William Whistler joined the United States Army in 1801 and served for more than 60 years, including three stints at Fort Mackinac. Today we take a dive into our collection and look at two fine pistols that belonged to Whistler.
Let’s revisit an article originally posted in 1875 exploring the newly created Mackinac National Park.
The G. Mennen Williams Mackinac Celebration is the kickoff to the events season for our friends group Mackinac Associates, named in honor of former Governor G. Mennen “Soapy” Williams. But who was Gov. Williams and why is he important to Mackinac State Historic Parks?
As we commemorate the 150th anniversary, let’s revisit an article titled “Beautiful Mackinac,” originally published June 4, 1875, to celebrate Mackinac National Park.
Thanks to a onetime influx of infrastructure money, Mackinac State Historic Parks is in the middle of a construction boom. Archaeological potential is considered during project planning, and testing and monitoring are carried out when appropriate. Here is a rundown of what’s been a very busy winter:
Mackinac State Historic Parks offers 10 stunning wedding venues throughout its family of historic sites and state parks. Learn about them here:
The 1880s represent an interesting time in US Army history, as the “old army” of the Civil War was meeting the emerging “new army” more recognizable today. This can be seen in the men who served as officers at Fort Mackinac.
As the calendar flips to 2025, the Mackinac State Historic Parks team is hard at work protecting, preserving, and presenting the rich history of the Straits of Mackinac by creating new exhibits, galleries, and tours, improving visitor experiences, celebrating a major anniversary, expanding our collections area and library, and finishing major infrastructure improvements on Mackinac Island.
In 2023 we accessioned 643 objects into our collection. Let’s learn about some!
