▁Den ke , ▁a ▁Mor av ian ▁mission ary ▁to ▁the ▁O j ib we ; ▁the ▁mission ▁was ▁abandoned ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 3 . ▁The ▁island ▁takes ▁its ▁name ▁from ▁Samuel ▁Russell , ▁who ▁owned ▁the ▁island ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁to ▁ 1 8 5 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁years ▁ 1 9 0 5 - 1 9 1 0 ▁the ▁island ▁was ▁le ased ▁by ▁the ▁Detroit , ▁Belle ▁Is le ▁and ▁W inds or ▁Fer ry ▁Company ▁( DB I & WF Co ) ▁as ▁a ▁summer ▁resort ▁col ony , ▁where ▁visitors ▁arrived ▁on ▁exc urs ion ▁steam ers ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁t ents . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁the ▁own ers ▁of ▁the ▁island , ▁just ices ▁William ▁L . ▁Car p enter ▁and ▁F la vi us ▁L . ▁Bro oke ▁of ▁the ▁Michigan ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁and ▁Detroit ▁real ▁estate ▁developer ▁William ▁W . ▁Hann an , ▁formed ▁the ▁Russell ▁Island ▁Company ▁and ▁sub div ided ▁the ▁island ▁for ▁sale ▁as ▁individual ▁plots . ▁ ▁The ▁three ▁found ers ▁built ▁the ▁first ▁three ▁c ott ages ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 - 1 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁island ▁was ▁accessible ▁via ▁the ▁White ▁Star ▁Line ' s ▁ste amer ▁T ash m oo . ▁ ▁Today ▁the ▁Russell ▁Island ▁Property ▁O wn ers ▁Association ▁( RI PO A ) ▁provides ▁amen ities ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁park , ▁do cks ▁and ▁fer ry ▁service ▁for ▁c ott