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All the United States Michigan Erie Michigan's Lost Peninsula

Michigan's Lost Peninsula

This small piece of Michigan is entirely surrounded by Ohio.

Erie, Michigan

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Ben Turover
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1915 Michigan border post   turover / Atlas Obscura User
Michigan - Ohio Border Post 70 (from 1915)   turover / Atlas Obscura User
1915 Ohio border post   turover / Atlas Obscura User
1915 Michigan - Ohio Border post   turover / Atlas Obscura User
Close up of 50th anniversary of dedication (1965)   turover / Atlas Obscura User
Ohio   ski queen / Atlas Obscura User
New Sign, LOST PENINSULA   don 809cdb35 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Approximately 140 Michigan residents live on this small peninsula in Lake Erie. If they wanted to go to another part of the state, they would first have to travel south, across the state line into Ohio before going north to return to Michigan. This small exclave known as the "Lost Peninsula" is part of Monroe County and is the southeastern-most corner of the state.

This geographic oddity was a result of a territorial dispute in 1835. According to Michigan Radio, when Michigan and Ohio were still relatively young states, they performed geographical surveys to determine their boundaries, and both states wound up laying claim to Toledo. This disagreement led to the Toledo War, a short and nearly bloodless conflict that ended in a stalemate.

After the war, the state border was established at approximately the 41°44’ north latitude line, located just north of the mouth of the Maumee River. In the agreement, Ohio wound up with the river and the city of Toledo. However, the state line continued across the smaller Ottawa River and divided the peninsula on the far side of the river. The land north of the state line on the far side of the river remained in Michigan, but it had no land connection to the remainder of the state. The area became known as the “Lost Peninsula."

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There is no sign for the unincorporated Lost Peninsula,  but there is a stone border post located at the entrance to the Marina, across the street from Webber's Waterfront Restaurant. 

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turover

Edited By

Callmenemoplease, Osage, ski queen, don 809cdb35

  • Callmenemoplease
  • Osage
  • ski queen
  • don 809cdb35

Published

July 18, 2022

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  • https://www.michiganradio.org/arts-culture/2015-07-09/the-story-of-michigans-lost-peninsula
Michigan's Lost Peninsula
6339 Edgewater Dr
Erie, Michigan, 48133
United States
41.733228, -83.463563
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