The 10th Regiment at Michilimackinac Posted August 31, 2017 Today, visitors to Colonial Michilimackinac will meet interpreters representing members of the 8th, or King’s, Regiment of Foot, which served at the fort from 1774 to 1781. The men of the 8th replaced soldiers from the 10th Regiment, who left their own mark on Michilimackinac during their stay between 1772 and 1774. The 10th Regiment also played a critical role in the American Revolution soon after their departure from the Great Lakes. (more…)
Archaeology Update Posted July 14, 2017 MSHP staff member Alex excavating in the root cellar. We have reached the halfway point of the 2017 Michilimackinac archaeology field season. We have known since the project began that this was a fur trader’s house, and the numerous trade artifacts recovered this summer confirm that. We have found over a dozen gunflints, four trade gun caliber musket balls, several fishhooks, fragments from two Jesuit rings and glass beads in many colors and sizes. These have mostly come from the interior of the house. (more…)
Mr. Michilimackinac: Jim Evans’ 47 Years Posted June 30, 2017 Jim Evans isn’t a stranger to attention. Entering his 47th season as a historical interpreter at Colonial Michilimackinac, Jim is a fan-favorite among visitors and employees alike. However, Jim is known for his soft-spoken, friendly demeanor and isn’t one to boast about his accomplishments. A native of Mackinaw City, Jim has always been fascinated by his hometown’s rich history. (more…)
A Change of Seasons Posted May 19, 2017 With the coming of spring, MSHP archaeology staff has wrapped up their winter work and are turning their thoughts to the new field season. Site packed for end of the 2016 field season. (more…)
Special Events at Colonial Michilimackinac Posted April 28, 2017 Although there aren’t any big anniversaries to celebrate this year, there will be a number of exciting special events throughout the summer at Colonial Michilimackinac. From June to September, two weekends each month will highlight a different aspect of the site’s history with special programs and activities. (more…)
Taxes in the 18th Century Posted April 13, 2017 King George III’s government attempted to use a variety of taxes to cover expenses following the Seven Years’ War. It’s mid-April. Taxes are due in just a few days- have you filed yet? In the 18th century, British citizens around the world, including at remote Canadian outposts like Michilimackinac, were required to pay taxes just like you. (more…)
Colonial Cousins: Arent DePeyster, Alexander Hamilton, and the Schuylers of New York Posted April 7, 2017 Arent DePeyster Local stories and histories often interconnect in unexpected ways. For example, how does a British officer at Michilimackinac relate to Alexander Hamilton? Quite directly, it turns out! (more…)
What’s on the Other Side of the Lake? Green Bay! Posted March 24, 2017 A combined British-Native force from Fort Edward Augustus helped diffuse tensions at Michilimackinac following the attack of 1763. Courtesy of British Library. You may be aware of Mackinac’s connection to cities like Detroit and Montreal, but many other communities can also trace a historic connection back to the straits. One such city is Green Bay, Wisconsin, which will be celebrating several important milestones in 2017. This year marks the 200th anniversary of Fort Howard, built by American troops, and the 300th anniversary of the colonial French Fort La Baye. Both posts were located in present-day Green Bay and had ties to Mackinac. By the 1600s both Mackinac and Green Bay were part of French Canada, and both deeply linked to the fur trade. The majority of the fur trade that went west from Michilimackinac headed to Green Bay. Green Bay’s Fox River was a main artery for reaching the Mississippi River and trading grounds in central Wisconsin and Minnesota. As a result of the first Fox War (1712-1716), the French established Fort La Baye to protect this vital trade route. Many of the French soldiers who built and later garrisoned La Baye were sent from Fort Michilimackinac, which was built around 1715. (more…)
2016 Archaeology Season in Review Posted September 9, 2016 The end of August saw the close of another archaeological field season at Colonial Michilimackinac. This was our ninth season of excavation at House E, one of the units of the Southeast Rowhouse. Historic maps and records indicate that this was the house of Charles Desjardins de Rupallay de Gonneville by 1749 (and probably earlier) through at least 1758. By 1765 it was an English trader’s house. Our excavations indicate that it remained civilian housing throughout the fort’s occupation. (more…)
King’s 8th Returns to Colonial Michilimackinac Posted August 26, 2016 The King is calling you to enlist. Throughout the weekend of September 9 and 10, 2016, we will recreate the garrison routines of the soldiers at Michilimackinac in the mid-1770s. In addition to drill and musket firing demonstrations, there will be military ration cooking demonstrations, the posting of sentries at the fort’s gates, and daily roll calls. Interpreters will also be on hand to discuss and demonstrate the role of women attached to the British army as laundresses, seamstresses, gardeners, and cooks. Visitors are invited to drill with the soldiers, help with the laundry, become a member of an artillery crew, and attempt to improve the defenses of Michilimackinac with a “Design a Fort” activity. Special walking tours will focus on Michilimackinac’s armaments and defenses, as well as the community’s role in the American Revolution. Learn more about Colonial Michilimackinac. God Save the King!
