Croil Island Explained

Croil Island
Map:New York
Map Width:250px
Label Position:left
Coordinates:44.973°N -74.979°W
Location:St. Lawrence River
Area Acre:796
Area Footnotes:[1]
Length Ft:-->
Width Ft:-->
Coastline Ft:-->
Elevation Ft:299
Country:United States
Country Admin Divisions Title:State
Country Admin Divisions:New York
Country Admin Divisions Title 1:County
Country Admin Divisions 1:St. Lawrence
Country Admin Divisions Title 2:Town
Country Admin Divisions 2:Louisville

Croil Island is a 796acres uninhabited island on the St. Lawrence River in the Town of Louisville in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The island is currently occupied by the undeveloped Croil Island State Park.

History

The island was considered British territory prior to 1818, at which time ownership was officially transferred to the United States.[2]

Croil Island is named for a Scottish family that farmed upon the island in the mid-1800s. Prior to the purchase of the island in 1835 by William Croil, the island was known as Stacey Island.[3]

A land claim brought by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in the early 1980s sought to reclaim Croil Island and additional lands in northern New York. A 2013 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York dismissed the tribe's claim to the island, but upheld some of their claims elsewhere.[4]

Croil Island has been alternately known as Baxter Island, Grand Eddy Island, Ile au Chamailles, Stacey Island, Tsiiowenokwakarate, and Upper Sault Island. The island has historically been home to several large farms, but no concentrated settlements.[2]

Croil Island State Park

Croil Island today hosts Croil Island State Park, an undeveloped state park maintained by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and owned by the New York Power Authority.[5] The island is popular with outdoor enthusiasts, although problems with littering and illegal camping led to warning signs being posted on the island in 2011.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook . The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government . 2014 . Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation . Table O-9 . true . 2016-02-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924023125/http://www.rockinst.org/nys%5Fstatistics/2014/O/ . 2015-09-24 . dead .
  2. Book: Curtis. Gates. Our County and its People - A Memorial Record of St. Lawrence County, New York. 1894. The Boston History Company. 537. https://archive.org/stream/ourcountyitspeop00curt#page/536/mode/2up. September 12, 2015. History Of Louisville, NY.
  3. Web site: Farran's Point . The Lost Villages Historical Society . September 11, 2015.
  4. Web site: Mohawks react to land claim ruling . Watertown Daily Times . July 10, 2013 . Beckstead, Bob . September 12, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130713080038/http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20130710/NEWS05/707109838 . July 13, 2013 . dead .
  5. Web site: Croil Island Signs Reflect Existing Rules Says State . Watertown Daily Times . March 29, 2011 . Hayden, Brian . September 12, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305000601/http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20110329/DCO01/303299905/ . March 5, 2016 . dead .
  6. Web site: Croil Island focus of Local Government Task Force meeting . Watertown Daily Times . April 26, 2012 . Fairchild, Benny . September 12, 2015 .