Summary
Trout Island is a small island northwest of High Island in the Beaver Island archipelago. OSM identifies its polygon as way 157476170; the area recorded here is computed from that polygon in EPSG:3078.
The island’s modern development history is documented in two Beaver Beacon reports. In May 1968, the paper reported that Henry Allen had begun developing the island, with lake-shore lots planned and a landing strip proposed. In September 1970, it reported that Allen and his sons had worked on the strip for two years, that the island had been divided into ten-acre parcels, and that Emory Griffin had begun a 28-by-40-foot house on the first parcel. The latter article characterized Trout Island as having been uninhabited for many years; that is retained as a dated local description, not treated as a complete settlement history.
Open questions
- Did the proposed landing strip become operational, and how long did the parcel development continue?
- Which earlier Indigenous, fishing, logging, or seasonal uses are documented in maps, newspapers, or land records?
Sources
- OpenStreetMap contributors, island polygons via Overpass API, retrieved 2026-07-28 (ODbL 1.0).Area 0.50 km² computed in EPSG:3078.osm · islands
- Beaver Beacon, May 1968, “Out Island Development.”Reports Henry Allen's proposed lake-shore lot development and landing strip on Trout Island.
- Beaver Beacon, September 1970, “Trout Island Building.”Reports a landing strip under development, ten-acre parcels, the first home under construction, and the local description that the island had been uninhabited for many years.