The Original Fort Michilimackinac - Fort DeBuade in St. Ignace, Michigan, by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Above is a close up and enhanced image of the 1696 Coronelli Map of the Great Lakes, touted as being the most accurate map of the Great Lakes found in the 17th Century. Obviously, as we know today, it was sadly lacking in accuracy. One thing that is easy to see however, is that whoever controled the Straits of Mackinac wielded military might at that time. The straits are that close area between the Lower and Upper Peninsulas of Michigan. The French were the first colonial presence in this area.

The original Fort Michilimackinac, one of three forts bearing the name, was constructed by the French and built in St. Ignace, Michigan. The fort also went by the name Fort DeBuade. St. Ignace is located in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula. Situated on land that juts out into the straits of Mackinac, St. Ignace is bordered by two bays and two of the Great Lakes - Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.  Located at a strategic juncture for the fur trade, the French built the fort centrally, with two tribes also encamped on either side.  We don't really know what Fort DeBuade looked like but it make have been a stockaded wooden fort such as one can find displayed in Mackinaw City at the Michigan State Parks Fort Michilimackinac. (Wiki gives several references, that look good, for their notes on Fort DeBuade.)

Native American life, around colonial forts, isn't always considered at many museum sites. The Fort DeBuade museum, in St. Ignace, houses many Ojibway artifacts and is located at the site of one of the villages that surrounded the fort. Native American goods and history are the focus.

The French had a different approach to interacting with the Native Americans than the British died when they came to the straits (their ill treatment later contributing to Pontiac's Rebellion.)

In my recent releases, Books 2 and 3 in the Christy Lumber Camps Series, The Lumberjacks' Ball and Lilacs for Juliana, the stories are set near St. Ignace, in the early 1890s. 

Although they are after Fort DeBuade's day, the residents of the area (I grew up not far from there) were no doubt affected by the history of the fort.  Having different tribes encamped on either side of a French fort had to have been an interesting situation--there was a balance to be had. Yet when the English came in, it is well documented that they failed to treat the tribes with respect and immediately began to engender their hostility.

The later built Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City was ultimately dismantled and moved to Mackinac Island. Seated high on the bluff, the final fort built had an excellent vantage point!

In the time of my series, Fort Mackinac, as it is now called, was winding down. There was no longer a need for a fort in the straits of Mackinac.

Question: Does it seem strange to you that over time the main French fort moved three times in the Straits of Mackinac?

Bio: Former “Yooper” Carrie Fancett Pagels writes Christian historical romances about overcoming. She grew up in Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where many of her stories are set. Possessed with an overactive imagination, that wasn't "cured" by twenty-five years as a psychologist, she loves bringing characters to life. Carrie and her family reside in Virginia’s Historic Triangle, which is perfect for her fascination with history. Carrie enjoys reading, traveling, baking, and beading—but not all at the same time!  

Fort Michilimackinac by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Firing Demonstration Fort Michilimackinac

I have previously posted here on Colonial Quills about Fort Michilimackinac, located in Mackinaw City, Michigan. You can visit the reconstructed site which is maintained by the Michigan park system. My current story “The Fruitcake Challenge” is set outside of Mackinac City in a lumber camp in 1890.  This area is strategic to the Great Lakes because the Straits of Mackinac converge as at this point. In between the Lower and Upper Peninsulas of Michigan, Mackinac Island was a location of special spiritual importance to the tribes who lived in the area of Upper Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Although it may seem like a long distance to travel, various tribes did travel extensively through the region, typically by canoe, during this time.

French Voyageur Reenactor - Fort Michilimackinac

The French occupied this area from the 1600’s on, including Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City. They enjoyed good relationships with the natives. Some of the soldiers intermarried. This was also the time of the French voyageurs and trade was brisk. Many of the names of towns, and many of current residents today, are of French origin. The region was predominantly Catholic and many famous priests, including Father Marquette, came on missions from Europe. But that changed after the French-Indian War. The French surrendered the fort to the British after the war. And of course the British weren’t Roman Catholic, so that changed things as well. A priest was part of post life for the French. Not so for the British.

House and garden at Fort Michilimackinac

The transition was anything but smooth. The native tribes were unhappy with the British military’s high-handed behavior and their failure to treat them with the respect they received from the French. Instead of a happy intermarriage they now were basically under the rule of the British. Pontiac’s Rebellion later resulted, with devastation visited upon Fort Michilimackinac. A new stasis was achieved afterwards, however, between the natives and the English. Within a generation, though, war again commenced, with the American Revolution.

Fort Mackinac on the bluffs, formerly Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City

When it became clear that Fort Michilimackinac could not easily be defended, the British garrison was moved to Mackinac Island. The fort was basically dismantled and transported across the convergence of Lakes Huron and Michigan to the island and reassembled high above the bluffs, overlooking the harbor. What wasn’t taken was basically burned so it wouldn’t fall into enemy hands.

He who controlled the straits basically controlled the brisk fur trade, which had brought wealth to the French and was now controlled by the British. After the American Revolution, the island was surrendered to the Americans and hence so was the fort. Growing up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and living so close to the straits, I was blessed to be brought up hearing about the influence of the French, the Native Americans, and Americans and I’ll be honest—less was stressed about the British. They occupied the area for only a relatively short period of time and weren’t particularly “nice” about it.

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Thank you to the volunteers and employees of the Michigan State Parks in Mackinaw City, at historic Fort Michilimackinac for allowing me to get these photographs.
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Giveaway: Copy of Carrie's bestselling novella "The Fruitcake Challenge" (set in Emmet County Michigan) to one commenter.

Question: When you think about what today is America do you ever consider who lived on the land during the colonial time period?

Upper and Lower Canada. Which One's Up?

At the close of the Seven Years War, France agreed to turn over it's lands in northern North America to the British. This was the event known in the United States as the French and Indian War (1763).

At the time, most of the residents north of the Saint Lawrence River were of French ancestry, (typically Catholic) while farther south  were the British colonies (typically Protestant). Much of what had been France's colony was populated by the First People. For the most part, the French settlers were trappers and traders and coexisted. British settlers were generally not so amiable. I'm not looking to cause trouble but the British were not good neighbors. Yes, they felt they had good reason. Did France take advantage of it? Of course.

I've posted before, here and on my other group blog, Inkwell Inspirations, about the relationships between Native tribes and how 'siding' with one colonial power or another only made more problems in the long run.  (See New York's Native People) Along comes the Revolutionary War, and now, without France in the picture, it is Britain against her colonies and both sides are looking for help from the tribes they've done little to ingratiate.

War rages. Thousands of Tories leave the new United States and head for British Canada.  Families split and come back together. An influx of new residents adds to the already strained relationship in the British Colony of Quebec.  Britain's solution is to take the populated areas along the St. Lawrence River and divide it into two large colonies: Lower Canada and Upper Canada.

Keeping the Catholic "French" happy was important when it was hard to tell who was your enemy or friend in the colonies.

Now here's the confusing part if you look at a map.  Lower Canada is farther north. It was the eastern portion of the original Quebec colony and for the most part was populated by Catholics of French ancestry. The capital was Quebec City.



Upper Canada was west and farther south. It became a colony of British subjects and loyalists (Tories) who'd fled the new U. S.

The upper and lower designations come from the fact travel was much easier by water and much of the area was settled via the St. Lawrence River. If you settled in the east, you were in  "Lower Canada". If you went far UP river (to the west, um, actually south) you were in Upper Canada.  Simple, right?

I was confused until I asked a Canadian Reenactor a few years ago.

Although Montreal is now the capital of the province of Quebec, it was once the capital of Upper Canada and administered by the British.

Things had barely settled with the new colonies when war broke out between the United States and Britain in 1812 over naval press gangs, the arming of First Peoples by the British, and continued trade-without-permit along the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes. Upper Canada became central in the American War of 1812.

Forts that had changed hands between British forces and French forces throughout the last fifty years, now were won and lost by British and American forces.

I love the history of this area and I hope this has cleared up confusion or stirred up interest in these areas!

Historic 1780 McGulpin House on Mackinac Island, by Carrie Fancett Pagels

McGulpin House c. 1780, Mackinac Island

So often we overlook some of our late-comers to America, prior to the American Revolution.  One such place was the area now called Michigan.  Fort Michilimackinac was on the Mackinaw City side of the straits and became part of the British territory after the French-Indian War.  The fort moved to Mackinac Island as the American Revolution continued, with the Mackinaw City fort being less defensible than one on the island.

One fascinating house on present-day Mackinac Island is the McGulpin House.  There are many theories as to who the original house belonged to (click here for Michigan State Parks post.) With the purchase of admission to Fort Mackinac and Fort Michilimackinac you are also allowed entry to the McGulpin House.  The day I visited, a lovely Girl Scout cadet from the Detroit area was responsible for visitors.  

One of the things I enjoyed most was where part of the exterior wall (of newer origin) was removed to show the original building and was covered with glass. As you can see from the photograph, beneath the clapboard exterior is a log cabin.  Given the age of the cabin I would guess its construction to have been of cedar, which is readily available in the area. (My great-grandparents' log home is part of the Taquamenon Logging Museum and is made of cedar, also.)

Here's a view of the layers of the interior of the McGilpin home as well:

Although the style of the home is referred to by Wiki as French-Canadian working class, the original log cabin structure greatly resembles those built in the Shenandoah valley of Virginia during that time period. 

Surrounding the McGuilpin property is a fence that should keep out intruders and keep animals inside. 

But the lovely lilacs that bloom on Mackinac Island are sure to draw visitors.  If you get the chance, make it a point to visit Mackinac Island during their amazing Lilac Festival, held each year in early to mid-June.

The island is full of hundreds of varieties of lilacs, all of which scent the air with a beautiful scent.  One can almost imagine being an 18th century Frenchwoman living on the newly-occupied Mackinac Island. My research for my manuscript, set on Mackinac Island, truly could not have been any sweeter!

Colonial Fort Michilimackinac by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Fort Michilimackinac

Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City, Michigan, was where I conducted on site research this past summer. Situated on the shores of Lake Michigan, where Lake Huron meets it in the straits of Mackinac, this National Historic Landmark features reenactments from British 1770’s occupation and the American Revolution.  Surrounded by a stockade wall, this treasure has continued to expand with more exhibits each time I have visited. (I am originally from upper Michigan.) 

Location: Mackinaw City sits at the middle of the top of the “mitten” of lower Michigan. Northeast is Mackinac Island, round island and east is Bois Blanc Island. 

Bark teepee outside Fort Michilimackinac

Outside the fort, native peoples would have had their encampments, particularly during the summer seasons when trading was done. The men trapped and hunted and the women skinned the animals.  Note the otter skins hanging to the right of the teepee and left of the birch trees.  By the way, beautiful silver birch trees grow up north and birch wood was often used to make canoes.  

French Métis  re-enactor and Carrie Fancett Pagels 

On my visit to Fort Michilimackinac, I was able to speak with Susan, a former librarian and wonderful fellow history fanatic, who portrayed a French Métis woman of French-Chippewa heritage.  She had beaded most of her clothing herself and had also created her own Ojibway jewelry.  

Below is a picture of the amazing beadwork on her moccasins.

She showed me (I’m a fellow beader) how the porcupine quills were used in necklaces, forming kind of a hollow tube, through which string can be run. I had not realized porcupine quills were hollow.  To be used, the ends have to be cut. 

The fort was reconstructed to preserve the area’s history and depicts life in the early years of Mackinac City under European influence.  

The French courier du bois and voyageurs  met in this area for fur trading with the native Americans, several tribes being predominant in the area, e.g., Ojibway and Hurons. Traders would travel all the way from Montreal to the straits of Mackinac each summer.

Commander DePeyster's house.

Inside the fort are many buildings to be investigated, such as the British commander's house, portrayed at the left. The fort was under the occupation of the French for a long time and there is a building set up to serve as the priest’s quarters.  This was one of my favorite buildings because it held copies of baptismal records, and from those records I got kernels to start some new stories growing. 

All of this area was under the control of the French until after the French-Indian War. The British then took control of Fort Detroit and Fort Michilimackinac.   The British operated very differently than the French as far as interacting with the Indian tribes. Their callous disregard for following native customs resulted in problems, including Pontiac’s Rebellion, which I will be posting about this winter. British soldiers had reason to be wary of their new post!

In letters written home, the British soldiers complained greatly of the cold and deprivation.  But they played games, told stories, wrote letters, and participated in religious services like soldiers do today. However, unlike the French, who often blended into the communities, intermarrying with the Ojibway women, the English were more or less occupiers rather than integrators. 

One of the treats those early settlers had, that we still enjoy today, was of viewing the gorgeous sunsets.  The skies around the straits are bluer than anywhere I have been. So do yourself a favor--if you are in Michigan, head up to this National Treasure and enjoy all that Fort Michilimackinac has to offer! And expect some more posts from me in the coming year about Colonial Michilimackinac and nearby Mackinac Island, where American troops captured the British fort during the American Revolution.