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Category: History

Thanksgiving Day at Mackinac (1831)

As we gather this Thanksgiving, may we be grateful for a bountiful harvest, the natural wonders around us, and family and friends to share them with, just as William and Amanda Ferry did in 1831.

Welcome Back, Welcome’s Boat!

In the early 1970s, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission decided to reconstruct “Welcome,” a trading vessel originally built in the mid-1770s. A small boat to accompany the sloop was also built, and it’s now back home. Read on:

Chimney Rock Revisited

Our Park Naturalist, Kyle, is ready to set the story straight: Chimney Rock and Sunset Rock are not one and the same. Let’s revisit Chimney Rock:

A glacial erratic boulder found on the Lake Huron lakeshore, brown or rust colored with a black stripe.

Lost Rocks & Mackinac Millstones

The millstones currently on display at Historic Mill Creek are the originals, and they had a wild ride to get back to the site. But also – how were they made? And how did those rocks end up here at the Straits?

Wild Hay for the King’s Cattle

 More than 240 years have passed since wooden sloops brought wild hay to the King’s Cattle on Mackinac Island. During your next visit, scan the watery horizon and imagine the scene from a bygone era. Perhaps you’ll glimpse a broad, white sail billowing in the wind. Or listen closely, and just maybe you’ll hear soft, clanking cowbells as supper makes its way across the Straits of Mackinac.

A New Gown at Michilimackinac

The clothes our historic interpreters wear are a major part in telling the story of the historic residents of the Straits of Mackinac. A lot of research goes into making these outfits accurate, and here’s a little peek at one of the new outfits you’ll find in Colonial Michilimackinac this summer.