LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Fort de Buade Is Beginning of Economic Development
To the Editor:

The first question we need to ask is, "What is our history and who is going to tell the story?" For hundreds of years, St. Ignace was home to the Chippewa and Ottawa Indians. Those who appreciate our rich historical and cultural heritage know that the story of St. Ignace and Fort de Buade has not received the proper visibility that it deserves.

The Chippewa and Ottawa call St. Ignace Nah-yah-me-shen, which, translated, means "point of land in the water." The distinct cultural values of the Anishinabe, the French, British, and Scandinavian settlers of this region deserve to be told. Fort de Buade was the first fort built in the Straits area. It was a major garrison with well over 200 soldiers. In this context, St. Ignace, founded in the late 1600s, is one of the oldest cities in America.

Despite this heritage, there is no structure in St. Ignace to remind us of our past. If you look by the steps going into City Hall, you will see a historical marker telling the story of Fort de Buade, but this is not enough to educate the public of our history. This is particularly unfortunate, given the large number of tourists who visit this area and the importance of tourism to our local economy.

One does not have to look too far to see the success of the other forts in the area. Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City each have one and Fort de Buade is part of this "triangle" of history.

In 1937, the Kiwanis Club of St. Ignace wanted to build a structure of Fort de Buade. This attempt was not successful. The other two forts show the value of such public interpretation. Despite the fact that Fort de Buade was the first fort in the area, we have not been effective in telling this story. We have lacked the resources to develop our historical potential.

A first class museum is needed to connect the dots of our cultural past and tie it together in a single story. Unlike efforts in the past, the Sault Tribe is offering support to begin to establish and create a high quality historical center.

To start a museum from the beginning is a very complicated undertaking. A museum represents a commitment from the community to preserve and present our history. It is about community pride. However, there is much more to a museum than simply collecting and displaying three-dimensional objects. It goes without saying, a good historical presentation should be entertaining as well as educational. Saving Fort de Buade museum and turning it into a historical cultural arts center could be the beginning of downtown economic development. The location is almost perfect, and there is adequate parking. It is centrally located and in a part of town that needs some activity, and one of the island ferry owners said the Historical Society could mail its promotions to all the boat line's tour bus operators.

Fort de Buade museum is a means to a much bigger vision. Experience of other northern Michigan established sites shows that a high proportion of visitors become repeat visitors. Beyond the value it brings to the downtown area of St. Ignace is the role it will play in the education of our local students in our region's history.

As part of the philosophical idea of "small towns can be cool," the Fort de Buade cultural arts center can provide a common ground to coordinate other groups who are interested in the arts and specialized interpretations, including music and drama. Fort de Buade museum could be used to encourage many more activities, and would not compete with existing programs.

The financial contribution a museum and arts center could make to the tourist economy should be evident. While it may take a few years to become a well known and interesting educational facility that can attract and hold tourists, Fort de Buade museum will, without a doubt, benefit local businesses.

The inventory report of the artifacts of the Fort de Buade museum was done by James Hanson, Ph.D., and he valued the collection purposely low. The building is appraised at over $380,000. Pam Tessler, an historian and museum curator from Pemmeting, Ontario, said the collection could, in fact, be worth millions, but more importantly, the items could not be replaced. Timothy Kent, another well known historian and author of the book, "Rendezvous at the Straits: Fur Trade and Military Activities at Fort de Buade and Fort Mchilimackinac, 1669-1781," said the real value of the museum is in the narration. For example, the artifacts from the Civil War. Over 250 Ottawa Indians from this area served with the Union army and this became one of the reasons the Indians of this area did not have to be relocated. One of my (Ottawa) great-great-grandfathers served with General Sherman. This is what is meant by narrative.

Even the display cases have incredible value. They were built by Harold Kreische and are worth over $100,000. There is a mural on the wall painted by the late Randy Becker. The oil painting gallery is fantastic and could be displayed and featured in a more prominent way. Last but not least, there are three store fronts along with the museum store. It has been suggested that the book store could be converted to a public restroom. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said funding or a grant for that would be almost guaranteed.

The museum has a wide screen theater. This area could be used for film festivals and it could be made larger. Some of the collection could be part of a traveling exhibit for schools and colleges. A public relations campaign could be created on this traveling exhibit that would bring many new visitors to the area. The St. Ignace casino could display some of the items, and this would direct people to the museum, and vice versa.

The museum operation could become a virtual grant factory. Several categories, history, genealogy, and the cultural arts, are major categories with numerous grants available. St. Ignace is in a HUB zone (historically under-developed business zone); with the proper feasibility plan, there would be plenty of money to build the museum into a profit-making business so it would not depend on grants.

Fort de Buade museum could be a dynamic opportunity to start the economic recovery for Mackinac County. The partnership between the Sault Tribe and the City and the Historical Society should be encouraged. Our leaders need to find a way to make this happen. What is good for St. Ignace is good for the tribe.

Once the Historical Society can develop the operating costs, the whole feasibility of the project can be leveraged. Specific projects such as rearrangement of the exhibits, catalogues, and restoration can be done on a dollar-fordollar matching basis. An operating pro forma will establish the projected operating revenues, and then we should be able to identify potential and alternative sources of funding to meet the day-to-day costs. The ideas are endless.

An estimate of visitor capture will increase based on advertising, the cooperation with the Museum of Ojibwa Culture, Mackinac State Historic Parks, historical publications, and word of mouth. Joint marketing between the Ojibwa Museum has been promised, and the local accommodations industry can offer their patrons discounts for admission. The state and regional travel bureaus will become part of the marketing campaign, and this will enable an even higher level of visitorship.

The final questions are: Can the Historical Society and the City and the tribe market the Fort de Buade museum better than the present owner? Do we have confidence in our history to get excited about the potential? Do we want to be a "cool little town?"

We have the way. Do we have the will?

Darryl Brown

St. Ignace BAY Idea To Promote St. Ignace

Starts With a Positive List To the Editor:

While traveling this winter, my wife and I experienced something so remarkable that we've been trying to figure out how to duplicate it ever since. Getting off our plane, our cab driver proceeded to tell us what a fantastic city we were in. All the great things to see and do, how the city was growing, how pleasant it was to live there...and he went on and on. Now we both really noticed this and commented on it. At our hotel, and at the convention center, we constantly ran into similar attitudes. Finally, when we were ready to fly home, a different cab driver just gushed about the city in similar fashion. This was not an act. These folks were exceptionally positive about this city.

OK, Dateline - St. Ignace, Michigan - 2007. We've all heard how awful everything in the state is, and how bad the economy is, and how bad the state budget is, and how bad the weather is. (How come no one does anything about that one?) Well now, I propose something different and rather fun at the same time. What are 10 things that make St. Ignace great? I bet you and a friend can't stop at 10. Write them down. What if everyone coming into St. Ignace saw a plaque, or poster, of great things about St. Ignace, in every motel, gas station, restaurant, store, etc.? What if each list of 10 was different? What if this was a school assignment? This is more than an idea, everybody. We are going to do it. It's easy. Try something like this...

St. Ignace is great because:

1. We live in the middle of the Earth's largest supply of fresh water.

2. We have no natural disasters.

3. Our community generously and consistently supports our local school system.

4. Our little town actually has its very own hospital.

5. Our incidence of crime is very low.

6. We are home to one of the Earth's longest, and most beautiful suspension bridges.

7. No one ever honks at you at a red light.

8. Our little town has produced a state representative, a state senator, a U.S. congressman, a U.S. senator, a state governor, and more great athletes and teams than you can shake a stick at.

9. We have a breathtaking waterfront that most communities would envy.

10. Our state police post is one of very few 24-hour posts in Northern Michigan.

Compile your own list. I'm working on paper we can put these on, so they can be posted all over town.

The cup may seem half-full, but it's really overflowing. Let's have fun telling people why we love to live here. Let's share this with others.

Tom Della-Moretta

St. Ignace Island History Mentioned in Girl Scouts Founder's Book To the Editor:

In anciticipation of our upcoming trip to Savannah, Georgia, to visit Juliette Low's birthplace, I am reading "Lady from Savannah - The Life Story of Juliette Low," about the woman who founded the Girl Scouts in 1912.

According to authors Gladys Denny Shultz and Daisy Gordon, in 1818, Juliette's maternal grandfather, John Harris Kinzie, was "taken to Mackinac by his father (John Kinzie) and indentured to John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company. John's day began at 5 a.m. and ended at supper time. After five years he was transferred to Prairie du Chien."

A few pages later we learn that, although he did not spend one day in formal school, "John was by no means an ignoramus. When he went to Mackinac Island at the age of 15, he lived with the Robert Stuarts. Mrs. Stuart, like Juliette's mother, was a highly cultivated woman and made it her responsibility to round out John's sketchy education. In the evening, after the boy's long day at the trading post, she had him read aloud to her; then they would talk over what he had read."

About Juliette's mother, Nellie Kinzie Gordon: "One of the most treasured recollections Nellie retained of her childhood, however, was the time her father took her with him on a trip to the Northern Great Lakes. He had been one of the discoverers of the copper lodes on Lake Superior, having located the famous Ontonagon mine in Michigan...Nellie had the experience of traveling by Indian canoe, as her forebears had done so often...On the way back they stopped over at Mackinac Island and she visited her father's boyhood stamping ground."

I have found this fascinating and I would recommend this book to both Girl Scouts and history buffs.

Susan Horn

St. Ignace

Editor's note: Susan Horn works for Mackinac Island Carriage Tours and is a troop leader for St. Ignace Girl Scout Troop 340 and St.Ignace area service unit manager for the Girl Scouts of Peninsula Waters Council, which serves the Upper Peninsula. She is one of 20 people from St. Ignace and 40 from the Council that is making a trip to Savannah to visit Juliette Low's birthplace June 22 through July 2.