02/08/2007

Park System Acquires Fort Artifacts

Mackinac Island, Mich. — He served at every major military post in the Great Lakes, was with William Hull when he surrendered Fort Detroit in 1812, and made Fort Mackinac his temporary home three times, including one tour as commanding officer in 1833. His name is William Whistler, and three premier artifacts associated with him were recently acquired by Mackinac State Historic Parks (MSHP).

The opportunity to purchase the artifacts came in Spring 2006, when a board member of the parks’ friends group—Mackinac Associates—notified the administration that an antiques dealer had three items for sale: a painted portrait of Whistler, a pair of his pistols, and a one-of-a-kind medallion commemorating his role in ending the Winnebago War of 1827.

After Chief Curator Steven Brisson verified the objects’ authenticity and appropriateness to the agency’s collections, he asked that MSHP immediately move to purchase them. “Each object by itself was significant,” Brisson explained. “But the three together with their associated provenance—having been sold to the dealer by Whistler’s great-granddaughter—were almost priceless to us.”

The asking price for the lot—$60,000—was raised in just one month with the help of a grant from Mackinac Associates, the proceeds from a golf outing organized by Mackinac Island State Park Commissioner Karen Karam, and contributions from the Callewaert family of Mackinac Island and 90+ other donors.

The artifacts were retrieved from the dealer in Fall 2006 and are currently receiving conservation treatment. In Spring 2007, they will be installed in the ‘An Island Famous in These Regions’ exhibit, located in the Soldiers’ Barracks at Fort Mackinac. “It’s a great thrill to bring these items into our collection,” noted MSHP Director Phil Porter, “and to put them on display for residents and visitors to enjoy. We are sincerely grateful for the tremendous support shown by so many people who helped make this acquisition possible.”

Mackinac State Historic Parks is a family of living history museums and nature parks in northern Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac and is an agency within the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. Its sites—which are accredited by the American Association of Museums—include Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island State Park, and Historic Downtown on Mackinac Island, and Colonial Michilimackinac, Historic Mill Creek, and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City. Visitor information is available at 231-436-4100 or on the web at www.MackinacParks.com.