Mackinac National Park was a United States national park that existed from 1875 to 1895 on Mackinac Island in northern

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

, making it the second U.S. national park after

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowst ...

. The park was created in response to the growing popularity of the island as a summer resort. Its creation was largely the result of efforts by

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Thomas W. Ferry, a native of the island. Senate Bill 28 "to set aside a certain portion of the island of Mackinaw and the straits of Mackinaw, within the State of Michigan as a national park" was introduced December 2, 1874, and signed by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

on March 3, 1875. The national park covered 821 acres while the fort retained 103 acres and the remainder of the island was privately owned.Annals of Fort Mackinac
Dwight H. Kelton, Detroit Free Press Printing Co., 1887 The park grounds abutted

Fort Mackinac Fort Mackinac ( ) is a former British and American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century in the city of Mackinac Island, Michigan, on Mackinac Island. The British built the fort during the American Re ...

, which continued to serve as a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

garrison during the operation of the park, as well as island geological features such as Arch Rock and Sugar Loaf. The fort's commander ran the park and federal troops served as park rangers, as at Yellowstone. The park had the authority to construct roads and trails and to lease small numbers of lots for buildings to offset its expenses, as no federal money was provided to run the park. The park lands also had to be available to the army for military training and in time of war. In 1895, the fort was decommissioned and, at the request of Michigan Governor John T. Rich, the park and fort was turned over to the State of Michigan, becoming

Mackinac Island State Park Mackinac Island State Park is a state park located on Mackinac Island in the U.S. state of Michigan. A Lake Huron island, it is near the Straits of Mackinac. The island park encompasses , which is approximately 80% of the island's total are ...

, the first state park in Michigan. The park was established on the condition that it remain a state park or it would revert to the United States. This restriction caused a problem in the 1960s when the city proposed to lease land from the park for an expanded airport for the island. The lease to the city was ruled a non-park use but the park, on its own, expanded and continues to run the airport.Report of the Attorney General
State of Michigan, 1963

References

External links

Mackinac Island State Park factsMackinac State Historic Park historyAct of Congress
which established the national park
Current state park authorization
{{authority control 1875 establishments in Michigan 1895 disestablishments in the United States 19th century in Michigan Mackinac Island National parks in Michigan

See also

References

External links