Fox Islands (Michigan)

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The Fox Islands consist of the North Fox and South Fox islands, in Lake Michigan. The islands are approximately 17 miles northwest of Cathead Point near the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan and about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Beaver Island. The three islands form part of an archipelago. There is a lighthouse on South Fox that was built in 1867 and operated until 1959. Both Islands are part of Leelanau County, Michigan.

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[edit] North Fox Island

North Fox is the smaller of the two islands, 3.32 km² (1.282 sq mi, or 820.5 acres) in area, roughly 2 miles (3 km) wide by 1 mile (2 km) long. This island was purchased by real estate magnate David V. Johnson in 1994 for $1.3 million, and the entire island was sold back to the State of Michigan for $2.2 million at the end of the year 2000.

In the mid-1970s a child pornography ring was discovered operating on North Fox Island. The proprietor of the island used his position in a large social program to fly boys in his private plane to his island retreat. The Ann Arbor News published a story in their weekend magazine on the proprietor's life, then published a second story when the crimes were uncovered.

[edit] South Fox Island

South Fox Island is 13.89 km² (5.3635 sq mi, or 3,432.6 acres) in area, and about 5 miles (8 km) long and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide. As of 2001, David V. Johnson also owned about two-thirds of South Fox. The other third was owned by the State of Michigan, including the two lighthouses on the southern tip of the island. There is no ferry service to South Fox, and it has no docks, fuel or sheltered harbor.

The Old South Fox Island Lighthouse was built in 1867 and includes a 39-foot (12 m) tall square brick tower attached to a keeper's house. The light itself was a flashing red, 4th order Fresnel lens. It is currently boarded up and abandoned, as is a newer assistant keeper's dwelling next door, built in 1910.

In 1934, a newer 60-foot (18 m) tall, tower was built closer to the shoreline. This light tower came from Sapelo Island, and is a square, pyramidal, cast iron skeletal tower of the 'Sanibel' class. It has an enclosed steel spiral stairway that leads to the 10-sided lantern room at the top. A nearby fog signal building, built 1895, is closed. This tower is currently inactive.

Johnson built an airstrip and a residence on the southern island. He had originally proposed swapping North Fox Island with the state for the third of South Fox that he did not own, but he settled in 2003 for a consolidation deal which traded 218 acres (0.9 km²) of state owned land on the southern part of South Fox for 219 acres (0.9 km²) on the north and central parts of the same island. This deal was finalized in March 2003 over the objections of various local environmental groups. In the days just before last November’s election, developer David Johnson and two senior executives at his company, Victor International Corporation, made large contributions to Mike Cox, the Republican who narrowly won the statewide election for attorney general, according to public records maintained by the Michigan Department of State. The campaign contributions have attracted new scrutiny because Mr. Cox's election apparently sealed a disputed public/private land swap involving property that Mr. Johnson owns on South Fox Island.

Mr. Johnson owns 2,204 acres (9 km²) on the isolated 3,400 acres (14 km²) Lake Michigan island 25 miles (40 km) west of the Leelanau County coast. South Fox Island boasts some of the most spectacular freshwater maritime scenery in the world, including towering dunes, virgin cedars, and untouched beaches. Mr. Johnson’s effort to gain control of the best parts of these public lands touched off a statewide controversy that has persisted for a decade. It was finally settled when, over the strenuous objection of many environmental groups and a number of public officials, Attorney General Cox’s office gave final approval to the swap.

The several-million-dollar residence Johnson built on the island was originally located on the southeastern shoreline about 1/3 of the way north of the southern tip. In the winter of 2002-2003, a sinkhole developed offshore directly in front of the house, and the house was subsequently relocated to a site north of the airstrip.

The island includes a cemetery where members of the Grand Traverse Band of Native Americans are currently buried.

Deer were introduced onto the island in 1915. Hunting is permitted on state land by permit only.

The Fox Island Lighthouse Association (FILA), a non-profit organization, was formed in 2004 to aid in helping to preserve this historic Great Lakes maritime complex. Visit http://southfox.org for further information.

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