Hilton Beach in Algoma District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
What's the Story?/Histoire de la cheminée
| — | Fort Saint Joseph National Historic Site | — |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 10, 2024
1. What's the Story?/Histoire de la cheminée Marker
This chimney is the most recognized ruin on the site, yet its story is least known. It might have been part of the officers' kitchen; it's certainly grand enough. Yet archaeologists have not found a building foundation around the chimney, nor is it on any fort plans.
Fort St. Joseph was rediscovered in the 1920s by the Sault Ste. Marie Historical Society. It became a Parks Canada site in 1926. It was overgrown with shrubs and trees so there was a huge effort to clear the site and find the ruins. During that time the chimney was altered.
The ruins of Fort St. Joseph are a tangible link to our past. There are no plans to rebuild the fort. To do so would lose its mystical quality and destroy remaining archaeological evidence. Many of the ruins were excavated by the archaeologists, then reburied to preserve them for the future.
National Historic Site
• Land transferred to Canadian National Parks Branch fall 1926.
• Plaque placed in 1928.
• Archaeological digs by Parks Canada and University of Toronto — 1960s and 1970s and as recently as the 2000s.
[image captions]
• Plan of Fort St. Joseph [Library
this page online
• Fort St. Joseph Chimney 1925 [Parks Canada]
La cheminée est la ruine la plus célèbre du lieu; son histoire est toutefois la moins connue. Elle faisait peut-être partie de la cuisine des officiers; elle est certes assez grande. Pourtant, les archéologies n'ont découvert aucune fondation autour de celle-ci. De plus, elle ne se trouve sur aucun des plans du fort.
Le fort St. Joseph a été redécouvert dans les d’arbres 1920 par la société d'histoire de Sault Ste. Marie. Il est devenu un lieu géré de Parcs Canada en 1926. Comme il était recouvert d'arbustes, et d’arbres, d'énormes efforts ont dû être déployés pour le nettoyer et trouver les ruines. Durant cette période, la cheminée a subi des modifications.
Les ruines du fort St. Joseph constituent un lin tangible avec notre passé. La reconstruction du fort n'est pas envisagée, car le lieu perdrait sa qualité mythique et les preuves archéologiques restantes seraient détruites. De nombreuses ruines du fort ont été mises au jour par des archéologues, puis enterrés de nouveau pour les préserver.
Lieu historique national
• Le
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 10, 2024
2. What's the Story?/Histoire de la cheminée Marker
The St. Marys River is in the background.
• Une plaque a été installée en 1928.
• Parcs Canada et l'Université de Toronto ont dirigé des fouilles archéologiques dans le lieu dans les années 1960 et 1970 et, plus récemment, dans les années 2000.
[légendes d'images]
• Plan du fort St. Joseph [Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, NMC 0023137]
• Fort St. Joseph Chimney 1925 [Parcs Canada]
Erected by Parks Canada / Parcs Canada.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.
Location. 46° 3.777′ N, 83° 56.797′ W. Marker is in Hilton Beach, Ontario, in Algoma District. It can be reached from Fort Road 4.8 kilometers west of A Line Road. The marker is on the Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site interpretive trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 185 Fort Road, Hilton Beach ON P0R 1G0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma Area and in Northern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally,
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 10, 2024
3. Fort St. Joseph Chimney
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Making Do/Se débrouiller avec les moyens du bord (a few steps from this marker); Want to be a Soldier?/Vous voulez être un soldat? (within shouting distance of this marker); Build it Better/Une construction améliorée (within shouting distance of this marker); Inside the Walls/À l'intérieur des remparts (within shouting distance of this marker); Major Intersection/Une intersection importante (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort St. Joseph (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line); Fort St. Joseph / Le Fort Saint-Joseph (about 210 meters away); Tenby Bay (approx. 7 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hilton Beach.
Also see . . . Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site (Parks Canada).
Excerpt: Explore the ruins of Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site and feel the rich War of 1812 history that lingers – a history that saw a powerful alliance struck between the British and the First Nations People of the western Great Lakes region.(Submitted on August 31, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 31, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
