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Fort Michilimackinac | |
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| Location | Near Mackinac Bridge,Mackinaw City, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Built | 1715 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000395 |
| MSHS No. | P565[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[2] |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960[3] |
| Designated MSHS | February 18, 1956[1] |
| Colonial Michilimackinac Historic State Park | |
|---|---|
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  Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Fort Michilimackinac (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Wawatam Township,Emmet County, Michigan, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°47′12″N84°44′9.52″W / 45.78667°N 84.7359778°W /45.78667; -84.7359778 |
| Area | 37 acres (15 ha)[4] |
| Administered by | Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
| Designation | Michigan state park |
| Website | Official website |
Fort Michilimackinac (/fóːt ˌmɪʃələˈmækənɔː/ FAWT MISH-ə-lə-MAK-ə-naw) was an 18th-centuryFrench, and laterBritish, fort and trading post at theStraits of Mackinac; it was built on the northern tip of the lower peninsula of the present-day state ofMichigan in theUnited States. Built around 1715, and abandoned in 1783, it was located along the straits that connectLake Huron andLake Michigan of theGreat Lakes ofNorth America. A reconstruction of the fort is preserved as the main feature of Colonial Michilimackinac Historic State Park.[4]
The present-day village ofMackinaw City developed around the site of the fort, which has been designated as aNational Historic Landmark. It is preserved as an open-air historical museum, with several reconstructed wooden buildings and palisades, and is now part of the state park.
The primary purpose of the fort was as part of the French-Canadiantrading post system, which stretched from the Atlantic Coast and theSt. Lawrence River to the Great Lakes, and south to theMississippi River through theIllinois Country. The fort served as a supply depot for traders in the western Great Lakes.[5]
The French first established a presence in the Straits of Mackinac in 1671, whenFather Marquette founded theJesuitSt. Ignace Mission at present-daySt. Ignace in theUpper Peninsula of Michigan. In 1683, they augmented the mission withFort de Buade. In 1701,Sieur de Cadillac moved the French garrison toFort Detroit and closed the mission.[6]
By 1713, however, the French decided to re-establish a presence along the Straits of Mackinac, and built the wooden Fort Michilimackinac on the northern tip of the lower peninsula. They sentConstant le Marchand de Lignery with a contingent of soldiers and workmen in 1715 to accomplish the job.[7][8] Over the decades, they made several modifications and expansions to the palisade walls. ChevalierJacques Testard de Montigny, who was a Lieutenant and a Knight of theOrder of St. Louis, was appointed in 1730 and served for three years as commandant of the fort. He was previously commandant ofFort La Baye (Green Bay, Wisconsin). Many of his relatives settled in Michigan.[citation needed]
The French relinquished the fort, along with theirterritory in Canada, to the British in 1761 following their defeat in theFrench and Indian War, the North American front of theSeven Years' War.[9] The British continued to operate the fort as a major trading post, but most residents were French andMétis (Ojibwe-French), who spoke predominantly French and worshipped atSainte Anne Church in a small log structure. Other civilian residents included British fur traders, some of whom resided within the fort in the southeastern row house.[10]
TheOjibwe in the region soon became dissatisfied with British policies, particularly their cancellation of the annual policy of distributing gifts to the Indians. On June 2, 1763, as part of the larger conflict known asPontiac's War, a group of Ojibwe staged a game ofbaaga'adowe (a forerunner of modernlacrosse) outside the fort as a ruse to gain entrance.[11] After entering the fort, they killed most of the British inhabitants.[12] They held the fort for a year before the British regained control, promising to offer more and better gifts to the native inhabitants of the area.
The British eventually determined that the wooden fort on the mainland was too vulnerable. In 1781 they built alimestone fort on nearbyMackinac Island. Now known asFort Mackinac, it was initially named Fort Michilimackinac. Over the next two years, the British moved related buildings to the island by dismantling them and moving them across the water in the summer and over the ice in the winter. Ste. Anne's Church was also moved.Patrick Sinclair, the lieutenant governor of Michilimackinac, ordered the remains of the original Fort Michilimackinac to be burned after the move.[9]
In 1933, the fort palisade was reconstructed and a small museum opened within the fort.[13]
The first archaeological investigation of the fort began in the summer of 1959, when the Mackinac Island State Park Commission contracted withMichigan State University, and has continued each summer since, as of 2025.[14] The 1933 fort palisade was demolished in 1960, and the reconstruction of the fort based on the archaeological investigation began.[13]
Archaeological efforts moved beyond the fort from 1970-1973, resulting in the discovery of three houses, before returning inside the fort walls from 1974 onwards.[15]
From 1959 to 1966, onsite workers wereinmates at the Pellston Corrections Camp inEmmett County, Michigan.[11] Recent onsite archaeology teams have both paid and volunteer staff members.[16]
As of 2024, there is evidence of at least 40 structures inside the fort walls, of which about 65% have been reconstructed.[14][13] The following structures have been archaeologically excavated and reconstructed as of 2024:[17]
In 1960 the fort grounds were designated aNational Historic Landmark. The grounds were then restored, largely through archaeologically informed reconstruction, as a tourist attraction. As of 2024, the fort and grounds operate as part of Colonial Michilimackinac Historic State Park inMackinaw City, a major component of the Mackinac State Historic Parks. Interpreters, both paid and volunteer, help bring the history to life with music, live demonstrations and reenactments, including musket and cannon firing demonstrations. This is considered one of the most extensively excavated early colonial Frencharchaeological sites in the United States.[citation needed]
The state park grounds feature the foot of theMackinac Bridge, theOld Mackinac Point Lighthouse, dating from 1892, a day-use park with a view of the Mackinac Bridge and Mackinac Island, and a visitor center with gift shop.
In 1712, when war with the Fox Indians broke out and Louvigny found himself unable to leave for the west, Vaudreuil decided to send Lignery at the head of a small party to take possession of the post.
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