The Fort Garden

The Fort Garden. . , Fort Mackinac soldiers planted a garden in this large open space in front of the fort. Vegetables such as cabbage, leeks, carrots, radishes, onion, and squash supplemented their daily diet of meat and bread. Fences around the garden protected their crops from wandering cattle and playful children., The army closed Fort Mackinac in 1895. Four years later the old garden was dedicated as a park honoring Father Jacques Marquette. Marquette established a Jesuit mission on Mackinac Island in 1670 and, along with Louis Joliet, explored the Mississippi River five years later. On September 1, 1909, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission unveiled the $7,000 bronze statue of Marquette that still stands in the center of the park.