Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island lies in Lake Huron near the northern tip of Michigan's "mitten". Pronounced MACK ih NAW, it is famous for its Victorian resort hotels and lack of automobiles. There is a year-round population of approximately 500, which grows considerably in the resort season, when the island is crowded with tourists, accommodating an average of 15,000 people a day.Mackinac Island is 4.4 mile² (11.3 km²). 2.8 mile² are preserved as state park. The highest point of the island is Fort Holmes, which is 320 feet above the lake level (about 890 feet above sea level).
Mackinac Island is accessible by private boats, by ferry from St. Ignace or Mackinaw City and small planes. The airport has a 3,500 foot (1,070 m) paved runway, and charter air service from the mainland is available. After the lake freezes in winter, the island is accessible by snowmobile. Residents save their Christmas trees at British Landing, which are placed along a route marking 5 miles (8 km) of safe ice.
Motorized vehicles are prohibited on Mackinac Island, with an exception for emergency vehicles. Travel on the island is by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn carriage. Bicycles, carriages, or saddle horses are available for rent, although inexperienced carriage drivers are cautioned 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 an official Michigan state highway, M-185. It's one of the only highways without motor vehicles.
The island was at the center of a thriving fur industry beginning in the 17th century and lasing 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 nominally owned the island after the American Revolutionary War, although due to its remoteness, the British maintained a military presence there and for all practical purposes exerted a strong influence over the area, including the local native tribes. Subsequently it was the site of the first engagement in the War of 1812 but again returned to the US, by treaty in 1815. In 1875 it was given special federal protection, second only to Yellowstone National Park. When Fort Mackinac closed in 1905, 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.
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| Mercator projection: public domain Online Map Creation |
Bibliography
Links
http://www.mackinac.com