Where’s The Rest of Fort Mackinac? Posted December 15, 2017 Today, visitors to Fort Mackinac experience a wonderfully complete example of a late 19th century American military post. Preserved since 1895 as a museum and historic site, the fort’s 14 original buildings appear much as they did between 1885 and 1889. Most other Army posts from this time period have either decayed into ruins or have been so thoroughly modernized that their historic character is largely invisible. However, the preserved Fort Mackinac open to visitors represents only about half of the post as it existed historically. Although some elements are gone from the landscape, a lot more of Fort Mackinac remains outside the walls- you just need to know where to look. (more…)
This Time For Keeps Photo Album Posted December 13, 2017 2017 marks the 70th anniversary of the release of Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer’s This Time for Keeps. The Esther Williams “water ballet” musical was the third she made in this genre. About a third of the 90-minute movie is set on Mackinac Island. A number of exterior shots and all interior scenes set on the island were filmed at the M-G-M studio in Culver City, California. However, a number of outdoor scenes were shot on the island. This included winter footage of the docks, downtown, the Stewart Woodfill residence, and wooded trails. These were filmed in February 1946, some using doubles to represent the principals. Most of the principal cast, including Esther Williams, Johnnie Johnston, Jimmy Durante and Lauritz Melchior came to Mackinac Island for several weeks in July 1946 for scenes shot along Main Street, at the Coal Dock, in front of Grand Hotel and at the hotel’s swimming pool. More than 200 extras were also employed for these scenes. (more…)
Winter Recreation on Victorian Mackinac Island Posted November 24, 2017 Most stores have closed, many hotels and cottages have been boarded up, and we have had the first snow of the season on Mackinac Island. Winter on Victorian Mackinac Island was much like it is today – boats stopped running, winter provisions were stocked, and the smaller island population could be cut off the from mainland often. While ice breakers, the internet and planes keep present-day Mackinac Island more connected than ever before, what did island residents do in the past in the wintertime? (more…)
The Somewhere in Time Gazebo Posted November 17, 2017 The gazebo decorated for a wedding around 2012. Nestled along Anne’s Tablet Trail, you’ll find the Somewhere in Time Gazebo tucked away over-looking Haldimand Bay, Round Island, and Downtown Mackinac Island. Though the gazebo is stashed away in a secluded part of Mackinac Island, visitors from around the world stop to take in the beauty every day. Some come to witness a part of Hollywood history, others find the view inspiring, and many find it to be a romantic and picturesque wedding venue. (more…)
A Golf Legend Comes to Mackinac Island Posted November 10, 2017 Wawashkamo Register dated June 29, 1919. Walter Hagen outlined in red box. Wawashkamo Golf Club’s board of directors recently donated the club’s early Visitor’s Registers to Mackinac State Historic Parks. These leather-bound books, dating from 1900 and filled with the names and dates of golfers, provide a delightful glimpse into the history of the course and early 20th century Mackinac Island. Thumbing through the first volume, we were thrilled to discover that Walter Hagen, one of the game’s most successful and popular golfers in the first half of the 20th century, played the island course in the summer of 1919. (more…)
Ste. Anne de Michilimackinac Posted October 27, 2017 A recent wedding at the church. After the question is popped, the real fun begins- planning the wedding. One of the most exciting and challenging tasks is finding the perfect location for the memorable day. Outdoor or indoor venue? Intimate or spacious? In a busy city or tucked away on a quiet beach? The options are endless. Mackinac State Historic Parks offers ten historic wedding venues on Mackinac Island and in Mackinaw City. One of our truly unique historic wedding venues is the Ste. Anne de Michilimackinac church. Located in Colonial Michilimakinac, this reconstruction was built on the original location of the 18th-century church. (more…)
Outside the Walls: The “Subarbs” of Michilimackinac Posted October 20, 2017 In the 18th century, the summer population of Michilimackinac could swell into the thousands as voyageurs, clerks, merchants, and other French-Canadian, British, and Native American participants in the fur trade descended on the post for the annual trading season. Given the relatively small size of the town inside the fort’s walls, where did all of these people live? By the 1760s, a growing collection of homes sprang up east of the fort, creating the suburbs of Michilimackinac. (more…)
Archaeology Update Posted October 13, 2017 Pewter Button The second half of the field season was even richer in artifacts than the beginning. Gunflints and buttons continued to be found throughout the excavation. (more…)
Obscure Places on Mackinac Island Posted September 29, 2017 Every year, thousands of people come to Mackinac Island and visit such well-known places as Arch Rock, British Landing, Sugar Loaf, and Fort Mackinac. But have you ever visited Desha Mound, Langlade Craig, Echo Grotto, or Raymbault Height? These are just a few of the 212 named “places of interest” on the island listed by the Michigan Historical Commission in a 1916 travel bulletin. (more…)
Captain George Etherington: Michilimackinac’s Unfortunate Commander Posted September 22, 2017 Many visitors to the Straits of Mackinac are aware of the events of June 2, 1763, when a group of 400 Ojibwa men captured the British fort of Michilimackinac through a skillful surprise attack. The Ojibwa attack, which initially took the form of a seemingly-innocent game of baggatiway in honor of King George III’s birthday, ended in just minutes, with 15 soldiers dead and commanding officer Captain George Etherington held prisoner. The loss of Michilimackinac was undoubtedly the low point of Etherington’s life, but this resourceful officer ultimately enjoyed a long career in the British military. (more…)
