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.
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.