Grosse Ile History Mystery Mystery Cache

THIS CACHE IS NOT AT THE POSTED COORDINATES

You must find the answers to the following. This puzzle is all about Grosse Ile Township in Michigan. The final location for the cache is in Canada. This puzzle will not be very hard to solve.

First here is some history

Grosse Ile /ˌɡroʊs ˈiːl/ is the largest island in the Detroit River and is the second most populated island in the state of Michigan, after Copper Island. It is on the American side of the river and is part of Wayne County. The island is approximately 9.6 mi² (24.9 km²) and has a population of 10,894 (year 2000). The island is commonly believed to be conterminous with the overall Grosse Ile Township, but in actuality, the township consists of over a dozen islands— many of which are very small and uninhabited. To clarify this confusion, local residents refer to the island of Grosse Ile as the Big Island, Main Island, or simply The Island to distinguish it from the township as a whole. A large number of islands in the Detroit River are closely connected to Grosse Ile.

The name comes from the French translation for Large Island. The island was first given to the early French explorers by the Potawatomi in 1776. The Potawatomi referred to the island as Kitcheminishen. Brothers William and Alexander Macomb were the first European owners of the island. The island was first surveyed in 1819 and was incorporated into Monguagon Township in 1829. The island remained sparsely populated as an independent community but did not receive autonomy until the formation of Grosse Ile Township on October 27, 1914. Today, Grosse Ile is considered a Downriver community as part of Metro Detroit, although the island is markedly different from the surrounding communities.

The island is bordered on the west by the Trenton Channel and is connected to mainland Michigan by the Wayne County Bridge in the middle of the island and the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge on the northern end. The island itself is divided by two canals. The Thorofare Canal cuts diagonally across the middle of the island. Another unnamed and unnavigable canal cuts through the northern portion of the island. The area north of this canal to the northern point of the island, known as Hennepin Point (after Louis Hennepin), is undeveloped and houses a historic lighthouse. The Grosse Ile Municipal Airport occupies the southernmost area of Grosse Ile. Grosse Ile is also the center of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

Now here is the puzzle...

• A = The Rucker Homestead is the oldest structure in use on Grosse Ile. Portions of this home date to 181A. The front structure was added by John Anthony Rucker in 1835. 
• B = Grosse Ile played a minor role in the founding of the city of Detroit by the French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. Cadillac and his convoy of 2B canoes sailed down the Detroit River and camped on the shore of Grosse Ile during the evening of July 23, 1701. On the morning of July 24, Cadillac returned upriver and reached a spot on the shore near the present intersection of West Jefferson and Shelby streets in Detroit, where he claimed French possession of the territory under the authority of King Louis XIV. 
• C = In 1894, the federal government funded and constructed a series of channel range lights to assist ships to avoid shallow areas in the Detroit River and its shoreline. The northernmost of the channel range lights was the Grosse Ile Light, which is now the only lighthouse remaining on the island. The original 1894 Grosse Ile lighthouse resembled a water tower on stilts as it was constructed on wooden pilings along with a C70-foot (52 m) walkway to shore. It was rebuilt in 1906 to become the classic white structure which today is one of the most iconic landmarks on the island. 
• X = During the height of the Cold War, in 1954, the U.S. Army installed an Ajax-Nike missile base at the airfield which was functional until it was decommissioned in 196X. The Navy closed the base during November 1969, and it was deeded in 1971 by the federal government to the township government for civilian use as a municipal airport. 
• Y = After Canada Southern ended its operations, the Michigan Central Railroad operated a train that enabled Grosse Ile residents and visitors to travel between the island and Trenton. Train service in Trenton provided people a means of regularly traveling to Detroit and other cities in the region. In 1Y04, the Michigan Central Railroad built a small brick and stone depot along the tracks near East River Road on the east side of the island. 
• Z = The U.S. EPA granted stewardship responsibilities to the Conservancy for a 40.5-acre (1Z.4 ha) marsh and upland area on the federal government-owned section of the Grosse Ile Municipal Airport. This tract of land, which at one time was the location of the Navy's seaplane base and later the Army's Nike missile base, has been restored to its natural state featuring rich biodiversity and rare coastal wetlands. Named the Nature Area by the Conservancy, this land is periodically used by local teachers and Boy Scout groups to teach children about nature and the importance of conservation.