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The name Belle Isle (an archaic spelling of Belle Île) means "beautiful island" in French. On July 4, 1845, a historic picnic party was held on the island attendees decided to change its name to "Belle Isle" in honor of Miss Isabelle Cass, daughter of Governor (General) Lewis Cass. A monument to him was erected in the Washington Boulevard Historic District in downtown Detroit. He was later appointed as Commanding General of the US Army. was assigned to this region and owned the island as his estate.
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They allowed their livestock free range on the island.įollowing his victory in the War of 1812, American General Alexander Macomb, Jr. The island was settled by French colonists in the 18th century, who named it Île aux Cochons (Hog Island). "Pig Island" (Île aux Cochons) on a French map of 1796 The Detroit Yacht Club is located on an adjacent island, connected to Belle Isle by a bridge. It is also the site of a Coast Guard station. It is connected to mainland Detroit by the MacArthur Bridge.īelle Isle Park is home to the Belle Isle Aquarium, the Belle Isle Conservatory, the Belle Isle Nature Center, the James Scott Memorial Fountain, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, a municipal golf course, a half-mile (800 m) swimming beach, and numerous other monuments and attractions. Belle Isle Park is the largest city-owned island park in the United States, and Belle Isle is the third largest island in the Detroit River, after Grosse Ile and Fighting Island. Owned by the city of Detroit, Belle Isle is managed as a state park by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources through a 30-year lease initiated in 2013 it was previously a city park. The U.S.-Canada border is in the channel south of Belle Isle. It consists of Belle Isle, an island in the Detroit River, as well as several surrounding islets. Belle Isle Park, known simply as Belle Isle ( / b ɛ l ˈ aɪ ə l/), is a 982-acre (1.534 sq mi 397 ha) island park in Detroit, Michigan, developed in the late 19th century.
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