History St. Ignace, Michigan

the museum of ojibwa culture operates in former st. ignace mission building. mission listed on national register of historic places. site of historic wyandot (huron) village.

st. ignace second-oldest city founded europeans in michigan. before french contact, various cultures of native americans had inhabited area thousands of years. historic peoples here predominantly iroquoian-speaking wendat, whom french called huron.

by 18th century, anishinaabe ojibwe, spoke 1 of algonquian languages, became prominent in region. related anishinaabe people ottawa. third member of council of 3 fires, loose confederacy of these tribes, potowatomi people. 3 peoples members of various federally recognized tribes in northern michigan.

french explorer , priest jacques marquette founded st. ignace mission on site in 1671 , buried there after death. named st. ignatius of loyola, founder of jesuit religious order, priests active missionaries across north america. (ignace french version of ignatius.) jesuits served @ missions convert first nations/native americans catholicism , share french culture. in 1673, marquette joined expedition of louis jolliet, french-canadian explorer, , departed st. ignace on may 17, 2 canoes , 5 voyageurs of french-indian ancestry (métis) on voyage find mississippi river

while exploring region on ship le griffon louis hennepin, sieur de la salle reached st. ignace on august 27, 1679. louis de la porte, sieur de louvigny founded fort de buade here in 1681 fur trading post. later directed antoine cadillac. closed french in 1697. jesuits abandoned mission in 1705.

the ojibwe, came dominate of territory of present-day michigan in 18th century among native americans, allies of french in 7 years war against british. after british victory in 7 years war, in 1763 took on territory of france in north america, including part of former new france. after victory of rebellious colonists in american revolutionary war, in 1783 village included within new united states, part of became called northwest territory.

a tombstone marks grave of father marquette, next museum of ojibway culture @ former site of st. ignace mission.

originally important fur trading site in years of french colonization, st. ignace declined in importance 19th century. united states prohibited british canadian traders operating across border after conclusion of war of 1812. european demand declined north american furs, , other parts of economy grew.

both british-canadians , later americans operated larger trading center @ sault ste. marie, on both sides of canadian-us border, until decline of fur trade in 1830s. fur trade suffered before, during , after hostilities of war of 1812, united states prohibited british traders operating across border, had been earlier practice. ojibwe had allied british, longtime trading partners, during war of 1812, hoping reduce encroachment on lands numerous american pioneers in region.

in 1882, st. ignace given economic impetus construction of detroit, mackinac , marquette railroad, connected straits area major city of detroit. incorporated village on february 23, 1882, , city in 1883. in late 19th century, began attract tourists popular summer resort , connection mackinac island.

since late 20th century, city has become rural destination heritage tourism , part of regional area popular summer tourism. mackinac bands of chippewa , ottawa indians, state recognized tribe, based in st. ignace. has bands in several other counties in region. enrolled membership of 4,000 in area , state recognition, has been seeking federal recognition since 1998. larger federally recognized sault ste. marie tribe of chippewa indians, based in city of name , region of northern michigan, owns , operates gaming casino on land controls in st. ignace, in addition 4 other cities in state.