Mackinac National Park: How America’s Second National Park Lost Its Status

On March 1, 1872, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed the National Park Protection Act creating Yellowstone, America’s first National Park. Three years later, on March 3, 1875, Grant signed Senate Bill 28, setting aside land on the island of Mackinac in Michigan to become the countries second National Park. 

So why don’t we hear about Mackinac National Park today? Because in 1895, Mackinac was officially decommissioned as a national park and its status changed to a state park. 

What caused this change and what became of the area after it was decommissioned? Let’s dive in to the rise and fall of America’s second national park! 

Origins

With the signing of the National Park Protection Act in 1872, the United States government was given the authority to set aside land for public use and recreation. Yellowstone became the first area to achieve National Park status and over 1-million acres of public land was set aside in future states such as Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. 

The designation of this piece of land was instrumental in changing the attitude of 19th century American’s who now saw the wilderness as a part of their countries identity. Before this shift in thinking, the wild was viewed as a hostile environment that needed to be conquered by man. 

With this new outlook on nature and the outdoors, the quest to create more parks began. A 4.35 square mile island in Lake Huron between the state of Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas was chosen as the best option. 

Long since inhabited by the Native Americans, the island was first explored by Europeans in the 17th century. It was taken control of by the British from the French after the French and Indian Wars as a strategic location to construct Fort Mackinac. 

The Fort was seized by the British in the first battle of the War of 1812 and returned to the U.S. in 1815 by the Treaty of Ghent. Fur trading was also done on the island with John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company exporting beaver pelts there for 30 years. 

By the mid-19th century, Mackinac became a popular tourist destination for Great Lakes residents to go fishing. The increase in visitors meant that many hotels and restaurants began to spring up around the area. 

National Park Designation

With the island growing in popularity as a summer resort, the U.S. Congress was deciding on where to designate America’s second National Park. With Yellowstone being chosen as the first in 1872, the country was eager to find the next area to preserve. 

Mackinac resident and United States Senator Thomas W. Ferry played a major role in obtaining the National Park designation. Born in the Mission House on the island in 1827, Ferry helped to convince Congress to set aside the 1,044 acres of park land he had lived in his whole life. 

On March 3, 1875, President Ulysses S. Grant signed Senate Bill 28 setting aside portions of Mackinaw Island and the Straits of Mackinaw. The area surrounded the Army garrison Fort Mackinac who retained some of the land in the new park. 

While establishing Mackinac as a National Park was a good step in the right direction, the early history of the National Park System left these areas without designated supervisors. This meant that the Army stationed at the fort was in charge of running the park with the commander as the head supervisor and the troops serving as unofficial park rangers.

The park also lacked any federal funding so the Army leased a small number of lots for buildings to offset its expenses. While the the area was open to the public, the land had to be available for military training during times of war. 

For the next 20 years, Mackinac National Park was under the control of the U.S. government and the army stationed at the fort. During this time, the park built roads and trails for the increasing number of visitors.

Conditions at Fort Mackinac were also improved during this time with the Army constructing a bathhouse, canteen, and even installing flush toilets. It was all done in an effort to boost the morale of the soldiers and provide them with desirable living quarters. 

Mackinac did well for two decades as America’s second national park, attracting tourists and creating a framework for future parks to follow. However, its status as a national park was in jeopardy and in 1895, Mackinac National Park ceased to exist. 

Decommissioning of Mackinac

Despite its success as a national park, change was on the horizon for Mackinac. While the area was still thriving, it was about to lose its most important component – its caretakers. 

The Fort which had housed the Army since the War of 1812 was officially decommissioned by the U.S. Congress in 1895. Fort Mackinac and Mackinac National Park were closed and no longer under control of the federal government. 

But just because the area was stripped of its national park status didn’t mean it was the end for Mackinac. Actually, it was quite the opposite. 

In anticipation of Mackinac’s decommissioning, Michigan Governor John T. Rich requested that the park and the fort be turned over to the state of Michigan. Although the state was losing its national park, it was gaining its first state park. 

To compensate for the loss of the Army caretakers, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission was created to govern the park. Members of this commission are appointed by the Governor of Michigan to help preserve, protect, and present the history of the park. 

Just because Mackinac lost its status as America’s second national park didn’t mean it faced a bleak future. Rather, the park served as a shining example of how states could maintain beautiful and natural public spaces for everyone to enjoy. 

Mackinac Today

Mackinac Island State Park offers visitors a variety of historic and natural places to explore and enjoy. Over 80% of the island is State Park property and the land has been preserved in its natural condition. 

It’s a beautiful landscape with high limestone bluffs, vibrant forests, vistas of sparkling water, and mystical geological formations. Arch Rock and Sugar Loaf are some of the parks most famous rock formations and are a main draw for the island’s tourism. 

Fort Mackinac has also been preserved and serves as a museum complete with re-enactors that portray the soldiers who lived on the island in the 1880s. There are 14 original buildings that are part of the fort museum. 

Since 1898, automobiles have been banned on the island making for a quiet and peaceful experience. Visitors can opt for more traditional methods of transportation including walking, biking, and even horse-drawn carriage riding. 

There are over 70-miles of paved and non-paved trails to explore ranging from easy to moderate in difficulty. Along the way, you can stop and read one of the over 50 interpretive panels that describe the parks natural and historic locations. 

Conclusion

For the 20 years of Mackinac’s National Park status, the helped shape and inform the way future National Park’s would be organized and maintained. The park also proved that despite its decommissioning, Mackinac was far from fading away. 

The fact that the area is still here today and thriving shows how much people enjoy preserving and protecting America’s wilderness. It’s a part of every citizens national identity to play a roll in allowing nature to be wild and free.