Marquette Mission Site - St. Ignace, Michigan

In 1671 Father Jacques Marquette, along with two Native American groups from the Ottawa and Tionontate Huron tribes, settled in the Straits of Mackinac. This area was frequented by coureurs de bois and was quickly becoming of key interest in the French fur trade. On a protected bay across from Mackinac Island, the Huron and Ottawa established separate villages and Marquette founded the Mission de St. Ignace. A decade later the community was also the location of a French garrison and Fort de Baude was built ca. 1689. This is the earliest European-Native settlement in the Straits of Mackinac and it is key to understanding the early history of the region. While historical records offer important insights into particular events and conditions, the archaeological site in downtown St. Ignace, called the Marquette Mission Site, holds unique material remains that can be used to gain insight into how people from very different backgrounds lived and worked together from ca. 1670-1720.

These web pages are the result of a research project at Michigan State University that assembled all of the archaeological data from across ten different excavations spanning three decades. Some of the pages at this website offer introductory information gleaned from archaeology and history, others display a sample of the material objects used by French and Native occupants of the site. The “Current Research” pages highlight the questions and findings specifically addressed by the research project.

When you visit the Straits of Mackinac, be sure to begin your tour where it all started – St. Ignace! The Museum of Ojibway Culture houses exhibits related to the site and its excavations; the archaeological site is under and adjacent to the museum. Outdoor exhibits are located on the site and include informational plaques and a reconstructed longhouse.