41. BELLE ISLE, MICHIGAN (USA)

As my nephew Gaurav drove us down from US-Canada border to his house in Detroit, he suggested that we take a detour to Belle Isle. I did not respond. I was tired after seven hours of road journey and one hour of standing in the queue for completing the customs formalities at the border.

With Gaurav on the river bank

“It is quite a beautiful place and you will not regret visiting it,” he had sensed my lack of response. Whether it was his contagious enthusiasm or my eternal wanderlust, the gypsy at heart that I am, I could not say no and we moved towards Belle Isle. My nephew is a storehouse of information and he went on narrating about the history and geography of the island as we drove around.

“Belle Isle has a long history, which goes back to the 17^th century when the French colonists established it. They named it Île Aux Cochons (Hog Island). Later, in the year 1768, King George granted ownership of the island measuring 704 acres to one Mr McDougall for Pound Sterling 194. Interestingly, the population of the place at that time was only 5 persons and 200 farm animals.”

“In the year 1783, when the Treaty of Paris took place, the island became an American territory. Eleven years later, McDougall’s heirs sold off the island to one William Macomb for Pound Sterling 813. An escalation of four times its value in 15 years!”

“Compare it with the current ever-rising cost of real estate in Delhi. It sounds ridiculous,” I was getting curious about the island now.

Gaurav told me that the name of the island was changed sometime in the year 1845 to “Belle Isle” in honour of Miss Isabelle Cass who was the daughter of the then Governor General Lewis Cass.

“The tendencies, to flatter the people in power and their relatives, is not exclusive to India only”, I promptly expressed my views.  

Presently. Belle Isle is a 982 acres state park and lies between USA and Canada. It is the largest island in the Detroit River. Belle Isle is a state park and has an aquarium, a conservatory, a golf course, a museum, a yacht club, a zoo and a beautiful fountain. It also has many walking trails through the forest as well half a mile of beach where revellers love to swim.

MacArthur Bridge

We stopped over at the MacArthur Bridge that connects the island to Michigan and spans over River Detroit. The original wooden bridge known as Belle Isle Bridge caught fire in the year 1915 and was replaced by a new bridge, which got ready in the year 1923 at a cost of $2,635,000. It is 668m long and has nineteen arches. It was rechristened Douglas MacArthur Bridge in 1942. Forty-four years later, in 1986, it was repaired and the state spent US$ 11.5 million, much more than the cost of construction.

As Gaurav continued sharing his knowledge of the place and I listened with rapt attention, I forgot my fatigue. Excited like a child, I was enjoying every aspect of the island.

At James Scott Memorial Fountain, Belle Isle

Our next stop was the James Scott Memorial Fountain. It was constructed in 1925 at a cost of $500,000. Its lower bowl has a diameter of 510 feet and the centre spray reaches 125 feet. The designer was designed Cass Gilbert and sculptor Herbert Adams. There is an interesting background to this beautiful piece of art located at a prominent place on the island. One James Scott left $200,000 with the city of Detroit with a request that a fountain be made in his honour. Well, Scott was a controversial person. He had received a sizable inheritance from his realtor father, but Scott did not enjoy a good reputation. He gambled and was said to be vindictive and tried to bully his competitors. He died in 1910 and donated his estate to the City of Detroit with the proviso that they should construct a memorial for him. Many people were against accepting such a donation while some others said that such a huge amount should not be denied. Time passed and the amount continued to grow. Finally, the fountain memorial was constructed but Scott’s statue was placed in an innocuous place behind the fountain. This way, both the purposes were served. The island got a beautiful fountain and Scott’s demand too was met in principle.

As Gaurav completed the story, I could not help saying, “Saanp bhi mar gaya aur lathi bhi nahin tooti.”

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