Fort Wilkins Historic State Park
Encyclopedia
Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is a historical park operated by the U.S. state
of Michigan
at Copper Harbor, Michigan
. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1970, and is a "Cooperating Site" of the Keweenaw National Historical Park
.
Copper Harbor is located at the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula
, bordering Lake Superior
. It is one of the best natural harbors in Keweenaw County and was a quick focus of attention after copper
was discovered on the peninsula in the 1830s.
In the early 1840s, a copper rush took place, with fortune-seekers moving from all directions to the peninsula. The U.S. government was concerned about possible disorder and violence, and lake shipping
interests asked the government to build an aid to navigation
so that essential supplies could be shipped in and the copper moved out.
s; some Chippewa opposed the Treaty of La Pointe that had ceded the area to the United States in 1842-1843.
However, the fort proved to be unnecessary. The Chippewa largely accepted the influx, and the miners were law-abiding. The Army built 27 structures,including a guardhouse, powder magazine, 7 officer's quarters, two barracks, two mess halls, hospital, storehouse, sutler's store, quartermaster's store, bakery, blacksmith's shop, carpenter's shop, icehouse, four quarters for married enlisted men, stables, and a slaughter house, to house the operations of two full-strength infantry companies. Several of these structures still survive. Others have been rebuilt following archaeological excavations.
When it was first garrisoned in 1844, two companies (A and B of the 5th infantry) were stationed there. When war was declared with Mexico
, the soldiers were needed elsewhere. Companies A and B were sent to Texas
and were replaced by Company K. The next year Company K was also sent to Mexico, and in 1846 the fort was temporarily abandoned, leaving behind a single caretaker, a Sergeant William Wright.
While the passing of Wright in 1855, the fort was subsequently rented by a Dr. Livermore, who hoped to open a health resort for people to come and take the bracing lake air. This plan fell through after his death in 1861. Dr. Livermore's tombstone and that of his daughter can still be found in the Copper Harbor Cemetery.
After the American Civil War
, the U.S. army reoccupied Fort Wilkins for three years in 1867-1870. The U.S. Army needed a place for men to serve out the rest of their enlistments from the war. Company E was stationed there from 1867 until May 1869, when they were replaced by Company K First Infantry. The army permanently abandoned the facility at the end of August 1870.
.
The historic portion of Fort Wilkins and nearby lighthouse are operated as a unit of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment's Park and Recreation Division as the immediately adjacent state park.
, the facility is open to the public in summer months. For ten weeks each summer (June-August) the fort is staffed with costumed personnel; they are historical interpreters portraying Army life during the fort's final summer as an active post.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
at Copper Harbor, Michigan
Copper Harbor, Michigan
Copper Harbor is a small unincorporated community in northeastern Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is within Grant Township on the Keweenaw Peninsula that juts from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Superior.-History:...
. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1970, and is a "Cooperating Site" of the Keweenaw National Historical Park
Keweenaw National Historical Park
Keweenaw National Historical Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park Service. Established in 1992, the park celebrates the life and history of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan...
.
Copper Harbor is located at the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula
Keweenaw Peninsula
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northern-most part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was roughly 43,200...
, bordering Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. It is one of the best natural harbors in Keweenaw County and was a quick focus of attention after copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
was discovered on the peninsula in the 1830s.
In the early 1840s, a copper rush took place, with fortune-seekers moving from all directions to the peninsula. The U.S. government was concerned about possible disorder and violence, and lake shipping
Lake freighter
Lake freighters, or Lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that ply the Great Lakes. The best known was the , the most recent and largest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. In the mid-20th century, 300 lakers worked the...
interests asked the government to build an aid to navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
so that essential supplies could be shipped in and the copper moved out.
Fort Wilkins
The U.S. Army occupied Fort Wilkins, located east of Copper Harbor, Michigan on the strait of land between Copper Harbor and northern shore of Lake Fanny Hooe, in 1844. The troops stationed there were intended to help with local law enforcement and to keep the peace between miners and the local OjibwaOjibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
s; some Chippewa opposed the Treaty of La Pointe that had ceded the area to the United States in 1842-1843.
However, the fort proved to be unnecessary. The Chippewa largely accepted the influx, and the miners were law-abiding. The Army built 27 structures,including a guardhouse, powder magazine, 7 officer's quarters, two barracks, two mess halls, hospital, storehouse, sutler's store, quartermaster's store, bakery, blacksmith's shop, carpenter's shop, icehouse, four quarters for married enlisted men, stables, and a slaughter house, to house the operations of two full-strength infantry companies. Several of these structures still survive. Others have been rebuilt following archaeological excavations.
When it was first garrisoned in 1844, two companies (A and B of the 5th infantry) were stationed there. When war was declared with Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the soldiers were needed elsewhere. Companies A and B were sent to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and were replaced by Company K. The next year Company K was also sent to Mexico, and in 1846 the fort was temporarily abandoned, leaving behind a single caretaker, a Sergeant William Wright.
While the passing of Wright in 1855, the fort was subsequently rented by a Dr. Livermore, who hoped to open a health resort for people to come and take the bracing lake air. This plan fell through after his death in 1861. Dr. Livermore's tombstone and that of his daughter can still be found in the Copper Harbor Cemetery.
After the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the U.S. army reoccupied Fort Wilkins for three years in 1867-1870. The U.S. Army needed a place for men to serve out the rest of their enlistments from the war. Company E was stationed there from 1867 until May 1869, when they were replaced by Company K First Infantry. The army permanently abandoned the facility at the end of August 1870.
State park
In 1848, the Copper Harbor Lighthouse complex was begun on the tip of the eastern point of land, also sometimes called Hays Point, that sits at the entrance of the harbor. In 1923, the fort and adjacent lighthouse became a Michigan state parkState park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
.
The historic portion of Fort Wilkins and nearby lighthouse are operated as a unit of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment's Park and Recreation Division as the immediately adjacent state park.
, the facility is open to the public in summer months. For ten weeks each summer (June-August) the fort is staffed with costumed personnel; they are historical interpreters portraying Army life during the fort's final summer as an active post.