[5] Old newspaper articles refer to Rattlesnake Island as once being inhabited by the Catawba tribe.

In prehistoric times, the Portage River is thought to have flowed into Lake Erie at the West Harbor (near East Harbor State Park), and this old channel of the river (which was also denoted on 19th-century maps) formerly made Catawba into a true island.

The township is governed by a three-member board of trustees, who are elected in November of odd-numbered years to a four-year term beginning on the following January 1.

Catawba Island is a very popular summer destination as part of Ohio's Vacationland region.

The Miller Boat Line which is able to carry cars, trucks, and pedestrians to and from the islands operates off the tip of the peninsula.