ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹtiːn, ðɪ ˈoʊnɚz ʌvðɪ ˈaɪlənd, dʒˈʌstɪsᵻz wˈɪljəm ˈɛl. kˈɑːɹpəntɚɹ ænd flˈævɪəs ˈɛl. bɹˈʊk ʌvðə mˈɪʃɪɡən suːpɹˈiːm kˈoːɹt ænd dɪtɹˈɔɪt ɹˈiːəl ᵻstˈeɪt dɪvˈɛləpɚ wˈɪljəm dˈʌbəljˌuː. hˈænən, fˈɔːɹmd ðə ɹˈʌsəl ˈaɪlənd kˈʌmpəni ænd sˌʌbdᵻvˈaɪdᵻd ðɪ ˈaɪlənd fɔːɹ sˈeɪl æz ˌɪndᵻvˈɪdʒuːəl plˈɑːts.
In 1914, the owners of the island, justices William L. Carpenter and Flavius L. Brooke of the Michigan Supreme Court and Detroit real estate developer William W. Hannan, formed the Russell Island Company and subdivided the island for sale as individual plots.