Mackinac Island
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Mackinac Island (pronounced , note the silent "c") is a small island, 4.4 sq. mi. (11.3 km²) in area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, which lie between the the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island's strategic position amidst the commerce of the fur trade of the Great Lakes led to the establishment of Fort Mackinac on the island by the British during the American Revolutionary War. It was the scene of two strategic battles during the War of 1812. In the late 19th century it became a popular tourist attraction and summer colony, and continues to be famous for its lack of automobiles and its Victorian resort hotels, especially the Grand Hotel with its 660-foot front porch. The 1980 movie Somewhere in Time was filmed on Mackinac Island. Of the island's total area, over 82 percent is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park. The city of Mackinac Island is located on the island.
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Description
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The island has a year-round population of approximately 500, mostly in the historic village of Mackinac Island located on the southern tip. The population grows considerably in the resort season, when it is crowded with tourists, accommodating an average of 15,000 people a day. The highest point of the island is the historic Fort George (since 1815 officially called Fort Holmes), which is 320 feet (97 m) above the lake level and about 890 feet (270 m) above sea level.
The island is accessible by private boats, by ferry from St. Ignace or Mackinaw City and small planes. The airport has a 3,500 ft (1,070 m) paved runway, and charter air service from the mainland is available. During the winter months when the lake is frozen, the island is accessible by snowmobile. Residents save their Christmas trees at British Landing (the site of an 1812 assault on the fort), which are placed along a route marking 5 miles (8 km) of safe ice.
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Motorized vehicles are prohibited on the island with the exception of emergency and service vehicles. Travel on the island is largely by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn carriage. Bicycles, carriages, and saddle horses are available for rent, although inexperienced carriage drivers and riders are advised to avoid busy town areas. An 8.5 mile (14 km) road rings the island, and numerous roads cover the interior. The circular road is Michigan State Highway M-185, one of the few highways in the United States without motorized vehicles.
The island is also famous for the many candy shops that line the streets of the village. The most popular items at these stores are the locally-produced fudge and taffy, leading to the popular nickname of visiting shoppers as "fudgies".
History
The island was at the center of a thriving fur industry beginning in the 17th century and lasting into the early 19th century. The Mackinaw Fur Company was merged with the Southwestern Fur Company by John Jacob Astor to form his American Fur Company.
The island changed hands from the French to the British after the French and Indian War. The United States owned the island after the American Revolutionary War and built and garrisoned Fort Mackinac. The British maintained a military presence nearby at St. Joseph Island in Lake Huron, and for all practical purposes exerted a strong influence over the area, including the local native tribes. The British detachment from St. Joseph Island captured the fort in the first engagement of the War of 1812 and held it against subsequent American attacks until the end of the war, when it was returned to the US by the Treaty of Ghent in 1815. In 1875, much of the island was designated as Mackinac National Park, the second national park of the United States (after Yellowstone National Park, created three years earlier). When Fort Mackinac was decommissioned in 1895, the land was given to the state of Michigan and it became Michigan's first state park, Mackinac Island State Park. No camping is allowed on the island.
References
- "Mackinac Island: Historic Frontier, Vacation Resort, Timeless Wonderland" by Pamela A. Piljac, et al., Chicago Review Pr; ISBN 155652305X; (August 1997)
- "Mackinac Connection: The Insider's Guide to Mackinac Island" by Amy McVeigh, Mackinac Publishing; ISBN 0962321338; July 1998
External link
- Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau website (http://www.mackinacisland.org)
- Mackinac.com (http://www.mackinac.com)