Association Island

Most people believe the General Electric retreat at Association Island was organized by GE. In reality, it was originally formed by several businessmen from the incandescent lamp industry; these men formed an association of lamp companies to compete with GE. A 1903 fishing trip to Henderson Harbor inspired them to purchase the island for their summer sojourns; however, ownership of the association and the island were eventually absorbed by GE, turning it into a full-scale resort for executives and managers of the ever-expanding corporation. Hotels, restaurants, garages, boats, fishing guides, managers, and maintenance workers from nearby Henderson Harbor were all tied to Association Island for the next 50 years. When GE gave it away, Association Island fell into a long and steady period of decline until it was turned into a camping resort for the 21st century. Association Island illustrates the financial and social impact of a significant corporation on a small fishing community.

Timothy W. Lake is a 30-year veteran of newspaper, radio, and television news reporting. Born and raised near Henderson Harbor and Association Island, Lake has spent most of his life exploring, boating, and fishing in the nearby waters. His previous book Images of America: Henderson Harbor and Henderson was published in 2012.