Foundations on Mackinac Island - Rocks and Faith

What is your reaction when you see a bulky door with crackling paint and rusted hinges? Or, a church with stones of various shapes and sizes forming walls that hold windows filled with intricate stained glass. Perhaps a stately house sporting uneven bricks surely cured by hands instead of those mass-produced.  What thoughts race through your mind?

What do you think is beyond this gate at right? Who lives there? And for how long? Is this house a new purchase or a family heirloom from the onset of Mackinac Island in the 19th century? Can you imagine all the little feet stepping into an enchanted courtyard? What games did they play over the years?

When I see an old building or other relic from the past, I stop. I cannot help myself. As I stand in awe, I first wonder at the people who turned the creaky handle and opened the thick door to pass through. How many over the years? What did they wear, eat, and how did they work? Did they believe in God? Serve Him? Did they marry? Have children and grandchildren? What prayers emanated from the pews? If the structures are historic, how many walked across the floors? Imagine all the people...

Here is a prime example at left. One glance and ten photos later I was still attempting to ascertain what this was and how it arrived in its present form.This conglomerate rests near the bay in Le Havre, France. Question-inducing to be sure. It appears at face-value to have multiple additions over time using varied styles and materials. Fodder for thought. Itching to go beyond the door, aren't you? Me too. Sadly, that wasn't an option. We will just have to wonder.

A similar sequence of events transpired as we passed the Little Stone Church on Mackinac Island. (Photo at right.) At the onset, I thought this was the only other church on the island aside from St. Anne's. Later as I researched, I learned there are a few other churches that called Mackinac home.

We visited Fort Michilimackinac the last two posts. If you missed the insider details, links are at the bottom. I shared that St. Anne's (built by the French) existed at the original fort (photo below left) and the latter constructed St. Ann's Church (built by the British) remains on Mackinac island (below right).

So how did faith make a way to an island, now home to 500 people and a tourist destination? Jesuit priests delivered Roman Catholicism to the Straits of Mackinac and in 1670, Father Jacques Marquette and his band of Huron landed on Mackinac Island. Though the poor soil discouraged the Huron, and they left a year later. After, Jesuits ministered within the palisade of Fort Michilimackinac beginning in 1715. As the British struggled to defend the fort, they transferred to Mackinac. Not only did they build a new fort, but dismantled and recreated Ste. Anne’s Church on the island. At that time, logs formed the walls, and the building sat along the shore. Eventually, Magdelaine Laframboise, a notable fur trader, donated land near her home. The church moved to its new location in 1820. In exchange of the land, Mme Laframboise asked to be buried under the altar. Father Henri Van Renterghem granted her request after she passed in 1846. There she remained until the church renovations of the 1990s. She was moved to the garden when the museum opened.

The oldest surviving church building in Michigan, known as Mission Church started in 1829. Missionaries Reverend William Ferry and wife, Amanda founded the Protestant church while serving the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission,. To fulfill their calling, the couple sought to teach Native American children. With the decline of the fur trade, church attendance waned. The history of the building itself then featured private use, a meeting house, a substitute location for the Catholic church, among other purposes until Mackinac developed as a summer destination in the late 1800s. The restored building held services again in 1895. The State of Michigan assumed ownership in 1955. Now a State Park, from May through October, couples have the option to marry within this historic, New England style church.

In 1899 the Union Church Society formed the Union Congregational Church. In 1904 the construction of this adorable church consisted of assembling walls of fieldstone. If you read the first post on Castle Farms, you learned how farmers joked of the plethora of stones in Michigan. There are three ornate stained-glass windows that shed light on the history of Mackinac Island. From the fur trade to missionary William Ferry. Now an historic site, The Little Stone Church is a popular wedding destination. Visitors can tour the interior of the church and grounds in summer months.

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The final two churches on Mackinac are Trinity Episcopal Church and Mackinac Island Bible Church. Trinity Episcopal Church as a building was erected in 1882. Yet John O’Brien, an Episcopalian and Irishman, placed the cornerstone in 1842. In 1994, Mackinac Island Bible Church started. This church is unique as it is a church in name of the body, not in a building. The congregation meets at the Mission Point Resort in the theater.

An interesting point many sites offer is while the different congregations sought the same populations, which would seem to foster competition. Due to the nature of the geography, the denominations worked together. Case in point, multiple denominations worshipped inside the Little Stone Church.

For an island with 3.8 square miles in total area, it is home to many churches. Though, consider where we live. On the main street outside my neighborhood, I can count three churches. There are even more in the near vicinity. Are there numerous churches where you live? Are any of them over 350 years old?

If you missed the prior posts on Fort Michilimackinac you can find them here: Unearthing the Past at Fort Michilimackinac and Sneaking Inside the Walls of Fort Michilimackinac.

Sources below if you would like to read a bit more about the Mackinac churches and their histories.
https://steannechurch.org/history/
https://www.mackinacparks.com/blog/historic-mission-church/
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.14321/j.ctt7zt6cw
https://www.mackinacparks.com/mackinac-venue/historic-mission-church-wedding/
https://www.littlestonechurch.com/history.htm
https://www.mackinacisland.org/blog/post/churches-of-mackinac-island-350-years-of-historic-beauty/

As a child, Rebecca loved to write. She nurtured this skill as an educator and later as an editor for anonline magazine. Rebecca then joined the Cru Ministry - NBS2GO/Neighbor Bible Studies 2GO, at its inception. She serves as the YouVersion Content Creator, with over 130 Plans, in 44 languages on the Bible.com app.

Rebecca lives near the mountains with her husband and a rescued dog named Ranger. She is a proud mom of an American soldier and a college senior. If it were up to Rebecca, she would be traveling - right now. First up, trips to see their two grown sons. As a member of ACFW and FHLCW, she tackles the craft of fiction while learning from a host of generous writers.

Connect with Rebecca: Facebook Goodreads Instagram Pinterest X/Twitter

Living History at Fort Nisqually

Living history has a nice ring, doesn’t it? What exactly is living history? According to Dictionary.com, it is “any of various activities involving the re-enactment of historical events or the recreation of living conditions of the past.”

At Fort Nisqually on Puget Sound, these activities, events, and recreations enable visitors to experience what it was like as a resident in 1855. How neat is that? This living history museum features Heritage Skills Workshops where individuals can learn butchering/curing, leather working, cup or mug making, creating candlesticks or wall sconces, and basketry. The methods and tools used are representative of that period. Fort Nisqually also hosts camps and holiday events. In the fall, take a Candlelight Walking Tour, by candle and firelight. At Christmas there is a Regale. Imagine Christmas festivities from the end of the 19th century - parlor games, making ornaments, harvesting the Yule log, creating pomanders (oranges decorated with cloves), and a visit from Father Christmas.

Where is Fort Nisqually located? For reference, Puget Sound is a 95-mile-long estuary, the second largest in the United States. In the state of Washington and connecting to the Pacific Ocean, it flows past notable cities such as Seattle and Tacoma. It has an average depth of 450 feet! This waterway was the attraction for the location. The fort is in present day DuPont, WA.

Originally owned by the Hudson Bay Company, a British enterprise, the fort was a site for the fur trade since 1833. It was the first settlement with global access. Once the fur trade declined, another income avenue was necessary – commerce. The Puget Sound Agricultural Company (PSAC) had 160,000 acres to grow crops and raise livestock from 1839 – 1869. The time that current visitors witness, 1855, was an era where American settlements surrounded the British of this site. The year 1869 is when Britain left the territory and the remaining manager, Edward Huggins took it over as his homestead.

How does it exist today? The Works Progress Administration (WPA) recreated the fort in the 1930s on this site. There are two original buildings, the Factor’s House (1855) and the Granary (1850). Visitors can view 20 locations allowing insight into daily life during those times. The kitchen, wash house, root cellar, smoke house, necessary, kitchen garden, poultry house, laborer’s dwelling, bastion (photo above), and store are a few of the sites. A self-guided tour is possible using a free downloadable or printed guide. However, history comes to life with demonstrations, tours by docents in costume, and events.

Granary featured above. Produce and grain stored here. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The first of the original buildings on site.

Factor House parlor featured above left and parents' bedroom above right. This is the second original building at the fort. Examples of furniture, linens, dishes, decorations, tools, games, clothing, and more allow us to peek into many aspects of their days. 

In case you haven't visited a similar site before, you might wonder at points in the fort that have different functions than those of today. You may know that kitchens were separate from the house to prevent fires and root cellars stored food. The kitchen garden supported the settlement, with vegetables and fruit they would eat to be self-sufficient. There were field crops and orchards outside the palisade walls. The poultry house held chickens, ducks, and geese. 

The Laborer's dwelling was interesting. There was a side for bachelors with bunks and quarters for families. The parents shared their beds with children, or the young used mats on the floor. At left is a representation of a room that a laboring family would share. Notice the basics covered in one room, sleep, dress, cook, eat, and more. The Large Store held imported supplies and storage of those that would be shipped for sale. There was also a Sale Shop with imported goods for purchase. See images below.

Ever wonder at the creation of men's felt top hats? The beaver pelt at left is the raw material. After a lengthy process, the felt hat emerges. As a site for the fur trade. This was once a huge commodity.

One of the reasons I enjoy historical fiction is reading stories that show everyday life in varying times. How did they dress, eat, or gather? What objects or tools existed to enable them to function? This living history site offers visual representations that help garner appreciation and understanding. Have you visited an historical site with a window into the past?

As a child, Rebecca loved to write. She nurtured this skill as an educator and later as an editor for an online magazine. Rebecca then joined the Cru Ministry - NBS2GO/Neighbor Bible Studies 2GO, at its inception. She serves as the YouVersion Content Creator, with over 125 Plans, in 44 languages on the Bible.com app.

Rebecca lives near the mountains with her husband and a rescued dog named Ranger. She is a proud mom of a soldier. If it were up to Rebecca, she would be traveling - right now. First up, trips to see their two grown sons. As a member of ACFW and FHLCW, she tackles the craft of fiction while learning from a host of generous writers. Connect with Rebecca: Facebook Goodreads Instagram Pinterest X/Twitter

Defeated Before They Knew They Were at War

After tensed relations heightened over trade and other issues with Britain, the War of 1812 commenced in June of that year. Not a month later, Fort Mackinac fell to the British. In fact, the citizens of Mackinac Island didn’t yet know war had been declared.

Built from limestone and seated on a limestone bluff, the fort guarded the Straits of Mackinac from its post on the island in the northern part of Lake Huron. The original Fort Michilimackinac had sat for many years across the water at the tip of the lower peninsula of Michigan. After the British took over from the French, they decided to build a more substantial fort in a more advantageous position in 1780. At the end of the Revolutionary War, the fort had been ceded to the Americans. 

A drawing of Fort Mackinac overlooking the town.
By Benson Lossing - The Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44850229

The Secretary of War, William Eustis, had yet to get word to commanding officer, Lieutenant Porter Hanks, who’d taken charge of Fort Mackinac that spring, that a war had begun. Eustis had sent letters to inform each outpost of the June 18 declaration of war by regular post! It hadn’t yet arrived on July 17. 

In the meantime, Major General Isaac Brock, in Canada, had learned of the conflict. He gave orders to Captain Charles Roberts, at Fort St. Joseph, which belonged to British forces, to attack the fort on Mackinac Island. The area was key to the Great Lakes fur trade and friendly relations with the Native Americans of the region.

Major General Isaac Brock
By George Theodore Berthon (1806-1892) - From the Provincial Archives of Ontario, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8470695

As Roberts readied his troops, Brock rescinded the order. Then he sent the go-ahead. The orders were alternated again. Then Roberts was told to follow-through according to his discretion. Concerned the Native Americans may get tired of waiting and move on he went ahead. He took his men—a combination of British troops, warriors from five different Indian tribes, and Metis men to their destination using a schooner called the Caledonia, a flotilla of canoes, and a few bateaux crafts to Mackinac Island. 

Recent map of Mackinac Island.
By Eric Gaba (Sting - fr:Sting) - Own workSources of data:NASA SRTM1v2NGDC Great Lakes BathymetryUSGS 24k topographic mapsLandsat7 ETM+ imageryToponymy: map by James Faasen, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6976994

The fort was at a greater disadvantage from the back since higher bluffs stood behind it. The British force had an easy place from which to sneak up on the fortification and the perfect vantagepoint to set up their cannons. The fort only had seven guns, one which was a cannon, and the only one which could shoot far enough to reach the harbor. They were also at a disadvantage since their only source of fresh water was outside the fort’s walls and could be easily cut off. 

The British released a man they had captured, allowing him to go into the town to tell the people to evacuate and that they would be protected from attack. He informed the town doctor who fled to the fort to inform Lt. Hanks that the British had arrived and planned on attacking Fort Mackinac.

Where the British landed. (c. 1898)
By Unknown - https://collections.carli.illinois.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/nby_teich/id/871, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67036751

Though he planned on fighting the enemy, a few of his soldiers and some of the townspeople convinced Hanks to avoid wasting their lives. He was also concerned that the people in the fort might be massacred. When Roberts called for his surrender around noon on July 17, Hanks conceded the victory to him. Fort Mackinac had been captured—without a fight. 

Britain’s defeat of Mackinac helped rally Native Americans to fight for the British and led the way for the defeat of Fort Detroit further south. While Lieutenant Porter Hanks waited at Fort Detroit to be court-martialed for cowardice, he was instantly killed by cannon shot during its siege. Though the United States tried to recapture Fort Mackinac in 1814, it was the Treaty of Ghent at the end of the war which returned the fort to American control.

Fort Mackinac today (2014).
By N8huckins - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34708926

Today it is a proud part of the Mackinac State Historic Parks system and many tourists climb the steps to see the fort each year. Fort Mackinac’s gleaming limestone walls and buildings add historic charm to the beautiful island where cars are banned, and time almost stands still.

Kathleen Rouser is the multi-published author of the 2017 Bookvana Award winner, Rumors and Promises, her first novel about the people of fictional Stone Creek, Michigan, and its sequel, Secrets and Wishes. She is a longtime member in good standing of American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathleen wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She longs to create characters who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. She lives in Michigan with her hero and husband of thirty-some years, and continues on the elusive quest to brew the perfect cup of coffee to enjoy while she is writing. Connect with Kathleen on her website at kathleenrouser.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kathleenerouser/, and on Twitter @KathleenRouser.