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As a military island, Midway once boasted a population of about 3000; it now has 120 after the US withdrew the naval base. Midway is now an official bird sanctuary; its current residents include the white gooney, black gooney, frigate bird, booby bird, fairy tern, brown noddy, black noddy and the mynah bird. The islands are being cleaned up by a skeleton crew whose job it is to eliminate waste material, greet visitors and encourage the many birds that populate the island. Former residents retain a strong bond with their island home and have created a special page dedicated to its memory and the people who used to live there.
Midway History
Discovered on 5 July 1859 by Captain N C Brooks, the island was named Middle Brook Islands. On 28 August 1876, Captain William Reynolds of the USS Lukawana took formal possession of the islands and renamed them Sand Island and Eastern Island. With no native populace, Midway's history may be traced through records in Hawaii. Click here to read more of Midway Island's history.
Midway Islands Maps
Situated in the Northern Pacific, Midway consists of Sand Island (three miles wide) and Eastern Island (about one mile). Brooks Channel separates Sand Island from Eastern Island, while there are two tiny islands that lie between these, named Gooney Island (after the Gooney bird) and Spit Island. Foul Ground marks the outer perimeter. The outer harbor was named Welles Harbor by Captain William Reynolds, after the Secretary of the US Navy and he named the Seward Roads, after the US Secretary of State, 1876.
Surnames and Query Registry
Post and view surnames or post queries for ancestors of Midway Island.
Midway Remembrance
Death Certificates may be obtained through the address provided below.
The Past Residents Association also lists people who have died since the closure of the US Naval base in 1992.
| IN LOVING MEMORY OF Philip Vernon Tinker b. 10 Nov 1892 d. 27 Jul 1910 Thy Will Be Done |
Midway Islands have their own cemetery. The occupants date back to the 1880s.
| JAMES MILLER GEORGIA Asst Surg US Navy 11 Oct 1875 11 May 1906 |
A memorial plaque on Sand Island also commemorates those who died during the Battle for Midway in June 1942.
Vital Records
There were less than a dozen children born on Midway in recent years. Their birth records may be found at the address below. Please click here, HawaiiGenWeb or contact the
Department of Health, Research and Statistics Office Vital Records1250 Punchbowl
Room 103
P O Box 3378
Honolulu 96801 3378
Hawaii
An interest group was set up for former residents of Midway.
The interest group includes an Alumni Group for former pupils of George Cannon School.
Contact Me
I very much welcome your help or suggestions with regard to genealogy research on Midway Island, especially in tracing the names of the occupants of Sand Island's cemetery. Please send any information to the Midway IslandGenWeb Coordinator.
Copyright © 1998 - Monday, 08-Sep-2008 10:38:26 MDT Midway IslandGenWeb
Webmaster: Leith Hutton