Folklore Profile: William Wilson and the Hermit Island Mystery
Fragmenting off of the Bayfield Peninsula and extending outward into the Great Lake known as Superior, the weather-beaten group of twenty-one separate islands make up what is known around The Badger State as the Apostle Islands. These gems of gichi-gami offer up some of the most breathtaking sights the upper midwest has to offer, with everything from hiking, kayaking, and scenic cruises being made available for those hoping to soak in the gorgeous view. If connecting with Mother Nature on a more thrilling level is more your speed though, isolated island camping, scuba diving, and cave explorations are also avenues worthy of checking out.
Along with the unchallenged natural beauty and plethora of exciting things to experience, the Apostle Islands also offer a rich and storied history like no other. Historic lighthouses overlook dangerous passageways that become even more treacherous during the winter months, and storms unlike anything found anywhere else have blown across the lake with such ferocity so as to be remembered for generations to come. Historical records paint a grim picture of well over 100 ships meeting their end here, and aboard those ill-fated vessels are thought to be just as many souls. Some researchers even claim that out of those 100+ doomed ships, 65 of them were considered highly significant, and of those 65 lost, only 21 of them have ever been found. That leaves 44 deep lake ghost ships hidden along the bottom just waiting for the right adventurer to come along and find them once again.
Stories involving these recognized places of importance are vast throughout the islands and many have grown into legend among the sailors who frequent these waterways. Some of these tales have been passed down for so long that they eventually made their way into regional folklore books that collect and package the legends for tourists and casual fans of both the historic and bizarre. Of the twenty-one islands that comprise this group, it is well within reason to believe that each could easily contain twenty-one unique legends all their own. The history of the area is just that deep.
While many of the stories surrounding the islands deal with how they got their unique names, others touch on famous occupants who once called the water-locked land masses home. Some deal with tales involving tragedy, and others about historic ghosts who have been seen walking the shores throughout the years. But every once in a while, if you are lucky enough to find them, you can come across an island that incorporates every single one of these story elements into its own fascinating legend, and wouldn’t you know it, the following island does just that and more. So book your ticket, get your itinerary in order, and sit back and relax as we take a scenic tour of the mysterious Hermit Island.
According to legend, the bulk of Hermit Island history revolves around a man by the name of William Wilson and is set within the mid-1800s. Wilson, who was born in Canada in 1791, is said to have arrived in what would later become Wisconsin in the year 1837. At the age of 46, he settled in the village of La Pointe which is located within the lower southwest portion of Madeline Island and is only a 3mi boat ride from the historic city of Bayfield (the location of another Badger State mystery). During the time of his residence there, Wilson was employed as a cooper for the American Fur Company, this meant that he was responsible for creating sturdy wooden containers in which the fur company could sell and transport their goods. The position required a great deal of skill and knowledge of woodworking in order to make a solid living, and thankfully for Wilson, he was known for his craftsmanship in this particular area.
After an unknown amount of time, but what is believed to be somewhere between 5-10 years of uneventful living within La Pointe, Wilson up and left the village and made his way 8mi northeast to what was known at the time as Round Island, a small, 2mi long island with the geographical coordinates of 46°53'10.1"N, 90°41'10.9"W. Nobody is entirely sure why he made this decision, but some historians believe it was because he entered into a personal feud with a man by the name of John Bell, another cooper residing within La Pointe at the time. Along with his ties to the American Fur Company, Bell also acted as a self-appointed sheriff within the village and for whatever reason, chose William Wilson as his main focus of attention. Legend states that the slow-growing feud reached its boiling point when after a typical altercation between the two men ended, Wilson attempted to kick Bell’s loyal dog. This prompted Bell to challenge Wilson to a fight in the street, and after their egos took over, both men agreed that whoever lost the brawl would have to leave the village forever. Unfortunately for Wilson, he lost.
Another theory as to why Wilson left the small village is due to the death of an unknown wife. Nobody is for certain if Wilson ever did get married during his time in La Pointe, but a persistent legend around the man claims that a sudden illness took over his mysterious bride and before he could seek help, the reaper had carried out his plan and took stolen her away. Distraught and broken, the once-powerful man became nothing but a shell of his former self and made the decision to retreat away from his friends and neighbors and live in solitude upon the island. As with most legends, the true version of what happened is lost to history, so it is up to the reader to decide which version they would like to accept as truth. Regardless of what happened though, in the late 1840s, William Wilson packed up his stuff and built his new home upon the empty Round Island.
When Wilson arrived on the island, he made quick work of building a modest-sized cabin for himself, working the land in which to grow a garden and hay, and kept a decent sized brood of chickens. The old cooper it seemed had found his own personal piece of heaven and he intended to keep it that way. While Wilson did continue to work as a cooper in the area, he did not welcome any visitors to his island. It was said that if you were not doing business with the old man, either by purchasing barrels or expertly crafted chests and boxes, you would be kept away by Wilson and his trusty gun. The island was available by invite only, and William Wilson chose not to extend invites to anyone. When he left La Pointe for Round Island, he left everything behind and never looked back, and when word spread that the island was now off-limits, people stopped referring to it as Round Island, and instead started calling it Wilson’s Island.
While Wilson comfortably fell into the role of a solitary and ever-growing mysterious hermit, he did not sever every tie which kept him linked to other people, as there were still things he required and he knew he could not get them alone. One such link that remained intact was a man by the name of Benjamin Armstrong who, in 1855, decided to up and move his family to the nearby Oak Island which was located roughly 2mi north of Wilson’s Island. Benjamin, wanting to provide for his family both a large piece of land as well as a means in which to live comfortably, decided to build a small trading post on the island and offer a service to those living around the area. Locally, Mr. Armstrong became known as the person who could get you things, and one thing he could easily get was something that William Wilson quite enjoyed, and that something was 100% pure Wisconsin whiskey.
Typically at the time, Mr. Armstrong would sell various bottles of whiskey to fisherman and travelers who made their way to his outpost. A bottle here, a bottle there, most often something small that could help take the edge off of a hard day for the men working within this harsh environment. But William Wilson’s order was a tad different and much more memorable than the typical outpost visitor. You see, since Wilson didn’t much care for people, he tended to get his supplies in bulk. So when it came time to place an order for some whiskey, he always sprang for the largest shipment he could get, and that shipment was typically an entire barrel full.
Later in his life, Benjamin Armstrong would go on to write a book entitled Early Life Among the Indians. Within this book, he recounted his time spent on Oak Island and his interaction with various groups of Native American’s who called some of the other islands within the Apostle’s home. Along with these stories, Armstrong also told of his day to day encounters with some of the other individuals from around the area. One such islander that he spoke of was none other than William Wilson and his famous whiskey barrel orders. The interactions between the two men were obviously memorable enough in their own right to be mentioned within the book, but there was one story Mr. Armstrong told that leans heavily into the legend surrounding both the man and the island that researchers still pick apart to this day.
In his book, Mr. Armstrong tells of an interaction with Wilson where he asked for assistance in transporting the full barrel of whiskey from the Oak Island outpost to his secluded home on Round Island (Wilson’s Island). When the two men arrived, Mr. Armstrong helped deliver the barrel from the boat and into the cabin of the old hermit. When the job was complete, Wilson asked Armstrong how much he owed him for both the barrel and the delivery. Armstong gave him what he considered a fair price and the old man excused himself to get his money. When he returned, Wilson presented Armstrong with what he describes as “three to four buckskin bags filled with coins and one whole stocking filled entirely with coins as well.”
Understandably shocked by the amount presented to him, Mr. Armstrong nearly fell to the floor when Wilson nonchalantly asked, “Is this enough?” Not wanting to take advantage of the old man, Mr. Armstrong took the amount the men had agreed upon and called the transaction complete. Mr. Wilson, obviously not aware of how much money he had nearly given away, put the coins back into his bags and stocking and went to put them away. But before he could do so, he turned to Mr. Armstrong and asked if he would be willing to count all his money as he did not know how much he possessed. Wilson explained that he was never taught about anything involving currency and always just assumed people were being honest with him when taking payment for his goods and services.
Seeing that the man was being genuine in his request, Mr. Armstrong agreed to help count the money and would provide Wilson with an accurate total and a brief lesson on how to manage his funds. When the counting was done, it was discovered that William Wilson had within his possession an amount that was nearly $1,300. Adjusted for inflation, that would be the equivalent of someone carrying around roughly $40,000+ dollars today and being totally unaware of it. Needless to say, Mr. Armstrong explained the dangers of not only carrying around an amount as large as his, but also how unwise it was to present it so freely to anyone in front of him. The old hermit agreed and told Armstrong that moving forward, he would place his savings within a secure and hidden location within his home. After that, the two men said their goodbyes, and Benjamin Armstrong headed back to his outpost on Oak Island.
As the weeks turned to months and the months turned to years, Benjamin Armstrong and William Wilson became what can loosely be described as “friends” but probably more akin to acquaintances. They conversed when they had a reason to interact with one another and occasionally one would lend a hand to the other if they were in need of assistance. Because of this slight bond the pair had formed, Mr. Armstrong felt that it was in good conscious if he were to sort of lookout for Wilson. The man was aging more every day and because he lived completely alone on the island (which was now being referred to as Hermit Island by the locals), if something went wrong or he needed help, nobody would even know. So Mr. Armstrong “kept tabs” by making sure smoke was seen rising out of Wilson’s cabin every day. As long as there was smoke, that meant that Wilson was inside and he was up and moving around.
This method of watching for smoke seemed to be working out pretty well because eventually, others in the area started doing the same. Everyone who resided around Hermit Island knew that if smoke was seen, Wilson was there. If smoke was not seen, that meant he was usually off the island taking care of personal matters. It was a foolproof system that always worked, until one day when it didn’t. History states that in the winter of 1861, people began to realize that no smoke had been seen coming from Hermit Island for quite some time. In fact, nobody could recall the last time anyone had either seen or interacted with Wilson within the last two months. It was as if the people around him had unconsciously forgotten he was even out there.
Concerned that something may have happened to the old man, a group of men which included both Mr. Armstrong and John Bell, decided to take a trip out to Hermit Island to perform an 1800s wellness check. When the group arrived on the island, it appeared to them that no activity had taken place on the island for quite some time. It was beginning to look unkempt and abandoned. Sensing something was wrong, the group proceeded towards the cabin to find Wilson. When they arrived at the dwelling they found the door was unlocked, the fire had not been lit in quite some time, and the unmistakable stench of death hung in the air all around them, the cause of which was discovered almost immediately.
Armstrong and Bell stood in horror as they stared down at the decaying body of William Wilson. The old hermit’s body was lying face down on the wood floor and signs that he had been violently murdered were all around them. An apparent tussle had taken place prior to the final blow from an unknown instrument and Wilson was left to rot where had fallen. The murderer had apparently been searching for something and continued to do so as the island’s namesake lay dying before him, but whether or not he (or they) had found what they were looking for was unknown. The scene had been exposed to the elements for quite some time and any piece of evidence as to the identity of the perpetrator was long gone. The only thing the men in the group had to go on was the fact that a strange mystery was about to begin.
News of Wilson’s death spread quite fast throughout the area as was to be expected. Everyone was quick to tell how the only living person on Hermit Island was no longer alive. As with most mysterious tragedies, the rumor mill began to churn out what seemed to be a new theory every day, and while most were not taken seriously, one seemed to be grounded deeply in both fact and speculation. William Wilson was murdered for his treasure hoard and the degenerate responsible for the terrible act lived among them. Or at least, this is what a majority of the locals thought, and why shouldn’t they, Benjamin Armstrong himself spoke of how he had seen the vast amount of coins Wilson possessed and he was as trustworthy a man as any.
While the investigation into the murder of William Wilson never amounted to anything, the search for his treasure took hold of all those all around the Apostle Islands. While the initial search of the cabin lead by both Armstrong and Bell only discovered around $60 ($1,774 in 2021) hidden behind a clock, the infamous buckskin bags and stockings were never found. The entire cabin was searched from floor to ceiling and every possible hiding place was opened, turned out, unlocked, smashed apart, and torn up, but still, the hermit’s treasure eluded them. Had the murdered in fact found the old man’s hidden stash? Or was it possibly hidden somewhere outside the cabin? While those in the original search party would say no, those who got a case of God Fever said yes, and they were bound and determined to find it.
Almost overnight large groups of people arrived on Hermit Island and began to tear up the landscape in hopes of finding Wilson’s hidden treasure. So vast was the search for the coins that it is said the island was nearly unrecognizable after the treasure hunters were through with it. Even then though the searching did not stop, for those special individuals who felt that they had figured out a critical piece of information for locating the treasure continued to arrive on the shores of Hermit Island even years after Wilson’s untimely demise. They fully believed the coins were there, they were just buried a foot deeper than anyone else had dug, or they were a little farther out offshore than others believed. It seemed there was always an excuse as to why the hoard of William Wilson could never be found. But still, people continued to search.
Now, it is about this point where the legend involving both an unsolved murder and a lost treasure begins to expand and encompass a more “supernatural” aspect as well. You see, during this time of never-ending searching, those who walked freely about the island began to report an overwhelmingly strong feeling of being watched by an unknown source. Others reported that the island felt off in some way and that they couldn't shake the feeling that they were not supposed to be there. Finally, there were those who claimed that under the faint glow of moonlight, the figure of an unknown man could be seen walking along the edge of the island with a lumbering pace and what appeared to be a shotgun in hand. Nobody was ever believed to have had an up-close and personal encounter with the mysterious figure, but those who had seen it swear it resembled the now long-dead form of the island’s namesake, William Wilson.
Had the spirit of William Wilson truly returned to keep watch over his island as he had done for so many years while alive? Or had the once infamous living man just naturally progressed into the role of spooky urban legend? The answer to that question changes depending on who you are talking to, but it is interesting to learn that in the years following the unsolved death of William Wilson, those who had taken Hermit Island into their possession are believed to have encountered unexplainable sights, sounds, feelings, and strings of bad luck. Was the old man angry that his peace and quiet had been disturbed so frequently from beyond the grave? He did chose to leave the company of people behind once before and did everything he could to keep them off his island while alive, so what’s to say he wouldn’t continue to do just that in death? The legend of Hermit Island it seemed, was destined to continue to grow more mysterious with every passing year.
Nearly three decades after the death of William Wilson, a man by the name of Frederick Prentice (who is described in some historical accounts as, “the most famous quarryman in northern Wisconsin”) purchased Hermit Island from a man named Elias Drake, a wealthy investor from Minnesota who had stock in a sandstone quarry located in Bayfield. In May of 1891, Prentice had established the Excelsior quarry and began to produce and sell large amounts of brown sandstone. During its prime, the quarry is said to have produced over 220,000+ cubic feet of brown sandstone and employed over one hundred men. The quarry brought in unbelievable amounts of money for Prentice who became even wealthier than he was before, but along with cash, the quarry also produced an overabundance of something else, noise.
The once peaceful and quiet home of William Wilson had become a nonstop noise machine. Large areas of land were cleared out in order to make way for the main dig site, and the deafening sound of men wielding drills, pickaxes, and sledgehammers carried across the decimated island and into Lake Superior. Multiple cottages were erected to house the workers and their families, and constant boat traffic both to and from the island made it seem as if Wilson’s once far removed sanctuary had evolved into a miniature city. The noise it seemed, according to some reports, was at times loud enough to wake the dead. And if some reports are to be believed, that is exactly what happened.
Much like those treasure-seekers who had come to Hermit Island in search of Wilson’s lost fortune, the men working in the Excelsior quarry oftentimes reported a strange feeling of what can only be described as dread at random times while on the island. Some men claimed it felt like they were being watched by an unseen pair of eyes and others even reported seeing the same unknown dark figure walking slowly across the island after nightfall. Strangest of all though are the reports of what comes across almost like a rash of bad luck that appeared to affect all those upon the island. Machines were said to break down faster than normal, accidents involving quarrymen steadily increased, financial issues with the quarry itself started to become known, and even romance problems affecting Frederick Prentice himself became public knowledge to all those residing on Hermit Island.
To understand the issues that plagued Mr. Prentice, one must first understand what the man did once he purchased the island. As was mentioned above, Mr. Prentice bought Hermit Island in order to establish the Excelsior quarry and sell brown sandstone. But that isn’t the only thing the quarryman did when he arrived on the island, far from it. Not long after his quarry was established and proved to be successful, Mr. Prentice got to work constructing a large home on the island in which he would live with his new young (teenage) bride upon completion. The structure was said to be built using only materials found upon Hermit Island and the overall size of the home was to be both large and prominent.
When completed in the mid-1890s, the dwelling of Mr. and Mrs. Prentice was three stories tall, possessed multiple balconies, an observation tower, large sandstone fireplaces, and expertly made chimneys. The entire outside was covered in pure cedar shingles and trimmed out in hand-cut bark covered wood. The island castle was dubbed Cedar Bark Cottage and would go on to become a historical family home that the Prentices would keep in the family for years to come. Well, that would be the case if Frederick Prentice would have informed his wife of what he was doing, but for some unknown reason, he decided to keep it a secret, and the result of that secrecy went on to become legendary.
According to history, when the Cedar Bark Cottage was completed, Mr. Prentice called upon his young wife to travel from New York to Wisconsin (which could have taken upwards of a week or more in those days) in order to see what he had built for her. Excited by what his wife would think of her new home, Mr. Prentice was shocked to discover that the young woman not only hated the rustic building but that she also refused to live there. Her disdain for Cedar Bark Cottage was so extreme, that the legend goes on to say that after voicing her opinion, the young woman immediately left the island and booked a ticket to go back to New York that same day. After trying multiple times to convince his wife to give the place a chance, Mr. Prentice left Cedar Bark Cottage vacant and unused and returned to New York. A few years later, in 1897, the quarry had run into financial issues and closed for good. Not long after that, ownership of Hermit Island was sold at auction for a mere sum of $10,000 ($313,528 today).
While it is not known why exactly Mrs. Prentice hated Cedar Bark Cottage so much and refused to live there, there are few who claim that it was due to a sort of “curse” that William Wilson had placed upon the island. That he had somehow managed to change the atmosphere of the island and soured it for anyone who had intentions of calling it home. Could his scorn towards intruders upon his home have manifested itself into an after death curse? Or, could the explanation be a lot more simple? Perhaps the reason why Mrs. Prentice refused to live in the home was due to the fact that she was a concrete and stone city girl who did not appreciate the wild landscape of a young Wisconsin and simply wanted to remain in at her home in New York. While one answer seems much more likely, the other one makes for a much better story.
In 1909, after being sold yet again, this time to a company named Lake Superior Land & Development Company, Hermit Island was altered to become a “resort” island for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of 1900s city life. The crumbling Cedar Bark Cottage was fixed up to become a Great Lakes hotel and rooms were created that were able to accommodate nearly twenty-five guests at a time. While the original name of the building, Cedar Bark Cottage, remained the same, it was now also referred to as The Hermitage. Success was said to be modest at first, but as with most business ventures on the island, the island resort soon shut its doors not long after opening.
At the same time The Hermitage was being established on the site of William Wilsons former home, so to was a family farm being created on the opposite side of the island. You see, when the Lake Superior Land & Development Company bought Hermit Island for the purpose of building their resort, they also came up with a plan to sell ten-acre plots of land for personal development to those who bought one. While the marketing for this land availability was quite prominent in the upper midwest, only one sale was ever made, and that was to a family by the name of Bruder. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Bruder family came to Hermit Island in 1914 with the plan of starting both a farm and apple orchard. While their intentions were pure, in the end, the bad luck surrounding the island would hit them as well.
After arriving on the island, the Bruder clan got to work building a home and other various outbuildings spread out across their ten acres. Mainly consisting of just three people, mother Grace and her two sons Garland (16) and Hector (11), the family construction crew ultimately ended up building five structures, various drainage ditches, a well, and a boat landing. During this building period, Theodore Bruder, the husband and father, remained in Minneapolis for work and would visit the island every so often to assist in the construction of the farm. Two years later, in 1916, Grace Bruder took over ownership of the closed Hermitage resort and attempted to reopen it. Records state that it was open for one season before shutting its doors yet again. The Bruder family continued to run their farm and orchard in the 1920s, but by 1930, the farm had been completely abandoned. No exact reason is known as to why this occurred.
For the next 40 years, Hermit Island fell into a weird area of limbo when it came to ownership. Occasionally it would be bought and sold to various parties, some in the business sector, some in the private. Multiple attempts were made to sell lots for summer homes, and an even bigger push was made to get people to realize the recreational potential of the legendary island within the Apostles, but still, nothing was able to stick. An occasional small cottage was built here and there over the course of the four decades, but as with all the buildings that came before it, they would end up abandoned and left to rot alongside the lake. It seemed that Hermit Island was doomed to exist in a state of constant abandonment, unwanted and unappreciated.
That all changed though on September 26, 1970, when federal legislation sponsored by former Wisconsin Governor (59-63), U.S. State Senator, and noted environmentalist, Gaylord Nelson, was brought before then-President Richard Nixon and signed into public law. The newly signed legislation helped create what is known today as The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, a protected area within Lake Superior that encompasses the 21 Apostle Islands, as well as a 1/4 of a mile of shoreline around each island that dips into the lake. This specific national lakeshore is one of ten within the United States that is overseen and operated by the National Park Service. The ultimate goal of both the designation and protection order is to help conserve and maintain the natural beauty of these shorelines for both their historical significance and recreational value for years to come.
In the 160 years since the (still unsolved) murder of William Wilson took place, the island that once bore his name and now his moniker has gone through significant changes that have placed it firmly within the history books. Today the island has been allowed to revert back to its wild state, long gone are the buildings and homes that once housed quarrymen, entrepreneurs, farmers, vacationers, and hermits. Cedar Bark Cottage was demolished, the Bruder family farm was left to decay and rot away, and the Excelsior quarry became nothing more than two unassuming holes in the earth. Where people once tried to make a living and plant roots is now considered a home for bears and other groups of isolated wildlife. The island is once again void of people, and that, some people say, has appeased the restless spirit of William Wilson.
While the legend of the Hermit Island mystery makes for a wonderful piece of Wisconsin folklore, it must be noted that the paranormal/supernatural aspects of the tale are quite difficult to categorize and verify. The facts surrounding the death of Mr. Wilson as well as the search for his lost treasure have been recorded in the history of Wisconsin’s early pioneer years, and the bad luck that surrounded those who tried to settle on the island are well known also. What is not known though is if that bad luck truly had anything to do with an angry spirit, or if it was just part of the hardships that came with living on an island.
The camps on what to believe are evenly split and depending on your personal opinion of ghosts, you are going to fall into one or the other. Regardless of what you believe though, it is quite interesting to think that maybe, just maybe, a man who wanted nothing more than to be left alone in life, could continue on from beyond the veil with that same desire. That the basic urge to keep people away from his home while alive would somehow allow him to come back and keep doing just that. Truth be told, stranger things have been recorded in this world.
Are the stories involving the ghost of William Wilson true? Maybe, maybe not, we can’t say either way. One thing we can say though is that it is a bit unsettling to hear that every so often, people out enjoying the areas around Hermit Island still report seeing a dark looking figure walking around the island edge as if keeping an eye on them from a distance. The figure is said to make no noise, does not attempt to hail them in any way, and is never seen coming or going, it is just there. Could this be the ghost of William Wilson returning from beyond the grave to keep a watch over his island and guard the location of his missing treasure? Or could this be a new hermit entirely who has decided to remain hidden and unofficially call this place home?
Perhaps one day we will get the answers to all these questions and more, but until that day comes, the best any of us can do is continue to gaze out upon Hermit Island from afar and remember that a man named William Wilson once called that place home, and if he were alive today, he would not want to meet any of us. Much respect, Mr. Wilson, much respect.
-The Pine Barrens Institute
Image Credit: MyTopo
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“…many people were in their homes enjoying what they thought was just a normal evening. But when they ran outside to see what was the matter, and heard the ever-growing roar steadily moving closer towards them, they also caught sight of a strange object both rotating and moving through the sky above the trees.”