New carpet, donated by Superior Floor Covering, was installed in the entry hall to the Fort de Buade museum in downtown St. Ignace. The new carpet, along with other improvements, is a step to make the museum cleaner and more bacteria-free, a change museum director Judi Engle will help preserve the many artifacts housed inside. Fort de Buade history museum is getting some upgraded flooring in its main display section and protection for its artifacts and storage cases from wood-boring inset larva. The Michilimackinac Historical Society is spending $3,950 on the project, which was approved by the St. Ignace Fort de Buade Committee September 30.

Judi Engle, museum director and president of the Michilimackinac Historical Society, told the committee she found evidence of what she called "woodworms" in several display cases around the museum. She also said the floors under the museums main displays need repainting and re-carpeting to help reduce bacteria and fungus there.

At right: Afresh coat of paint covers the floor in the main display area of the Fort de Buade museum in downtown St. Ignace. The repainting, done with help from community volunteers, is a part of museum director Judi Engle's plan to clean aged and dirty areas of the museum that could pose a threat to the many artifacts housed there. Mrs. Engle said she has cleaned the cases and incorporated acidfree paper in the displays.

Local residents and businesses volunteered time and materials to partially cover the cost of repainting the floor and replacing the carpet, she noted.

The $3,950 from the City of St. Ignace is part of tribal money allocated to the city from 2% of slot machine proceeds. The Fort de Buade committee also approved funding of up to $7,700 to complete any maintenance projects that the city is responsible for under its contract with the historical society.

In the contract with the historical society, the city agrees to cover any major repairs and the historical society agrees to pay up to $500 each financial quarter for regular maintenance and minor repairs.

The museum, which officially closed to visitors September 30, will not stay open during the winter months, although Mrs. Engle said she would like to hold genealogy workshops and crafting events at the activity center if funding can be made available.

If she cannot get a grant for that, the museum will re-open next spring.