Fort Holmes

Peace Attempts with Western Prairie Indians, 1833

General Henry Leavenworth

What was known as the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was entered into in Mississippi with the Choctaw Indians September 27, 1830; pursuant to the terms of the treaty, in 1832 the movement of the Choctaw to their new home between the Canadian and Red rivers was under way but they were in danger from incursions of the Comanche and Pani Picts or Wichita, and the Kiowa tribe, who came east as far as the Washita and Blue rivers; these Indians had also evinced a hostile attitude toward white citizens and had attacked and plundered Santa Fe traders, trappers, and … Read more

Fort Michillimackinac and Fort Holmes

Fort Michillimackinac and Staten Park, Mackinac Island, Michigan

Fort Michillimackinac, with over three centuries of history, began at Saint Ignace due to the efforts of Father Marquette and the Sieur de la Salle, representing the Church and State, respectively. Established among the Ottawas by Marquette, it was fortified by La Salle, who also lost the Griffon, the first Great Lakes sailing vessel. Lauded by local tribes, Michillimackinac’s name means Great Turtle. Despite fortifications by notable figures like La Motte Cadillac, the fort waned with Detroit’s rise and eventually relocated to Mackinaw City. It saw bloody conflict when Indians, aligned with Pontiac, massacred the English garrison in 1763. The site changed hands between British and American control through wars until being garrisoned for the last time in 1895. Now restored and maintained by Michigan’s park commission, the revered fort remains a historical tourist destination.