ɪnðə jˈɪɹz nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈaɪv dˈæʃ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd tˈɛn ðɪ ˈaɪlənd wʌz lˈiːst baɪ ðə dɪtɹˈɔɪt, bˈɛl ˈaɪəl ænd wˈɪndsɚ fˈɛɹi kˈʌmpəni dˌiːbˌiːˈaɪ ænd dˌʌbəljˌuːˌɛfsˌiːˈoʊ æz ɐ sˈʌmɚ ɹᵻzˈɔːɹt kˈɑːləni, wˌɛɹ vˈɪzɪɾɚz ɚɹˈaɪvd ˌɔn ɛkskˈɜːʃən stˈiːmɚz ænd lˈɪvd ɪn tˈɛnts.
In the years 1905-1910 the island was leased by the Detroit, Belle Isle and Windsor Ferry Company (DBI&WFCo) as a summer resort colony, where visitors arrived on excursion steamers and lived in tents.