05/11/2007

Fort to Observe Memorial Day with Tribute to Past Soldiers

Mackinac Island, Mich. – On Monday, May 28, the public is invited to watch as Fort Mackinac soldiers conduct a Memorial Day tribute to soldiers who once served at the island fortress.

Historical interpreters will be dressed in the uniform of the U.S. Army 23rd Regiment of Infantry that served at Fort Mackinac in the 1880s. At 8:30 a.m., they will march from the north sally port entrance of the fort along Garrison Road to the Post Cemetery, where they will perform a short ceremony and salute.

Fort Mackinac was built by British troops starting in 1780. American forces assumed control from 1796 until 1812, when the fort was captured by the British in the first land action of the War of 1812. American troops regained control of Fort Mackinac in 1815, and actively manned the island fort until 1895.

The fort is now operated as a living history museum by Mackinac State Historic Parks. Within its stone walls are 14 original buildings filled with exhibits, period settings, interactive displays, and videos. Interpreters provide tours and perform rifle and cannon firing demonstrations daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for youth (6-17), and free for children five and under.

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.