COLONIAL MICHILIMACKINAC, 
MACKINAW CITY, MICHIGAN

[ http://www.southalabama.edu/archaeology/fc-fort_michilimackinac.htm ]
  
RESEARCH TRIP TO NATIONAL ARCHIVES, OTTAWA, ONTARIO; COLONIAL MICHILIMACKINAC, MICHIGAN; UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK/KING'S LANDING, FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK; HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, JULY 9, 2004 - AUGUST 27, AND AUGUST 31, 2004  

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• On  Friday, August 6, together with Lynda Krause (research transcript assistant), I visited the Petersen Center for Archaeology and History and met with Michelle Hill, registrar. Ms Hill was extremely helpful in explaining the collection, answering my questions, and retrieving materials of interest to me.
• In summary, the collection is first rate, open to visits by outside researchers, and assuredly holds primary historical and archaeological information of much use to Louisbourg. 
• I checked their holdings and have noted below basic materials which the Fortress of Louisbourg should order. 
• I also recommend that Louisbourg should send both an historian and an archaeologist to the Petertson Center (copies)/Macinac Island (originals) on a research mission. Of interest, their archaeology programme - much of which is French and is of the same period as that of Louisbourg - is on-going [having unearthed 2 million objects to date] and new and important findings are made each summer. As well, the research files of the historians (which are open to researchers) have not yet been organized beyond having been placed in archival boxes, and these are sure to provide some interesting insights. Unfortunately, their project produced nothing like our structural design team process and hence the minutes of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission are disappointing as they lack a similar level of decision making detail.
• Following the research portion of our meeting, Ms Hill gave us a private tour of Colonial Michilimackinac and highlighted points of interest which might have escaped our attention. I was much impressed, and indeed, in some cases, their re-construction, animation and exhibit programmes (e.g. their pepper ghost, their realistic mannequins, and their under-ground exhibits of  as-found archaeological resources) exceeds those of the Fortress.
• The fort has extant archaeological remains of piquet. The most dramatic example are of the burnt walls of the as-built buried piquet powder magazine

INTERESTING QUOTE

• This fort contains 40 houses all badly built. I do not include in this number either the church or missionary's house. Most of the houses are built of upright posts caulked inside and outside with clay and cob [Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, 1749]

PHOTOCOPY ORDERS

• While in particular, the F3-3 series of reconstruction drawings detail much of the same matters of interest/controversy to Louisbourg (shutters, doors, etc.), their entire drawings collection should be examined.  Thus the Fortress should order the COMPLETE Master List of Plans and Blueprints to ascertain drawings for purchase. 

• The Fortress should also obtain the COMPLETE Master List of Maps.

• The Fortress should request that author/title cards in the card catalogue for the B F.2.2 series of Archaeology and History bound reports be photocopied (c. 100 reports) 

BOOK ORDERS

• Timothy J. Kent, A Guide to the Daily Lives of Fur Trade and Military Personnel, Settlers and Missionaries at French Posts. Two Volumes

• Archaeological Completion Report Series by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission - check to see if the collection at the Fortress is current (the last Fortress accession is 1990)

•  Mackinac History: an informal series of illustrated vignettes  - check to see if the collection at the Fortress is current (the last Fortress accession is 1978)