

Archipelago

The islands in the Beaver Island archipelago include, in rough order of size:

• Beaver Island
• Garden Island
• High Island
• South Fox Island
• Hog Island
• North Fox Island
• Gull Island
• Whiskey Island
• Squaw Island
• Trout Island
• Grape Island
• Hat Island
• Shoe Island
• Pismire Island

Gull, Hat, Pismire, and Shoe Islands constitute the Lake Michigan division of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Garden Island, Michigan is an uninhabited 4,990-acre (20 km²) island located in the Beaver Island archipelago in northern Lake Michigan. ... High Island is an island in Lake Michigan and is part of the Beaver Island archipelago. ... The Fox Islands consist of the North Fox and South Fox islands, in Lake Michigan. ... Hog Island, an uninhabited 2,075-acre (8 km²) island in Lake Michigan, is the fourth largest island in the Beaver Island archipelago. ... The Fox Islands consist of the North Fox and South Fox islands, in Lake Michigan. ... Gull Island in Charlevoix County is the largest of approximately one dozen islands bearing this name in Michigan. ... Squaw Island Lighthouse is a privately owned lighthouse located on Squaw Island in Lake Michigan, about six miles north of Beaver Island. ... Hat Island is a small island on the eastern edge of the Beaver Island archipelago in Lake Michigan. ... Shoe Island is a small island or islet in the Beaver Island archipelago in Lake Michigan. ... Pismire Island is a small island in Lake Michigan of approximately 2. ... The Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a portmanteau designation for eight islands in the North American Great Lakes. ...

Twinning

In 2000, Beaver Island was twinned with Arranmore Island, County Donegal, Ireland.^{[citation needed]} This is a similar process to town twinning. View of Donegal mainland from Arranmore Arranmore Island (Árainn Mhór in Irish) is the largest inhabited island in County Donegal, and the second largest in all of Ireland, with a population of 528 in 2006, down from 543 in 2002, and over 600 in 1996. ... Statistics Province: Ulster Dáil Éireann: Donegal North East, Donegal South West County Town: Lifford Code: DL Area: 4,841 km² Population (2006) 146,956 Website: www. ... Sign denoting twin towns of Neckarsulm, Germany Town twinning is a concept whereby towns or cities in geographically and politically distinct areas are paired with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links. ...

References

• Beaver Island: Peaine township and Saint James township Blocks 1009 through 1048, Blocks 1079 through 1083, Block 1996, Census Tract 9805, Charlevoix County, Michigan United States Census Bureau
• Ancient and modern Michilimackinac, including an account of the controversy between Mackinac and the Mormons. An interesting tale of the conflict between James J. Strang and his "gentile" neighbors on Beaver Island, from Strang's point of view. Includes an account of the cannon-firing incident described above.
• Weeks, Robert P. "For His Was the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory...Briefly." Article in American Heritage Magazine, Vol. 21, Issue 4, June, 1970. [1]

External links

• Beaver Island Forum
• BeaverIsland.net
• Beaver Island Virtual Tour
• Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce
• Satellite map of Beaver Island from Google Maps

Coordinates: 45°40′N, 85°32′W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...