The Mackinac Walrus
Unusual things have been found on Mackinac Island and the Straits of Mackinac over the years. But a walrus skull? That might be the most unusual of all. Read on for the amazing story of how it ended up in the Straits.
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Unusual things have been found on Mackinac Island and the Straits of Mackinac over the years. But a walrus skull? That might be the most unusual of all. Read on for the amazing story of how it ended up in the Straits.
Have you ever wondered how they got lumber over to the island to construct buildings such as Mission Church?
Merry Christmas!
“What though the woods are bare and cheerless, the water-courses bound by fetters of ice, and the whole earth covered with snow? A cheery greeting, for all that, to those who burn the Yule log and brighten their homes with the holly and yew. They say these days are the embers of the dying year; then kindle the flames of life and love anew. Light up the candles that gleam in the branches of evergreen. Hang Christmas boxes on every bough. Make every one happy, old and young. Rejoice!”
Forest and Stream, December 25, 1873
On August 12, 1810, Thomas Nuttall stepped ashore on Mackinac Island, becoming the first trained botanist to explore northern Michigan.
Mackinac Island is blessed with a number of natural springs which percolate through limestone bedrock. Some, like Dwightwood Spring and Croghan Water, are well known. Others not as much. Learn more about them here.
When you think about the Great Lakes fur trade, you probably think about canoes, right? While canoes were an integral part of the trade, they weren’t the only watercraft on the lakes.
Robert Campbell constructed a water-powered sawmill at Mill Creek about 1790, being the first of its kind in northern Michigan. Prior to the mill, trees were turned into lumber entirely with hand tools for more than 100 years at the Straits of Mackinac.
As Michiganders prepare for Thanksgiving, sooner or later thoughts turn to turkey. Today, after a long and sometimes perilous history, the eastern wild turkey is a familiar site to many Michigan residents.
She lived her, too. Marie Constance Chevalier was one of the few people who made Michilimackinac their permanent home in the early years of Michilimackinac’s history.
