Edmund Fitzgerald - Gitche Gumee

Date 8-29-05

Why they call it Zug Island

Zug Island, located off Detroit's southwestern tip, was once the beronial estate of one of the first status-seekers. Samusl Zug came to Detroit from Cumberland, Pa., in 1836 with one ambition: To make a fortune. With the money he earned as a bookkepper, he bought materials to make fine furniture. His furniture was so good that Marcus Stevenson, a Detroit financier, offered to go into business with him.

The Stevenson & Zug Furniture Company flourished until 1859 when Zug, now a rich man, dissolved the partnership. He decided to invest in real estate to provide security for his wife, Ann. Envisioning a luxirious estate on the Detroit River, Zug bought 325 acres of marshy land below Fort Wayne in 1876. But the dampness was too much for the Zugs. So, after 10 years they abandoned their home.

In 1888, Zug let the River Rouge Improvement Company cut a canal through his property to connect the Rouge River and the detroit River. Three years later, he pulled off the largest real estate transaction of the decade: He sold his island for $300,000 to industries that wanted it as a dumping ground.

Zug became interested in politics and served as Wayne County Auditor under Gov. John J. Bagley. He died in 1896 at the age of 80, leaving a dump for a memorial.

The Detroit Iron Works brought ironmaking to Zug Island when it built two blast furnaces there in 1901. The company was later purchased and operated by the M. A. Hanna Company. It was expanded and became a part of Great Lakes Steel in 1931.

See Video of Zug Island and Taconite Pellets.

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