Mackinaw City in Emmet County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Kitchen Garden
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 25, 2025
1. Kitchen Garden Marker
Home grown fresh fruits and vegetables were a summer treat in the 1880s. Be kitchen garden supplied rich tasting, highly nutritious food for the farmer's table. It also supplied the raw material for canning the food reserves for winter. We built this replica kitchen garden in 2009. We use it as a community garden for today's Mackinaw residents.
The center of our garden is the replica 1900's Bean Pole, which was donated. The frugal fence is protection from deer and other small herbivores, a type similar to what the Dettwilers would have built. Our garden plots are leased and the owners may plant what they like in the form of vegetables, flowers and herbs.
The soil in the Straits area is almost non-existent. Rocks abound. For this reason gardening has been a challenge since man arrived. The original Indian residents raised a small amount of corn. The later Fort residents struggled with beans and squash. And even with modern methods our garden crop is often spotty.
Erected by Mackinaw Area Historical Society & Heritage Village.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture •
this page online
Location. 45° 46.66′ N, 84° 46.345′ W. Marker is in Mackinaw City, Michigan, in Emmet County. It is at the intersection of Headlands Road and Wilderness Park Drive, on the right when traveling west on Headlands Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1425 W Central Ave, Mackinaw City MI 49701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Michigan Lower Peninsula, on the Straits of Mackinac, and in one of the Lake Michigan Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Three Sisters (here, next to this marker); Chasing a Dream (a few steps from this marker); Simple Two-Story Farm House 1882 (within shouting distance of this marker); 3-Seater (within
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 25, 2025
2. Kitchen Garden Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 76 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 30, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
