Place to see: Rock Island, Northport, Wisconsin, United States

About this place:

Rock Island, Wisconsin: A Place Where Solitude Reigns.

At the mouth of Green Bay lies Rock Island, a place whose rich history is matched by it’s natural beauty. The island’s ideal location was coveted by a variety of inhabitants. Evidence from American-Indians to French Explorers and Traders to English Settlers has been found on the island.

Fur trading in the region during the 1600’s gave way to fishing and shipping boats in the 1800’s. Lost ships in an area north called “Deaths Door” prompted the government to build a light house in 1836. The lighthouse was inhabited from 1836 to 1945. Some say the lighthouse is still visited by its first resident, David Corbin.

In 1910 the island’s 661 acres were purchased from the state by Chester Thordarson for $5,735. Thordarson was a wealthy Chicago inventor who created the 1,000,000 volt transformer for the 1904 World’s Fair. Mr. Thordarson and his family intended to use the island as a summer residence.

Construction of a boat house and residence started around 1926, which included Thordarson’s Icelandic and Japanese influences. The interior of the boathouse houses numerous pieces of furniture carved by artisans flown in from Iceland. Japanese influence dominated the garden (removed in the 1940’s) along with two Pagodas. All of these structures were built with stones from the island’s shore and can still be seen today.

The island was purchased back for $175,000 by the State of Wisconsin in 1964, 19 years after Thordarson’s death. It became a state park.

Today visiting the island requires 2 ferries. One car ferry from the mainland to Washington Island and another passenger ferry (Karfi) from Washington Island to Rock Island. Ferries leave Rock Island 2-3 times a day depending on the season.

Camping on Rock Island allows visitors to sleep next to the shore or under the cover of a pine forest. Campers bring carts to carry gear, as a 1-2 mile walk to a campsite is common. No electricity is available on the Island and cars are prohibited.

4 trails cover the island bringing you up close to Indian mounds, cemeteries, a light house and the island’s rocky cliffs and forests. Wildlife found on the park include: Bald Eagles, Deer, Frogs, Red Squirrels and Pine Snakes.

Very few places have the kind of natural beauty and history as Rock Island does. It is a park with it’s own museum, telling visitors stories that you remember long after leaving the island.