Just off the coast of Catawba Island lies a small, unassuming island covered in trees. A derelict dock juts out into the water. It’s called Mouse Island, and the Miller Ferry to Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass Island passes it daily while in season. Since it’s privately owned, few have had the chance to actually set foot on it.
But now, for the low cost of $5 million, you could own it.
Referred to as the “Hawaii of Ohio” by real estate company Howard Hanna, the 7-acre island is just about 1,500 feet off the coast of the Catawba Island peninsula.
But what makes this island so unique is that it was the vacation home of former U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes. An Ohio native and former governor of the Buckeye State, he bought the island in 1873 with his law partner Ralph Buckland and L.Q. Rawson, a local doctor.
He and his family loved the island so much that by around 1900, Hayes had bought the rest of the island from the co-owners.
According to Julie Mayle, director of manuscripts at the Hayes Presidential Library, the Hayes family loved the outdoors.
“I think that was some of the premise of Hayes wanting to purchase this island,” Mayle said. “Lucy [Hayes], she loved being outside, loved flora and fauna. She really loved to go fishing.”
Hayes himself visited the island only a few times during his one-term presidency, so he shared the land with his extended family who made use of the land for many summer vacations.
Beyond recreating on the island itself, Hayes was active in military social events that took place at Hotel Lakeside on the mainland. He had served in the 23rd Ohio Regiment in the Civil War and once referred to his service as the “best and happiest portion” of his life. His deep roots compelled him to stay in the area following his presidency.
The island remained relatively undeveloped for years because Hayes mostly enjoyed it for its natural beauty.
Younger generations of the Hayes built and lived in a cabin on the island. The small wood structure was situated close to the water and is shown in photos with an attached covered sunroom. Trees provided shade, cooling the house during summer months. Windows looked out on the water and hammocks were set up outside, capturing the breeze from the lake.
“A lot of those were built by President Hayes and Lucy’s son Birchard and his children,” Mayle said. “They built cabins, a boathouse, a dock, an ice house, tennis court, a hand ferry. They were really trying to update it a little bit more.”
It must have been built to last, because even more than a century since its construction, the foundation and chimney are rumored to still be visible on the island, according to Shores & Islands, the tourism agency for Erie and Ottawa counties.
After 93 years of enjoying the secluded island, the family eventually sold it in 1966, to Marianna H. Mercer of Rocky River, Ohio, for just $16,500.
The island has been closed to the public ever since.
Now, this historic island is being marketed both for its value as a potential real-estate investment and its possibility for development. It no longer has access to utilities, but the sellers say arrangements could be made. Nearby Catawba Island township is relatively wealthy, with a median household income of $92,438 — about $20,000 above Ohio’s median household income.
Lake Erie and its islands, particularly Put-in-Bay, are vacation hotspots in the summer. Erie and Ottawa counties draw about 13.3 million visitors each year, with 4 million visiting nearby Cedar Point, according to Ben Simon, the marketing director for Shores & Islands Ohio.
“It’s a great vacation spot for tourists. They come here every year. They want to hit up Put-in-Bay, they want to eat at the restaurants, they want to go out at night,” Simon said. “It’s just a cool vibe to be on the island for vacation, surrounded by water.”
Many people grow up going to the islands for the summer, returning to the mainland when they close for the winter.
“It’s very nostalgic for people to come back every single year. We get a lot of repeat customers who come here [annually] just to go to the islands,” Simon said. “It’s a family thing.”
Millions still enjoy the islands for their activities and Lake Erie’s natural beauty, just as President Hayes’ family did.
Even when Hayes’ presidential duties kept him from making it to the island, his family shared their enjoyment with him from afar. In a letter to his father one summer, Webb Cook Hayes wrote:
“We bathed, boated, fished, danced, etc. till yesterday when we returned … The island is a beautiful one and was much praised by the several hundred persons who visited us during our stay.”
