![]() Water levels rose and fell over the years. At the time Mackinac Island rose to the surface Bois Blanc Island was still under water. Glaciers retreated from the area about 9000 B.C., and the land rose once the huge weight of the ice was removed. The first answer to the mystery as to why Mackinac Island rose to prominence is that it literally did rise. It’s much smaller neighbor, Mackinac Island, has garnered the lion’s share of fame and fortune, both now and historically (that’s just fine with most of us islanders – we like our peace and quiet). Bois Blanc is the largest of the three islands in the Straits of Mackinac, joining Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, yet is the least known. ![]() The name actually refers to the basswood tree, which is white under its bark and was much prized by early settlers for the strong ropes and mats that could be made from the inner bark. Perhaps the most common misconception is that Bois Blanc, meaning ‘white wood’ in French, was named for its birch trees. ![]() Once on a carriage tour of Mackinac, I asked the driver about “that island out there,” and he replied, “Oh, only millionaires and rattlesnakes live there.” Many have stood on the shores of the Straits of Mackinac and wondered, “What is that island like?” Perhaps that is why the editors of Traverse Magazine report that their largest selling issue by far was the one which featured “The Straits’ Other Island, Bois Blanc” on the cover. Mysteries and misconceptions about Bois Blanc Island abound.
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