Mackinac Island, past and present, Part I

For several summers my mother's parents worked on Mackinac (Pronounced "Mackinaw:, even when it is spelled "Mackinac") Island in Michigan.  They both held various jobs and worked for several people/companies--including the Grand Hotel and Ryba's (The Fudge empire, among other businesses).  My grandfather continued to work there after Grandma died, working several years as a tour guide/carriage driver for Mackinac Island Carriage tours.  When we were able to stay overnight we stayed at Hart's Haven, a somewhat sketchy hotel that is now a swanky bed and breakfast. In 2009, my brother, his wife, and I took The Girl and The Boy for the day and this summer we all went with my parents (joined by my nephew, M, as well). The Girl reports that she wants to live on the Island when she grows up.  I thought that once we were out of downtown, it was just as lovely as I remembered...but I must be old, because downtown was too crowded.  The first year I could find photos labeled "Mackinac" was 1973 and again, I wasn't very good at labeling the years, but I think I can guess pretty well. Enjoy...

Fort Mackinac:  It seems like the Fort used to be free to visit and that we would go every time we visited.  Or maybe because I was a kid I had no clue. I noticed during our 2009 visit there is now a fee, it can be "rolled" into a carriage tour or there are "discounted" tickets if one wants to visit several attractions. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but if you go to visit, I guess keep that in mind.  Here are my dad and I, sporting rainy weather gear, and in my case green polyester pants.  In the summer.  I love the 70's....I always loved going to the Fort, but there are a lot of stairs.  I'd say this was around 1978 or 79.

 A much sunnier day in 2009--The Boy and The Girl check out the view with Aunt M and Uncle J.  When we visited as kids the Fort was very "bare bones" old-school museum--I'm a history dork, so I always enjoyed it (especially the exhibit about the guy with the hole in his stomach).  When we went in 2009, they have added a whole bunch of cool interactive stuff for kids to do--lots more touching and doing--my kids loved it!

 Interesting.  This appears to be the same staircase as the 1978/9 photo,  but these stairs are wood and those appeared to be concrete.  So either the concrete stairs were removed to be more historically accurate, or there is another set of stairs.














Same year as the one with my dad, this is me with my grandfather, and again, the concrete steps.  Hmm.

 The Boy in 2009 and below, my brother in around 1983 or 84...not the same cannon, but all the same, two boys with cannons. Or maybe it is the same cannon and is now more historically accurate?

We didn't go up to the Fort this year (2014), so there aren't any fantastic photos to compare.








Statue of Liberty: According to my brother, at one point, every state was given a miniature Statue of Liberty and that many of the statues have been "lost" since they were given.  In any case, I do have comparison photos of the alleged Michigan statue.

 Huh.  Now that I see these two pictures together I am baffled.  I mean, there it is, the mini Statue of Liberty, in the same place (from a slightly different angle, but if not in the same place, pretty close)....but clearly not the same statue or the same stand.  Super weird.  Especially when the plaque is the same.  I'm sure there is a story there, but I don't know it.  Huh.  On the left are my brother and I, probably 1984 or 85.  If it is 84, I was relatively the same age as The Girl in the photo on the right. Notice that both in both photos the teen girl is posing and the pre-teen boy is standing....


***Update!  Thanks to my friend, J, for finding this article, explaining the differences in the statue!

Arch Rock :  Arch Rock is a natural formation, created when Mackinac Island was under a large fresh water ocean.  I've seen photos of President Gerald Ford, in his Boy Scout uniform, climbing on it, back when people were allowed to climb on it.)  I've only ever been able to see it from the "viewing" deck, but it is still a cool place to visit and a nice place to have a (usually angry) sibling photo taken.

 2009...don't my children look happy?  Fantastic photo kids.  At least it appears to be warm, sunny, and not raining..

 1984 or 5...my brother and I....at least we are smiling.










1977 or 1978...a sunny day, but hats.  I think I am wearing my "somebody went to Mackinac Island and all they bought be was this dumb shirt" shirt.  My brother is dressed as a miniature lumberjack.

This year, from the other side of the rock (we didn't get to the "inside" of the Island this trip.  Photo credited to my mother's camera, taken by some nice man who saw us debating who should take the picture.  My parents, brother and sister and law, nephew, and The Boy and The Girl.  Gee..when did The Girl become almost as tall as me?








to be continued...