Volvo Island
If you head out of Chicago on State Route 71, you’ll soon enough reach the small town of Ottawa, Illinois. But just before you get there, you’ll pass a small man-made lake on your left. In the middle of that lake is a tiny islet. It’s a phenomenon known to Google Maps as “Volvo Island.” Instagram posts have sparked renewed interest in Volvo Island in recent weeks. On that island sits its lone resident — a Volvo sedan. How on earth did some hapless driver manage to pull that off? The Volvo has spent more than a decade on its small perch, surrounded by water. It has become a small legend among travelers looking for bizarre roadside attractions.
Our tale begins long before the Volvo, its island, or even the lake existed. The immediate area around Volvo Island was an old strip mine. Eventually, the mine closed down and was abandoned. As time went on, the old mine pit flooded. The lake and its surrounding property came to be owned by Scott Mann. He’s the proprietor of two local car repair shops, so he has access to plenty of non-running automobiles. And that finally brings us to the Volvo. The car placed on the island is a 2001 Volvo S80 sedan. That said, considering Mann has left it sitting on the island instead, you know, selling it, we’d bet money on it being essentially scrap. And that’s probably why Mann decided to place it on the island in the first place. However, originally, there was no island. The Volvo Island was at first a Volvo peninsula. It consisted of a long ridge of gravel and dirt stretching toward the middle of the lake. Mann towed the Volvo to the tip of the ridge in 2012. After securing it in place, he then used an excavator to get rid of the connecting land bridge. After he had completed his efforts, the peninsula had transformed into an island. From eye level, you see a lake, However, when viewed from the air (such as on Google Maps), you can still clearly see the remnants of the ridge underwater.
But why would Mann create Volvo Island? To help him drum up more business for his car repair shops. “We were thinking of a contest to see who could figure out how the car got there,” Tiffany Warren told “The Drive.” The water around Volvo Island is up to 40 feet deep, and the lake bottom is strewn with boulders and loose rocks. If somebody tried to swim to the island to get a closer look at the Volvo, they could get hurt or even drown. And that’s certainly not good for business. So, Mann decided to leave the Volvo on its pile of sand as a funky tourist attraction. It’s not like he could tow the car away anymore, anyway.
Humor from a lonely Island
AOC and Mamdani are trapped on island. Who survives?
America.
The cast of “Friends” got shipwrecked on a deserted island.
Monica, Joey and Chandler were left behind because in real life David is a Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow.
Even on Gilligan’s Island…
They listened to the Professor and not the millionaire.
Good news! I’ve just inherited an estate from my great grandfather!
Bad news, it’s a 1975 Volvo.
December 9th Birthdays
1934 – Judi Dench, 1970 – Kara Dio Guardi, 1962 – Felicity Huffman, 1981 – Mardy Fish
1977 – Shayne Graham, 1953 – John Malkovich, 1980 – Simon Helberg, 1957 – Donny Osmond