The largest archaeological excavation to take place at Fort Mackinac was the site of the original provision storehouse. Interestingly, it was the second time the provision storehouse was excavated, but the first time at Fort Mackinac.
In 1847, Horace Greeley and Lewis Clark, newspapermen from New York on a tour of the Great Lakes, were seated on the porch of Mission House and saw a giant creature out in the lake. They agreed it was a Sea Serpent! But was it?
In 2022 Mackinac State Historic Parks accessioned 176 objects into its collection and archives. Learn about a few of them here:
As the calendar flips to the new year, the Mackinac State Historic Parks crew is busy preparing its historic sites and parks for an exciting 2023 season.
Wintering on Mackinac Island has always been a desolate and isolated affair. While many were able to leave the island in winter, soldiers of the 23rd United States Infantry, Companies E and K, had to stay and adapt to their winter home.
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
Throughout Fort Mackinac’s military history, British and American soldiers were issued bayonets to complement their shoulder arms. Learn a bit more about them here:
Are there deer on Mackinac Island? How did they get there? Learn about the fascinating history of deer on Mackinac Island here.
Join us for a guided tour going through the creation of the village of Mackinac in the 1780s. This guided tour, led by Mackinac State Historic Parks’ Interpretation Coordinator Jack
