Green Island is an island in Green Bay and part of Marinette County, Wisconsin. The Green Island Light is on the island.[1]
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The 87+ acre island is crescent shaped and has submerged shoals extending out half or more on each of the southern sides. The northern side consists of large boulders and rock. The southern side is weathered gravel and small stone. Safe anchorage on the southern side can be had up to 25 to 50 feet (15 m) off shore. As for the northern side, one must stay out at least 150–200 feet.
Green Island was once called Sullivan's Island during the fur trapping era (from Jean Nicolet's account of his exploration of La Baie des Puants) and before the expansion of U.S. territory. In the mid 18th century it was in French possession. After the French and Indian Wars the territory was in British control until the War of 1812, when the territory now comprising Michigan, Wisconsin and other states was ceded to the U.S Government by treaty. In the summer of 1816 a flotilla of four ships established a U.S. fort, Fort Howard, at La Baye, now the city of Green Bay.
The expedition had been split up by a squall around "Death's Door." The flagship Washington, guided by French trapper August Grignon, took refuge upon an island to the north of Death's Door, which is now called Washington Island. The second group headed south to seek refuge at an island, then called Vermillion Island. This group was guided by French fur trapper Stanislaus Chappieu, or Louis Chappee, as he is sometimes called.
Whether the names Sullivan's Island or Vermillion Island are actually what is known as Green Island today is speculation, and when the term Green Island was first applied is still being researched. But by the year 1840, the year of the first government survey, the island was called Green Island and was in possession of the local Native Americans. Whether these were Menominees or Ho-Chunk is in question. The 1840 surveyors didn't actually visit the island; it was hand-drawn on the plat map of the areas around Marinette and Menominee.
The years 1840–1850 saw a great expansion of the area's lumber industry. The area around Marinette, Wisconsin and Menominee, Michigan grew at an accelerated rate. By 1860 the need for a navigational aid on Green Island was addressed by the 4th district of the U.S. Light Keepers based in Detroit, Michigan. Previously, on March 2, 1854, Peter McBride had been issued a land patent, making him the owner of the entire 87.72-acre (355,000 m2) island.
On March 3, 1859 the United States government appropriated $6000 to be spent on erecting at lighthouse on Green Island or any adjacent islands. Then on April 2, 1860 the State of Wisconsin passed an act ( Chapter 374 of the Laws of 1860) authorizing land to be seized for use by the state.[2] On September 12, 1860, the island was surveyed and five stone monoliths were placed to mark the borders of the 1.998-acre (8,090 m2) site that was seized for use by the United States Light House Service. The fifth stone depicting the U.S. Light House Service insignia was placed next to marker #4. With the funds already appropriated, construction of the lighthouse began immediately. The State of Wisconsin ceded the property to the U.S. government and by September 9, 1863 notice was issued that the lighthouse was nearing completion and that a lighthouse keeper was to be assigned immediately. Of the $6000 appropriated for construction, $5998.06 was spent.
A Notice to Mariners (#115) was published on September 10, 1863 of the new lighthouse in Green Bay and its first exhibition was on October 1, 1863. The light, 50 feet (15 m) above the mean level of Green Bay, is a 4th-order Fresnel lens showing a fixed white light, which under normal conditions is visible for 12 nautical miles (22 km). The position of this light is: Lat. 45 degrees 03 minutes 23 sec.North Long. 87 degrees 30 minutes 00 secs West of Greenwich.
Prior to the 1863 building of the lighthouse, there are records of a light boat that was stationed at the Green Island shoals. A letter dated September 5, 1861 from 10th District acting inspector Mayhew of Buffalo, New York states, "Green Island Lt. Station Wis. Transmits Bill & Letter relating to Repairs of Boat."
When the lighthouse was first lit on October 1, 1863, the type of fuel used is not known, but it could have been fish oil, Sperm whale oil, colza, or lard oil. At the time, kerosene was considered far too dangerous. By 1863 sperm whale oil had risen to $ 2.43 per gallon and in consequence colza, or rapeseed oil, was introduced. Around 1867 lard oil was substituted for sperm whale oil, and colza oil in cold weather.
It is not known who was on duty for the first lighting of the lighthouse lamp, but the first assigned lightkeeper was Samuel P. Drew, previously the keeper at Chambers Island, Wisconsin. His appointment began on October 26, 1863 at a salary of $400 per year.
On July 9, 1867 Samuel Drew's salary was increased to $560 per year. This was the same year that his wife, Mary Drew, was appointed assistant lighthouse keeper, at a salary of $400 per. This appointment was disallowed by the Lighthouse Service in 1870, as a change of policy. Around this same time, Samuel Drew's salary was increased to $600 per year.
Samuel Drew and his wife Mary seem to have been in the lighthouse service for some time prior to his Green Island appointment. Their children are as follows: James, born 1845 in Lockport, New York; Helen Marie, born April 9, 1846 in Buffalo, New York; George W., born June 8, 1850 in Buffalo; Kate, born March 11, 1856 on Rock Island; Mary, born September 15, 1858 on St. Martin's Island; Wilbur, born 1861 on Washington Island; and Anna Hilda, born June 30, 1869 on Green Island, who died September 26, 1869 and was buried on the island. Some websites show the gravestone of Anna H. Drew, which is near the ruins of the lighthouse, but this is not the original burial site. Vandals removed the original two markers and it took some 30 years before the culprit came forward with them. A great-grandson of Samuel Drew returned the grave markers to the island ca. 1990 and remounted then under a large lilac tree just 4 feet (1.2 m) from the front door of the old lighthouse. Anna's original burial lies to the southeast and was supposedly under another lilac tree that was on Drew property. The last son, Frank Albert Drew, born March 3, 1868 on Green Island, later became a heroic lighthouse keeper and has a U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender named in his honor. Two daughters were married on the island: Helen Marie on June 27, 1871 and Mary E. on April 9, 1878.
In 1864 there was a fire at the lighthouse, although not documented by name. One report(by George Putnam) indicates, "in 1864 a Lake Michigan Lighthouse keeper on his own responsibility, used kerosene in his lamp, but after several nights an explosion scattered oil all over the keeper, and a second violent explosion blew out the whole lantern from the tower and destroyed the lens." A second document from Lighthouse Service engineer J. D. Graham of the 11th District Detroit, dated March 29, 1864 states, "Green Island Light Station Wis. Estimate as to erection of temporary Structure and report of Clerk of Works A. Lederle, on damage by fire to.."
| Name | Position | From | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Drew | keeper | October 27, 1863 | May 27, 1881 |
| Mary Lee Drew | asst. keeper | August 6, 1867 | September 30, 1870 |
| Joseph Harris | keeper | May 28, 1881 | February 11, 1882 |
| Benjamin Cain | keeper | February 11, 1882 | August 31, 1882 |
| Thomas Robinson | keeper | August 31, 1882 | February 7, 1883 |
| William Wheatley | keeper | February 7, 1883 | September 10, 1885 |
| Soren Christianson | asst. keeper | April 19, 1890 | April 28, 1890 |
| Soren Christianson | keeper | April 28, 1890 | September 15, 1893 |
| Peter Duer | keeper | September 16, 1893 | October 13, 1897 |
| William Schroeder | keeper | October 13, 1897 | May 1, 1900 |
| James Wachter | keeper | May 1, 1900 | July 16, 1909 |
| Frank Drew | asst. keeper | November 1903 | July 16, 1909 |
| Frank Drew | keeper | July 16, 1909 | March 31, 1929 |
| Edward Cornell | keeper | March 31, 1929 | 1931 |
| Alfred Cornell | asst. keeper | 1929 | 1931 |
| Alfred Cornell | keeper | 1931 | July 1933 |
| Michael Drezdzen | asst. keeper | 1931 | July 1933 |
| Unmanned automated battery power | 1933 | 1957 |
60 ft (18 m) steel tower erected in 1957 to present, at present is solar powered.
Green Island was formed during the glacial period at the end of the Pleistocene Era, around 9000 to 8500 B.C. It is composed of several types of glacial deposits consisting of sandstone, limestone, granites, and white and black marble.
The center of the island is 690 feet (210 m) above sea level and is of mixed forest, with large stumps of white pine and oak. The island is now heavily forested with a mix of hardwoods and softwoods, including white cedar, aspen, lombardy poplar, pin oak, willows, maples, white ash, and others. The once cultivated areas are now heavily forested with lilacs, staghorn sumacs, and several fruit-bearing berry trees. The island is also thickly covered with poison ivy and poison oak, thistle bushes, red raspberry, ragweed, and various mosses and lichens. One should wear protective clothing to prevent exposure from the poisonous plants.
The first recorded deed for Green Island was issued to Peter McBride, on March 2, 1854. McBride had mortgaged half interest in the island to A. C. Conn on September 29, 1857. In 1864 McBride was compensated $39.96 for the parcel ceded to the U.S. government for the 1.9-acre (7,700 m2) lighthouse site. Later, in 1866, A. C. Conn foreclosed on the McBride property and sold the entire island to Leroy Ireland for $190. This deed was recorded on July 21, 1866.
The U.S. government surveyed the 1.9-acre (7,700 m2) lighthouse site in 1860 and four stone monuments were placed, along with a fifth monument bearing the U.S. Lighthouse Service inscription. .79 acres (3,200 m2) of the southeast side remained private property, which was purchased by Samuel Drew, around 1867, when Leroy Ireland sold half interest to Drew. Ireland and Drew were to hold the title to the island in common. Then on July 30, 1867 Ireland sold his interest in the island to Daniel Nason, who in turn sold his interest to Elezner Ingalls for $200. Samuel and Mary Drew bought Ingalls half of the island on June 15, 1870 for $200. The Drews then owned the entire island except for the government's 1.9 acres (7,700 m2). On October 16, 1878 Drew sold the southeastern tip of .79 acres (3,200 m2) to the U.S. government for $150.