To the Editor:

About 85 years ago, the Fort Field was our playground. The trenches, hidden beyond the knoll at the far end of the field, we believe were part of Fort de Buade. These trenches were deep and wide with timbers that supported the sidewalls still visible.

At that time, St. Ignace had no street signs. At the top of the hill where High Street turns and follows the crest of the hill, the road also continued straight ahead past Charlie Adam's farm. Eventually it turned right, leading through the woods into the Fort Field. A beautiful birch tree stood on the high knoll like a sentinel guarding this deserted, historical sight.

Standing beneath the birch, you could see Moran Bay in the distance and the tops of wigwams in Indian Village. A path led into the woods and down to the trenches. About half way around the knoll, the trenches veered off toward the forest and a path that led to Cheeseman Road in Gros Cap.

Even then, tourists did come to town looking for Fort de Buade. I met two of them while clerking at the Indian Village. They were retired teachers and history buffs amazed and disappointed to find the location of Fort de Buade unknown and of little interest locally. They were overjoyed to follow me when I volunteered to take them to the site I knew as Fort de Buade.

Several years later, there was a sign posted identifying this location as the site of Fort de Buade. The sign disappeared and was replaced by junk cars, hiding the one-time beauty of this historical site. Ruth Tuohy Shelby Township