North Maumee Bay Archeological District
Encyclopedia
The North Maumee Bay Archeological District is a historic district
located in the southeasternmost corner of Erie Township
in Monroe County
, Michigan
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on December 5, 1980.
While the official address of the archeological site is restricted, the district incorporates the area of the North Maumee Bay
at the mouth of the Ottawa River
and Maumee River
in Lake Erie
. The sparsely populated area includes the Woodtick Peninsula, Gard Island, Indian Island, the Erie Marsh Preserve, the Erie Fish and Hunt Club, and much of the grassy shoreline and interior wetlands. Public access is permitted, and the area is a well known fishing destination. It is also known for one of the areas under dispute during the Toledo War
between Michigan and Ohio from 1835–1836, although no actual conflict took place on the land.
In 2006, the Erie Marsh Preserve was incorporated into the expanding Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
. At 3.46 mi² (8.97 km²), the Erie Marsh Preserve doubled the size of the growing refuge and remains the refuge's largest property. At 19 acres (7.7 ha), Gard Island was also incorporated into the wildlife refuge at the same time. These two areas represent the southernmost portions of the wildlife refuge. Properties within the district are owned by private land owners, The Nature Conservancy
, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
.
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
located in the southeasternmost corner of Erie Township
Erie Township, Michigan
Erie Township is a civil township of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,850 at the 2000 census. The township is served by Mason Consolidated Schools.-Geography:...
in Monroe County
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on December 5, 1980.
While the official address of the archeological site is restricted, the district incorporates the area of the North Maumee Bay
Maumee Bay
Maumee Bay on Lake Erie is located in the U.S. state of Ohio, just east of the city of Toledo. The bay and the surrounding wetlands form most of the Maumee River basin, and in 1975 part of the area was incorporated into Maumee Bay State Park. The park is not huge, covering , but its wetlands...
at the mouth of the Ottawa River
Ottawa River (Lake Erie)
The Ottawa River, also known as Ottawa Creek, is a short river, approximately long , in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan in the United States. It drains an area on the Ohio-Michigan border along the eastern and northern fringes of the city of Toledo, goes through Ottawa Hills, and empties...
and Maumee River
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
in Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
. The sparsely populated area includes the Woodtick Peninsula, Gard Island, Indian Island, the Erie Marsh Preserve, the Erie Fish and Hunt Club, and much of the grassy shoreline and interior wetlands. Public access is permitted, and the area is a well known fishing destination. It is also known for one of the areas under dispute during the Toledo War
Toledo War
The Toledo War , also known as the Michigan-Ohio War, was the almost entirely bloodless boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan....
between Michigan and Ohio from 1835–1836, although no actual conflict took place on the land.
In 2006, the Erie Marsh Preserve was incorporated into the expanding Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife refuge in North America. It was established in 2001 and is managed jointly by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service. The refuge is located along the western coast of Lake...
. At 3.46 mi² (8.97 km²), the Erie Marsh Preserve doubled the size of the growing refuge and remains the refuge's largest property. At 19 acres (7.7 ha), Gard Island was also incorporated into the wildlife refuge at the same time. These two areas represent the southernmost portions of the wildlife refuge. Properties within the district are owned by private land owners, The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
.