War and Paradise: The Territories Of The U.S.

Baker Island

You wouldn’t want to find yourself stranded on Baker Island following a shipwreck. After all, one of its only notable sights is an abandoned cemetery.

This currently uninhabited island was discovered in 1818 and named New Nantucket by Captain Elisha Folger. However, the island is named for Michael Baker who visited there in 1834.

The U.S. claimed this seemingly unremarkable stretch of land in 1856 as part of the Guano Islands Act. Yes, guano mining used to be a thriving industry, and Baker Island was loaded with it. The American Guano company mined the island from 1859 to 1878.

Actually, the Guano Company sold the island to a British firm in 1886. The United Kingdom assumed they had control of the island, but discovered that a technicality kept it in U.S. possession. America briefly tried to colonize it but discovered that the land was inhospitable. A grand total of four American citizens had to be rescued from the island following attacks by the Japanese during WW II.

These days, the island serves no practical purpose.