Historic Timeline

Historic Timeline. Mackinaw City Historical Pathway. , The first people came to the Mackinaw region aboutr 10,000 years ago, just after the glaciers retreated. They were summer hunters stalking the big game of mastodons and mammoths. The development of birch bark canoes made coming and going much easier; therefore families came to enjoy the fresh summers. They planted gardens, then went off on trading expeditions, returning to harvest their crops. In spring and fall they fished and stored foods for winter. This pattern of life continued until the Europeans arrived in the early 1600s. , , French Era , 1634 Jean Nicolet passed through the Straits in search of a route to India , 1650 The Iroquois Indians forced the Huron Indians from Georgian Bay , 1671 Father Marquette established a mission and the first settlement on Pt. St. Ignace with the Hurons and Ottawas , 1679 LaSalle's Griffin, the first ship to sail the Lakes, passed through the Straits , 1690 Gov. Frontenac established Fort de Buade at St. Ignace - abandoned in 1791 [sic] , 1715 The French constructed Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City , , British Era , 1761 The British took over Michilimackinac , 1763 Some of the British garrison at Michilimackinac were killed as part of Pontiac's Conspiracy , 1779 The British moved to Mackinac Island to establish Fort Mackinac , , American Era , 1783 The American Revolution ended , 1796 American forces took control of Fort Mackinac and the Straits under Jay's Treaty , 1805 Michigan became a territory , 1812 During the War of 18 12 the British retook Fort Mackinac , 1815 The war ended and the Americans returned to Mackinac Island , 1837 Michigan became a state , 1857 Mackinaw City was platted , 1881 Railroads reached the Straits from the north and south , 1882 Ferry service across the Straits began on the Algomah , 1911 The ship Chief Wawatam was constructed , 1957 The Mackinac Bridge was completed , 1960 Colonial Michilimackinac was designated a National Historic Landmark , 2004 Heritage Village opened , 2006 The Icebreaker Mackinaw arrived