Wednesday and Thursday afternoons I was off to the public library to find out more about the history of Mackinac Island. A small busy library meeting the needs of the people and visitors on Mackinac. The librarian in charge had been there for ten years. The library is near the Mackinac School and minutes from the Grand Hotel. There is a porch where you may enjoy the water and a great view of the lighthouse while sitting in rocking chairs.

Many books have been written about Mackinac Island. One was "Voice of the Turtle" which tells how the French translated the Indian name for the island "Michilimackinac" meaning "Big Turtle." The final "C" given broad a (naw) the Indian pronunciation. The English dropped the "Michili" making it Mackinac.

1634 Jean Nicolet to the Island.

Frenchman Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette landed on Mackinac.

1763 Massacre at old Fort Michilimackinac. 35 English soldiers were encamped in the woods of Mackinac ; meanwhile soldiers were celebrating the King of England's' birthday and the gates were left ajar so the Chippewas walked right in.

Before 1812 came the Northwest Fur Company owned by John Jacob Astor, who never was on the island.

June 18, 1812 COngress declared war against British. The British landed at Fort Mackinac.

August 4, 1814 was the Battle of Mackinac Island. Americans attempt to retake fort from the British.

February 18, 1815 to mid July 1815 the American troops re-occupy Fort Mackinac.

1823 Mission Church formed; Sainte Ann to help train Indian Children.

1842 wigwams along the shore. Indian dormitory housed the Odawa-Ojibway children. Their fathers being French-Canadian and the mothers Ojibway.

1822-1832 William Beaumont was post surgeon and saved Alexis St Martin leaving a hole in his abdomen where he could study the digestive tract.

Lt. John McKay Webster appointed by US Grant to West Point Academy later coming to Fort Mackinac in 1874.

1875-1895 Mackinac first state park of Michigan ; second to Yellowstone Park.

July 1887….Grand Hotel

Movies filmed on Mackinac Island were 1947, Esther Williams and Jimmy Durante in This time for keeps and 1979, Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time. The hotels showed the movies to their guest in the evenings.

A Step back in time to Mackinac Island