Isle Royale Travelog The History of Isle Royale The island of
Isle Royale has had a long and varied history. The island itself
came into being around 1.2 billion years ago in the Precambrian
era. Continuous pounding by wind, rain, and glaciers have molded
the island into its current configuration, a wilderness
measuring 45 miles long by 8.5 miles wide, and covering an area
of more than 850 square miles. The island lies some 40 miles
north of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and 18 miles south of
Ontario, Canada in the heart of Lake Superior. It is estimated
that man may have arrived on the island as early as 7000b.c.
White explorers, namely French, began to explore the region in
the late 17th century in search of copper. They also bestowed
upon the island its formal name, Isle Royale. The possible
importance of the island as a source for natural resources was
not overlooked in 1783 when Benjamin Franklin negotiated the
Treaty of Paris, insisting that the island be included in United
States territory. Although the i