Museum Artifacts Stay Here
Deal Signed; Fort de Buade Reopens
By Ryan Schlehuber

Mike Adkins (front) of Nashville, Tennessee, checks out the display of original French spoons and pottery used in the early 18th century while his friend, Elizabeth Burton, listens to tour guide Corey Gustafson explain about the historical artifacts at St. Ignace's Fort de Buade Museum. The musuem reopened Friday, August 31.

Fort de Buade Museum in St. Ignace reopened Friday, August 31, after city officials signed a deal with the Donald Benson family Monday, August 27, purchasing the downtown building and its retail inventory for $500,000. The museum's collection of about 5,000 items was donated to the city as part of the deal. Money for the purchase was provided by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

The collection was appraised for $549,000, said Prentiss Brown, Jr., the city attorney.

The tribe has agreed to donate $708,000 to the city to purchase the building, to be paid in installments over six years. The ownership of the collection would be transferred to the tribe if the museum is to ever close, or the city is unable to afford to keep the collection accessible to the public.

The Bensons were paid $100,000 when the contract was signed by Mayor Paul Grondin and City Clerk Renee Vonderwerth, and will be paid $80,000 for each of the next five years. The First National Bank of St. Ignace is helping the city finance the agreement.

"This is nothing but a plus for the city and the people of St. Ignace to be able to keep this collection of artifacts here," Mayor Grondin told The St. Ignace News. "This is very important to preserving our history. It's a very interesting collection.

"I think the tourists and locals will really be interested in this collection."

The city can use the surplus of $208,000 to fund the operation of the museum, which includes three gift stores, and the restoration and preservation of the historic artifacts and the building itself, which is more than 100 years old, said Judi Engle, president of the Michilimackinac Historical Society, which operates the museum.

Funding is still needed, she said, to restore and preserve the artifacts and promote the museum and future programs the historical society is planning.

"It's very exciting, yet it will also be a lot of work," said Ms. Engle, who has already volunteered hundreds of hours in clean- ing the building and rearranging artifacts for display. "The sky is the limit as far as potential of this place, but funding is always an issue."

The museum includes three gift stores, one offering Native American items, the other two stocked with rummage sale items.

Ms. Engle wants offer craft workshops and create a genealogy center for people to research family history.

In the museum itself, local American Indian art will be displayed.

The museum will be open each day from noon to 8 p.m. Volunteers are needed.