[9] The first settlement on the island comprised a small number of family farms in the area known as Scotch Block,[9] and the community of Tolsmaville was established in 1878 by Siberon "Zeke" Tolsma, a fisherman from Cheboygan, Michigan.

Marie and Southampton, was launched by 1879,[10] the township government was incorporated in 1881,[9] and an improved shipping dock was built in 1888.

Marie to Owen Sound in the 1960s, Cockburn's transportation access was limited to a once-weekly ferry to Meldrum Bay on Manitoulin Island, and its population began to decline rapidly due to its increased isolation.

[12] Tolsmaville continues to serve as the hub of the island's summer tourist economy, even though some references incorrectly describe it as a wholly abandoned ghost town.

[4][16][17] The island is not currently connected to either Manitoulin or Drummond Islands, or to the mainland, by bridge or ferry service; its only transportation access is across the water by private boat in summer or snowmobile in the winter, or air travel in a float plane or a helicopter.

[19] The township's current reeve is Brenda Jones,[20] who succeeded David Haight in the 2014 Manitoulin District municipal elections.

[7] Despite the lack of a permanent resident population, the municipality also maintains the township's historic buildings, including a school and a church.