As I stated in my post last week, besides the Grand Hotel, one of the more prominent features on Mackinac Island is Fort Mackinac. I think we can all assume that saying the island was settled in the 17th century would be a lie. In fact, Native American tribes were familiar with the island long before the Europeans came along.
In my post last week, @peaceandmoney made the conjecture that the name Mackinac has some derivation from the Scottish language. In fact, the proper name of the island is Michililimackinac or Mishimikinaak depending on if you are going with the Ottawa or Ojibwa Indian tribe translation. Either way, both of those words actually mean "Great Turtle" which is what they thought the island looked like.
Besides having to pay to take the ferry over to the island, you also have to pay for a day pass to gain access to the fort. Fort Mackinac is part of the Mackinac Island State park. The hike up to the entrance can be a bit of a workout due to the steep incline.
Fun fact though, there is a back entrance that is much easier to access, but you still need to get up the hill that you see in the background in the photo above.
Once you do make it up the pathway, it is pretty easy to understand why they built the fort here in the first place. The vantage point on the top of the hill gives it views for miles and a strategic vantage in the straits of Mackinac.
The fort was established on the site of a fur trading post by the British during the Revolutionary War. In the War of 1812, two battles were actually fought on Mackinac Island before the treaties were signed and the island was claimed by the US.
Tourism really became a big deal in the 19th century on the Island and many of the existing structures date back to at least that time if not longer. The entire island is considered a "National Historic Landmark".
The fort itself is actually pretty cool. They have guided tours and demonstrations throughout the day as well as people dressed in period attire to answer your questions. We also came across a few girl scouts and boy scouts who were offering tidbits of information. Apparently troops come to the island and stay for the weekend or week volunteering at the fort.
As I mentioned before, @mrsbozz and I had our nephew along with @diamonddave's wife and son with us on this trip. The two boys loved the fort going inside every single building and reading every single bit of historic information they could. We probably spent a good two hours at the fort as they took a step back into history.
Personally, I was more interested in the views from the fort. It was a beautiful day outside and moving from building to building didn't interest me that much. Plus, I've seen it all before. I did walk with the boys through some of the areas because I didn't want to be selfish, but I tried to grab as many outdoor shots as I could.
If you look really closely in the second shot above, you can just make out the Mackinac Bridge in the distance.
We were lucky enough to see a black powder rifle firing demonstration around noon. The worker did a good job of explaining the firearm, how it worked, and the advantages it had over the earlier models of black powder rifles. Although we were outside, it was still quite a bit louder than I had anticipated.
Shortly after the rifle demonstration they also did a canon firing demonstration, but we have moved on by that point.
As I look back on these photos, I can't help but be amazed at just how perfect of a day this was. The sun was warm in the sky, but there was an amazing breeze coming off Lake Huron that almost gave you a chill. It was quite possibly the quintessential Summer day in Northern Michigan.
One of the last buildings we visited had a bit more history of the island. It focused a little less on the military aspect of the fort and just how the tourism industry has evolved on the island over the years.
I know it's hard to read in the one photo, but the "No Cars Allowed" photo references the 1898 council vote to ban motorized vehicles from the island. The concern was that the noise from the autos would disturb the horses.
Of course there is always that one guy who thinks the rules don't apply to him. In 1900 some douche canoe named Earl C Anthony brought his car to the island. Apparently, his auto frightened and hurt several horses which in turn wrecked a number of carriages and since then autos have been outlawed.
Our final stop was the barracks before we made the hike back down to the downtown area.
We were getting hungry, so we stopped at a place called Horn's Gaslight Bar which as been serving the Mackinac Island community since 1920. The boys even got to sit at their own table and chat away like a coupe of old men!
The food was fairly decent, but nothing that totally blew us away. The boys got chicken fingers and some boneless wings to share. Our friend got the turkey reuben sandwich, and @mrsbozz and I shared the chicken nachos. With side of onion rings of course!
As much as I have criticised Mackinac Island in my previous posts, it actually is a pretty cool place if you haven't been there a million times already. I think everyone should visit at least once if they get the chance. The history alone is worth experiencing and if you happen to buy a slab or two of fudge, all the better.
If you had the money to afford it, I could see the draw of having a summer home on the island, though I think there are other islands that you can do the same thing and they are less busy. They might not have as many bars or restaurants available, but sometimes quality over quantity is better.
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