West Sister Island

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West Sister Island is an island of the U.S. state of Ohio located in Lake Erie. The 82 acre (332,000 m²) island is in the Western Basin of Lake Erie.

A lighthouse was established on the westernmost point of West Sister Island in 1848 to mark the west end of the South Passage through Lake Erie’s Bass Islands. Standing on a stone foundation, the limestone and brick tower rises to a height of 55 feet (17 m). The West Sister Island Lighthouse is still active, and is one of the oldest lighthouses to survive on the Great Lakes.

West Sister Island was a popular stop for bootleggers during prohibition. The island provided a certain level of visual cover from the authorities for rum runners crossing the lake. When approached by these authorities, bootleggers would often dump their illegal stash overboard. Legend has it that bottles of prohibition-era alcohol can still be found on the bottom of the lake around the island.

According to legend, the last lighthouse keeper to leave the island raised rabbits, and released all of them to the wild after his departure. These rabbits quickly multiplied and created a hunting environment akin to shooting fish in a barrel. For years afterward, it was possible to purchase illegally-hunted West Sister Island rabbit meat in nearby mainland communities such as Toledo, Monroe, and Port Clinton.

The island is jointly owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and managed and designated as a wilderness area. The only wilderness area in Ohio, the island is home to many birds. To protect vital nesting areas of the island's bird population, public access is permitted for research only.

West Sister Island was once rumored to be the final resting place of missing Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. It was speculated that after his abduction in Detroit, he was brought by boat to the island and buried. The island's jungle-like environment would have made discovery of his remains difficult; however these conditions would also have made the deposit of his remains difficult, therefore the island is not one of the more widely-considered possibilities in the case.