Mackinac History: A Continuing Series of Illustrated Vignettes, Volume III, Leaflet #4
Nothing causes a statue to so much as flinch: the snores of a weary traveler reclining at his feet; a close call by a Frisbee being flung back and forth … ; the sight of sun bathers spread on the lawn below. … Such is the life of a statue. In this case, a monument to Pere (Father) Jacques Marquette, 17th-century Jesuit missionary and explorer of New France. Molded from bronze in Florence, Italy in 1909, it stands in the little park below Fort Mackinac that over the years has become Mackinac Island’s front lawn. The statue is a true landmark …
Some visitors may have seen another statue of Father Marquette in the central Upper Peninsula city of Marquette. Their memories may tell them that it was remarkably similar. On a trip to Washington DC a third statue of Marquette, this time in white marble, can be found in the US Capitol. All three were produced by the same artist, and their story is an interconnected one. While the island landmark honors Marquette, its presence is as much a monument to the men who built it and the time when Mackinac Island had become a premiere tourist destination.”
Includes information on Marquette the Legend, Marquette Monument Association, Wisconsin’s Tribute, a Monument in the West, Trouble in Washington, Pierre Le Blanc to the Rescue, A Monument for Mackinac, Pere Marquette Place.
