Russell Island

Russell Island Russell Island is a small private island in the St. Clair River in the U.S. state of Michigan between Algonac and Walpole Island, Ontario, Canada.

It is immediately upriver from Sand Island which is itself immediately upriver from Harsens Island; it includes two smaller islands, Anderson Island on the northwest, and "The Gold Coast" on the southwest. The island, which is accessible only via passenger ferry or by private watercraft, contains about 150 cottages. There are no cars on the island; the only motorized vehicles are golf carts. Russe

ll Island was settled in 1802 by Christian Frederick Denke, a Moravian missionary to the Ojibwe; the mission was abandoned in 1803. The island takes its name from Samuel Russell, who owned the island from 1855 to 1858. In the years 1905-1910 the island was leased by the Detroit, Belle Isle and Windsor Ferry Company (DBI&WFCo) as a summer resort colony, where visitors arrived on excursion steamers and lived in tents. In 1914, the owners of the island, justices William L. Carpenter and Flavius L. Brooke of the Michigan Supreme Court and Detroit real estate developer William W. Hannan, formed the Russell Island Company and subdivided the island for sale as individual plots. The three founders built the first three cottages in 1915-16. The island was accessible via the White Star Line's steamer Tashmoo. Today the Russell Island Property Owners Association (RIPOA) provides amenities such as a park, docks and ferry service for cottage owners.

12/21/2021
05/29/2021

MLS # 2210037266 – Enjoy the view of the St Clair River's sparkling blue waters and magnificent freighters from your very own island paradise. Only an hour drive from the Detroit area and a short fe...

04/06/2020

Russell Island
A small private island in the St. Clair River in the U.S. state of Michigan between Algonac and Walpole Island, Ontario, Canada. It is immediately upriver from Sand Island which is itself immediately upriver from Harsens Island.

It includes two smaller islands, Anderson Island on the northwest, and "The Gold Coast" on the southwest. The island, which is accessible only via passenger ferry or by private watercraft, contains about 150 cottages.

There are no cars on the island; the only motorized vehicles are golf carts.

Check out some Russell Island ferry history.
03/03/2019

Check out some Russell Island ferry history.

​Post Cards made by the native people of Walpole Island and sold to the passengers of the large steam ships as they made their stops up and down the river.

RIP Captain Bud
03/03/2019

RIP Captain Bud

Buddy H. Breitmeyer age 76 of Clay Twp., MI. died February 28, 2019 in the Medilodge of St. Clair. He was born May 15, 1942 in Troy, MI. to the late Harold and Luella (nee Weston) Breitmeyer. He m

Some crazy ice on island walls! Thank You Karen Ridgway for the photos!
01/15/2018

Some crazy ice on island walls! Thank You Karen Ridgway for the photos!

11/15/2017

For sale: $499,900. Beautiful Russell Island Estate. 200' on international shipping channel and 200' on protected rear canal w/ boathouse. Steel seawall on river and canal. Move right in to this nicely updated home. Custom kitchen w/ all appliances and granite counter tops. Breakfast bar adds extra…

Amazing Painting By: Patrick Lemieux
02/13/2015

Amazing Painting By: Patrick Lemieux

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Algonac, MI
48001

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