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| View of Mouse Island by Platt Studios Charles E. Frohman Collection |
Cabins ca. 1912
“There is
something romantic in that idea of having an island all to one’s self.
Ex-President Hayes felt it years ago when his children were young, for he
bought a mile or so off the [Catawba] Peninsula, a small island ” …. so wrote
Henry Howe in his history of Ohio. Howe further described the island as "a very small
affair, so small one might someday take a fancy to pick it up, slip it in his vest
pocket as he would his watch and walk off with it.”
In 1874, then Governor Hayes purchased Lake Erie’s Mouse Island jointly with
Fremont attorney Ralph Buckland and Dr. L. Q. Rawson. The private island,
sometimes called Hat Island in early records, was acquired from Ira Dutcher of
Catawba.
Hayes believed it would be a great spot for his family to camp, boat,
swim, and especially fish (Lucy’s favorite past time). When Hayes returned to
Ohio during his presidency, the family spent time on the island. In 1879, Hayes
purchased Dr. Rawson’s portion of the island. And at the turn of the century,
the Bucklands exchanged their portion of Mouse for land Hayes and the Bucklands
owned jointly in Omaha, Nebraska.
Through the years, Hayes had numerous opportunities to sell the island,
but his children and their friends continued to enjoy time spent each summer on
the heavily wooded island. President Hayes’ son Birchard and his children Webb,
Scott, and Walter, built two cabins, a boat house, dock, ice house, tennis
court, and a hand ferry to shore. They also supplied the island with water.
The brothers worked each
summer to repair damage brought on by the previous winter’s storms. But time
and weather continued to take a toll on the island’s structures. With Scott’s
move to Los Angeles and Admiral Webb Hayes away much of the time, there were fewer opportunities for
the Hayes grandchildren to visit the island. Even though time spent at Mouse became rare, it
was not until 1966 that they finally decided it was time to part with the “emerald
isle” the family had enjoyed for more than 90 years!
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| Native Stone Chimney 1912 |
Fireplace 1912
Titled "Hayes Construction Company"
Birchard Hayes and Sons Scott and Walter
Birchard Hayes and Sons Scott and Walter
on their Newly Built Dock
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| Dalton Hayes and Elizabeth Boarding Their Boat the "Owl" |
Mr and Mrs. Birchard Hayes at the Cabin
The Dock
9 comments:
So much fun to learn some history of Mouse Island!
Great info. Thanks for that wonderful bit of history!
My Mother and her Family spent a summer on the island around 1937 and she wrote a story about it in detail. She passed away this June and we found it among her memoirs. THey stayed with descendants of President Hayes. Mr. Hayes was a friend and Partner of my grandfathers insurance company in Toledo Ohio. They enjoyed the tennis court and had a constant flow of guest that summer that they brought over in a small boat with outboard from the mainland.
When I was very young (I am now 70+) my family spent many summers camping at East Harbor State Park. Part of our enjoyment was renting a small boat with a small motor on the mainland (Catawba, I believe) and taking it a little distance to Mouse. We tramped through the woods, viewed the ruins and wondered about the history of Mouse Island. Thanks for filing in the blanks. Precious memories.
Who presently owns it? I’d like to see the ruins, if they still exist.
I cannot be certain who owns it at present. It was sold by the Hayes family in 1966 to Marianne Mercer of Rocky River, Ohio. This was according to the public records at the Ottawa County, Ohio Courthouse, Recorder's Office. I have not checked recently for any possible further transactions. Nan
The Ottawa County Auditor records show it is now owner by John Mercer of Ann Arbor MI.
There is no record of a sale so I would guess that John inherited it from Marianne Mercer.
What is the land area of Mouse Island. I saw it from a distance many times, on tours of Lake Erie,but our boat never approached it Leslie
The Ottawa County Auditor's office states that Mouse Island is seven acres. Nan
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