Today we headed out to tour Fort Michilimackinac/Colonial Michilimackinac.
The reconstruction of a 1770’s Fort Michilimackinac as determined from historical and archeological records was started in 1960. The buildings were constructed on the same site location as they were in the 1770’s. Michilimackinac was a fort and a community together. Within the fenced enclosure were the soldiers’ barracks, powder magazine and a guard house, but also there were homes, gardens and the parish church. We explored these varied aspects of life here and watched a single musket demonstration. (Musket demo did not compare to the musket reenactment demonstration at The Alamo.)
Outside the fort fences:
The Storeroom
A portion of stone wall that was part of the earlier French storeroom cellar. When the British took over the fort, they filled in this cellar, and replaced the French storeroom with a new storeroom in 1772-73.
The Guard House
After 1769 British enlisted men lived in a barracks like this. It was divided into four separate rooms, the barracks was a place to sleep as well as prepare and eat their food. They also maintained their uniforms and equipment, and generally spent their off-duty hours here. Each room housed at least 12 men.
Six of the eight pence that a soldier earned each day was deducted from his wages to pay for his food. And since Fort Michilimackinac was at the end of the supply line, the rations were often of poor quality. Soldiers received their rations weekly.
The soldiers belonged to a mess, a group of 6-8 men who pooled their rations to cook and eat communally. Each room had two messes. The DAILY rations are visually shown by the black circles drawn on the table in the picture above. These rations are for the entire day not each meal!! I can’t imagine one ounce of rice or oatmeal, 1/4 pint peas, 1/2 pound salt pork, 1 pound of bread, and 1 ounce of butter to give sustain them for 24 hours. Luckily, the men were able to frequently supplement their rations with fresh fish and local produce.
The soldiers had an additional expense for their clothing. Six pence per week for everything listed on the left in the picture below. But they also had to provide the additional items listed on the right side as well as their own off-duty clothing.
Therefore, out of 56 pence per week, 42 went to food, and 6 towards clothing. That left them with only 8 pence per week to cover everything else!
The post commander used military courts to try the men of his command for various offenses. Crimes included being AWOL, fighting, stealing, and disrespect toward an officer. Being drunk was often a contributing factor. When a soldier was arrested and was awaiting trial or punishment, he was put into the black hole that through an opening in the floor of the guard house. That way the guards could literally keep watch over him.
More to the “community”
A rowhouse – consists of 6 units and likely housed the post commander and other prominent residents. Three units of the rowhouse have been reconstructed as they likely appeared in the mid-1770s.
A Merchant’s Home:
The Commanding Officer’s Home:
When the British arrived here in 1761, Capt Howard tore down the old French officer’s house to create a garden for his troops.
Church of Saint Anne
The Priest’s house:
Blacksmith Shop
EZEKIEL SOLOMON – a native of Berlin, Germany, who served with the British army, arrived at Michilimackinac in the summer of 1761. He is Michigan’s first known resident of the Jewish faith. Solomon was one of the most active Mackinac fur traders until his death. He was one of several who narrowly escaped death in the massacre of 1763.
Views from the elevated perimeter walkway.
Historical Event I need to include regarding Fort Michilimackinac:
The end of the Seven Years’ War in 1763 marked the conclusion of an expensive global conflict between Great Britain, France, and their allies. Most indigenous groups in the Great Lakes fought alongside the French, and were shocked when the British captured Canada. Hoping to reduce costs, the British imposed new restrictions on the Great Lakes fur trade. The French gave gifts to the indigenous leaders as part of their fur trade protocol. The British stopped this practice, but the indigenous leaders relied on these goods to clothe, feed and protect their communities. This caused very hard feelings toward the British.
At the same time, epidemic diseases ravaged indigenous communities. As a result, a Delaware religious prophet named Neolin preached a return to a more traditional way of life. His followers believed that if the British were driven away, health and prosperity (and perhaps the French) would return. Pontiac, and Odawa war leader, seized this as a rallying cry. In the spring of 1763, Pontiac held plans to capture Detroit and encouraged other indigenous leaders to attack the British wherever they found them.
On June 2, 1763, the local Ojibwa heeded Pontiac’s call. A plan to eliminate Michilimackinac’s 35-man British garrison. They staged a game of baggatiway outside the fort walls, supposedly in honor of King George III’s birthday. They even convinced the post commander, Capt Etherington to watch the game. At a prearranged signal, the players tossed the ball near the fort’s open gate. At this point the Ojibwa women spectators pulled out weapons for the game playing Ojibawa to use as they attacked the fort. Etherington and another officer were immediately captured.
The Ojibwa completed their rout within minutes, leaving 15 soldiers dead. Another five soldiers were ceremoniously killed later. The local Odawa intervened to spare Etherington and the other survivors, who were sent to Montreal as prisoners.
A French well!
French residents constructed this well when they expanded the village in the 1730s. The well diggers, used hammers and picks, laboriously chiseling through six feet of solid limestone to reach the water table which was more than 16 feet below ground level. Even the the fresh water of Lake Michigan was only a few yards away, the well provided inhabitants with a reliable source of water within the protective walls of the fort. By 1760 the well was abandoned and filled in. The site remained undisturbed for more than 200 years until it was excavated during the summer of 1961.
An ACTIVE Archeological Site!
Skilled archeologists are here every summer to continue the painstaking work of slowly and diligently sifting and carefully digging to uncover more about the community’s past. The area is roped off to keep undisturbed by visitors, but visitors are welcome to watch the process during their work hours. There was a large section in one of the buildings that was dedicated to showing excavated artifacts.
To the Upper Peninsula!
We left Colonial Michilimackinac to drive across Mighty Mac to St. Ignace on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, simply referred to as UP.
The completion of the Mackinac Suspension Bridge was completed on time. It opened on November 1, 1957. Mackinac Bridge Authority received a check for $96,400,033.33 on February 17, 1954 for the construction of the bridge! The last of the bridge bonds was retired July 1, 1986. Toll revenues are now used to preserve and maintain the state of Michigan’s single largest asset and one of the world’s leading suspension bridges. It cost us $4 each way. The toll booths are set up only on the north end of the bridge.
We went to Bridge View Park in St Ignace UP. It was a gorgeous park. I was captivated by such beautiful flowers this late in the season.
BRIDGE FACTS:
Total length is 5 miles or 26,372 feet.
Total length of the steel superstructure is 19,243 feet.
Length of the suspension bridge, including anchorages is 8,614 feet.
Length of the main span, between towers, is 3,800 feet.
Total width of the bridge deck is 54 feet.
The two outside lanes are 12 feet wide.
The two inside lanes are 11 feet wide.
The center mall is 2 feet wide, and the catwalk, curb and rail width is 3 feet on each side.
Cable Facts
Total length of wire in main cables is 42,000 MILES.
Maximum tension in each cable is 16,000 tons
Number of wires in each cable is 12,580.
Weight of cables is 11,840 tons.
Diameter of main cables is 24.5 inches.
Diameter of each wire is 0.196 inches.
All suspension bridges are designed to move to accommodate wind, change in temperature, and weight. It is possible that this deck at center span can move as much as 35 feet, east or west , due to high winds. This would only happen under severe wind conditions. The deck would not “swing” or “sway” but rather move slowly in only one direction based on the force and direction of the wind. After the wind subsides, the weight of the vehicles crossing would slowly return it back to center position. WOW!
Unfortunately, 5 workers perished during the bridge construction. Bridge View Park hosted a statue in honor of those workers.
South Tower FOG Bell – A bell was placed at the base of each tower to guide vessels during poor visibility. March of 1961, a fog horn was installed, so the bells were no longer needed. On April 24, 2002, the South Tower Fog Bell was removed from the bridge to be displayed at the Bridge View Park.
Art around the coastline of Mackinaw City.
There were quite a few quaint parks interspersed among houses around the water’s edge. These parks hosted the various painting replicas shown below.
Terry’s work commemorated the comeback of the sturgeon in the Mackinac area with the Eber Ward shipwreck and Gray’s Reef Lighthouse in the background.
This painting is to remind Michiganders that they have the best seat in the country for gorgeous water views. Michigan has the most fresh water coastlines than any other state! 42% of the state is covered with water. This is the highest percentage of any state. (And Minnesota is the “Land of 10,000 lakes!) Obviously, Michigan has miles of coastline bordering Lake Superior, and Lake Huron, but I was surprised to see so much additional water areas – smaller lakes, rivers, inlets, etc. It is truly a beautiful state. Pure Michigan!
Sunset from TeePee Campground
It was a great day! We finished it off relaxing with a glass of wine by our campfire.
