Mouse Island, Once Owned by President Hayes, Listed for $5 Million on Lake Erie

CATAWBA ISLAND, Ohio - A small, undeveloped island in Lake Erie with ties to former President Rutherford B. Hayes is on the market for $5 million.

Mouse Island, located just north of the Catawba peninsula between Kelleys Island and Put-in-Bay, is accessible only by boat and features a rocky shoreline and approximately seven acres of mature woodlands, according to Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. The property is zoned for private use.

Dubbed the "Hawaii of Ohio" by the real estate agency, the island sits in the heart of one of Ohio's most popular vacation destinations, near marinas, restaurants, Cedar Point and other Lake Erie attractions.

Listing agent Kyle Recker said the property could serve as a luxury vacation compound, an off-grid sanctuary or an investment opportunity.

The island's history includes nearly a century of ownership by the Hayes family. The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums reports that Hayes, the nation's 19th president, purchased Mouse Island on Aug. 1, 1873, along with his law partner and Civil War general Ralph Buckland and local physician L.Q. Rawson. Hayes became sole owner two years into his presidential term by buying out his partners' shares. The family held the island until 1966.

A letter from Hayes's son, Webb Cook Hayes, dated Aug. 13, 1878, described the island during the Victorian era: "Yesterday we returned from a week's camping at Mouse Island. We bathed, boated, fished, danced, etc., till yesterday when we returned. ... The island is a beautiful one and was much praised by the several hundred persons who visited us during our stay."

Public access to Mouse Island is currently prohibited. However, a video posted to YouTube by a content creator, titled "Exploring Mouse Island Ruins Port Clinton, Ohio," shows remnants of the island's past, including debris, concrete foundations and a prominent stone fireplace.

In a related listing, Onion Island on Buckeye Lake was recently offered for $1.59 million. While records from the Fairfield County Auditor do not reflect a recent sale, online real estate listings indicate the property is no longer on the market. Onion Island has been linked to World War I hero Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, but local historians have debunked claims that he spent his honeymoon there.