Mackinac Island in Mackinac County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Scout Barracks / Parade Ground

Registered Michigan Historic Site

Scout Barracks (<i>marker west side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

1. Scout Barracks (marker west side)

Inscription. Scout BarracksIn 1929, Park Commissioner Roger Andrews invited eight Eagle Scouts, including future President Gerald Ford, to serve as the “Governor’s Honor Guard” and tour guides at Fort Mackinac. Scouts raised and lowered the colors daily and fired the sunset gun. They stayed in the Fort Commissary until moving into these barracks, built in 1934. The building was constructed by the Mackinac Island Civilian Conservation Corps unit, many of whom were World War I veterans. In 1938, the program began to include Boy Scouts at all levels. Additions to the barracks were completed in 1961 and in 1975. They followed the style of the original building. At the urging of Michigan First Lady Helen Milliken, Girl Scouts joined the scout service program in 1975.

Parade GroundIn the nineteenth century, this area served as a parade ground for soldiers stationed at Fort Mackinac. Here, soldiers practiced marching, the manual of arms, bayonet skills and other military drills. By 1843, the parade ground was formally developed and fenced. In the 1870s, several buildings were erected on the edge of the parade ground, including horse stables and housing for non-commissioned officers. The parade ground also served as home field for the Fort Mackinac Baseball Club. Founded in 1885,

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the club played games against other teams from Northern Michigan. In 1887, the team built a grandstand with seating for 500 spectators. An admission to a baseball game cost twenty-five cents, and grandstand seats cost an extra ten cents.

Erected 2015 by Michigan Historical Commission, Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number L2266.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Parks & Recreational Areas • Sports. In addition, it is included in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Former U.S. Presidents: #38 Gerald R. Ford, Jr., and the Michigan Historical Commission series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1929.

Location. 45° 51.195′ N, 84° 37.014′ W. Marker is on Mackinac Island, Michigan, in Mackinac County. Marker is on Huron Road, 0.2 miles east of Fort Street, on the left when traveling east. Marker located at entrance to Parade Ground and Scout Barracks. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6998 Huron Road, Mackinac Island MI 49757, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Historic Fort Mackinac (within shouting distance of this marker); Greany Grove (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Somewhere in Time Gazebo

Parade Ground (<i>marker east side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

2. Parade Ground (marker east side)

(about 500 feet away); Dr. William Beaumont (about 500 feet away); Marquette (about 800 feet away); The Fort Garden (approx. 0.2 miles away); "Cass Cliff" (approx. 0.2 miles away); Trinity Church (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mackinac Island.

Also see . . .
1. Historical Marker Commemorates the Rear Parade Ground and Scout Barracks.

The rear parade ground north of Fort Mackinac is a distinctive Mackinac Island landscape, an integral part of the operation of Fort Mackinac for both military use and, beginning in 1885, as a baseball field. After the closing of the fort in 1895 the Mackinac Island State Park Commission maintained this historic landscape, including the baseball field. The barracks for the Mackinac Island Scout Service Camp was built here in 1934.

(Submitted on August 16, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. A 75-Year Tradition of Summer Service.

During the 75th anniversary of the Scout Service Camp on Mackinac Island, former crew members reminisced about the past, recalling some of these
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

3. Scout Barracks Marker
(looking northeast from Huron Road • barracks in background)
historical moments...

(Submitted on August 16, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Gerald R. Ford — The Only President Eagle Scout.

The only U.S. president who was an Eagle Scout was Gerald R. Ford, who joined the Boy Scouts in 1924 in Grand Rapids. Life-size statues of Ford as a 16-year-old Eagle Scout stand at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and the DeVos Family Center for Scouting in Grand Rapids.

(Submitted on December 24, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Parade Ground Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

4. Parade Ground Marker

(looking north from Huron Road • parade ground in background)

Boy Scouts marching towards barracks image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

5. Boy Scouts marching towards barracks

Boy Scouts gathering at Scout Barracks image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

6. Boy Scouts gathering at Scout Barracks

Scout Barracks Sign (<i>a few steps from marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

7. Scout Barracks Sign (a few steps from marker)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 25, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 16, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 509 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 16, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4. submitted on December 24, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 5, 6, 7. submitted on August 16, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.