Summary
Jensen Harbor is a GNIS-named bay on Garden Island. A June 1965 Charlevoix Courier account of a Beaver Island excursion describes a boat trip to the shallow bays of Garden Island and says that a raw northeast wind made Jensen Harbor rough while the party fished for bass. The report provides direct local use of the name and a contemporary recreational/fishing context; it does not describe permanent harbor structures or define the bay’s shoreline.
Open questions
- Can a chart or Garden Island map establish the harbor’s shoreline and relation to Indian Harbor and other named bays?
- What is the origin of the name “Jensen Harbor,” and which Jensen family or property records might explain it?
- Are there additional historic navigation or fishing references that distinguish Jensen Harbor from nearby Garden Island waters?
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System, Domestic Names (Michigan), retrieved 2026-07-28.GNIS feature 629260; feature class 'Bay'.federal · gnis · gnis_names
- Charlevoix Courier, June 16, 1965, "Clevenger Basks in Therapy of Islands."A Beaver Island excursion account places Jensen Harbor among the shallow bays of Garden Island and describes fishing there during a visit by Congressman Raymond Clevenger and companions.