Fighting Island

Fighting Island is a 1,500 acre (600 ha) island in the Detroit River. It is part of the town of LaSalle, Ontario, Canada, opposite Wyandotte, Michigan and downriver from Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario.

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Originally populated by Native Americans, it was settled by the French during the 18th century, and has had numerous owners since then. Native Americans named it Fighting Island in the late 1700s, because they used it to attack passing British ships. In the late 19th century, prize fights were often held off the island. A number of attempts were later made to build a resort on the island, but all were unsuccessful. In 1918, the land was bought by John B. Ford of the Michigan Alkali Company to treat the effluent produced by the company. Michigan Alkali Company became Wyandotte Chemicals Corporation, which was subsequently bought by BASF. Today, Fighting Island is privately owned by BASF Corporation. A program is run on the island that is used by many area secondary and elementary schools to teach students about biology and ecology.