Hide Article Text (OCR)
[the gem of the struts.1j liackiaae, the Enchanted I-luud— | Pietareeqne Attractions and His- j toric Associations of .Michigan’s Fairy Isle.I Arch Rock, Sngar Loaf and Skull’s: Cave — The Story of the Lover’s Leap. _Mackinac Island. Mich.— Where is : ‘Annie's’ house?” lhe tourist at Mackinac Island who has read Constance Fenni- ! ' ■ -- ii - oharaiing Macki no ,■ li.-r-U * ‘l.Cil t lie question^ is put to a native. Now the j average Mackinac native is not very well j posted ir. recent American literature, and vho or what is : meant by the question, but it has been Iskelt; j the Iasidecade that out of mere self-defense be and I his inquisitor go on their respective ways | rejoicing. A nne’s real home is non esi. 1’he old agency sSVoolson, stood in what is now the fort garden, adjoining the village school house. I The rains can still he seen. By ihe way, j “Ru-t. an important character of the book, keeps a drug store in the village jThe globe-trotting Britisher who spends ! a month in America with a n debook and | then goes borne and writes a three-column l account of his “impressions” invariably derides the United States for the lack of j picturesque ruins and historical meinora-1 bilia. Such a one should come to Macki-1 nac. He will find 011 this beautiful island relics of “Auld Lang Syne”to his heart’s ! content. In fact, it is a veritable cradle of history.Two hundred and thirty years have pass-j e i since the firs t, white man set foot on this | soil. Father Marquette a few years later j (1671) established a Jesuit school here, and | his grave has turned Pointe St. Ignace, on | the mainland four miles away, into a miniature Mecca for those of his faith.! ihe names of La Salle. Hennepin, Tonty. | Cadillac and of other pioneers are assoeiat-1 ed with Mackinac.The island has been called the “Gem of | the Straits,’1 “Fairy Isle,” the “Enchanted i Island’’ and by various other euphonious ; titles, all indicative of its wonderful beauty, j Viewed from thq deck of an incoming j steamer it presents an appearance that can ‘ never be forgotten. The waters, blue as the Bay of Naples; the rough, gray cliffs; the white walls of the old fort, the quaint j houses of the village nestling beneath if ; | the gaily painted, red-roofed cottages, and i the background of gently rising greenwood | form a wonderful picture. The island is j nine miles in circumference and three in I diameter, and for the most part has been j set aside, on account of its beauty and healthfnlness. as a national park.Fort Mackinac, both on account of its ' historical associations and its attractive; appearance, is a chief point of interest to j visitors. It is situated on a rocky emi-1 nence commanding a wide view of the j straits. It has stone fortifications and is 1 complete in all its appointments, both; ancient and modern, having three block | houses erected in 1780 and a canteen fitted ; up in 1.790, The stone walls of the old! otiler—’ quarters are no less than three feet j thick. Fort Mackinac is one of the “show | posts” of the country, as they are termed i in army parlance, and is carefully kept up ■ in appearance. Three flags have floated ; over it — the fleur-de-lis of France, the : British union jack and the stars and ■ stripes.On the hill back of the fort are the ruins ; of old Fort Holmes, built by the English i during the war of 1812 to give greater se- j ourity to their nold on the Island. It was j originally called Fort George, but when it 1 came into the hands of the United States 1 the name was changed in honor of a brave j American officer who f--i 1 in a battle on the island during the struggles of that I period.Arch Rock is one rf the most noted physical features of Mackinac and the I world. It is a natural arch spanning a chasm ninety feet high and fifty broad. It is much like the famous natural bridge of Virginia, only not so high or massive. Descending through this chasm “arched by the wand of God” one sees Fairy Arch, a miniature arch rock.Sugar Loaf is another wonderful point of interest. It is a large mass of gray, calcareous rock, rising abruptly on a plateau that stands 150 feet above the level of the lake. It is like an old-fashioned loaf of sugar, such as our grandmothers used. There is a large cavern at the base capable of holding several persons at once.Skalls Cave is another spot pointed out to visitors. It was Alexander Henry’s hiding place during the troublous times of the masacre at old Fort Mackinaw, on the mainland. British Landing, on the west end of the island, is a historic spot. There Captain Roberts disembarked a force of English, French and Indians to capture Fort Mackinaw in 1842. Two years later Colonel Groghan landed his American force there and led many of them bravely to death in the face of outnumbering foesAs no summer resort is complete without a lovers’ leap Mackinac has one of course. And whatever may be said of other spots where disconsolate swains and sweethearts had cast their passion-rocked bodies to destruction, Mackinac can certainly boast of the great, original “Lovers’ Leap. Here is the legend: Once upon a time there dwelt on this isle an Ojibwav maiden, beautiful and charming in every way. Her name was Me-che-ne-mock-e-nuug-o-qua, who had a brave and handsome lover, who delighted in the euphonious title of Ge-niw-e-gwon. _ _ They probably called themselves “Me-che” and Ge-ni” for short, though that is a mere supposition. Theirfavoritetrystingplacewas aboldrock on the western bluff There, when her lt;brave went away in the great war canoe to i battle, “Me-che” awaited his return. One evening, when straining her eyes to-! ward the setting sun. he perceived the j war canoe returning. But, alas! she soon i saw that her brave’s place was vacant, j With a shriek she cast herself from the rock and was dashed to pieces in an instant. Her lover was not dead, however. Wounded and too weak to paddle, he lay in the canoe. On reaching the shore how eagerly he sought the face of his loved one, but in vain. He thought of their trysting place, and with sad forebodings hastened to it. gazed over the precipice, saw the mangled body of his sweetheart, j and before his companions could restrain bad leaped to her side. Such is the legend of Lovers’ Leap. To be sure it isn’t true, but it is romantic. It is a pleasant thing to think that once there were beautiful Indian girls. There are none left.Situated at the head of three great lakes, Mackinac Island was recognized as a natural center for commercial as well missionary enterprises. John Jacob Astor, of New York, organized the American Fur Company in 1809. with a cash capital of $2,000,000. For thirty-nine years it held the monopoly of the trade in fur. Mackinac was the base of supplies for the company. The buildings still stand here, almost as they were left in 1848, when the business was closed up j after a good basis for the Astor fortune !
Newspaper Details
Grand Rapids Wood County Tribune
Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, US
Thu, Sep 25, 1890
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Ruth D.
NA, NA 11 Jan 2025
Other Publications Near Grand Rapids, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
Grand Rapids Daily Tribune
Grand Rapids Wood County Tribune
Grand Rapids Leader
Daily Leader
