Johnstown High School - Spectator Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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. The Spectator ll been rebuilt and cemented, because they were about falling down. The stockade of cedar logs, which formerly surrounded the fort, has long since fallen down. The blockhouses, which are built of cedar logs, are still standing. The officers' quarters and the commissary house, both of which were built of part stone and part wood, and the men's quarters are still standing. Some of the officers' houses are now occupied as summer cot- tages. The fort and houses are all whitewashed. Fort Macki- nac and much of the land on the island is owned by the state of Michigan as a state park. Lately a bronze monument was erected there to Pierre Marquette, the discoverer of the Mis- sissippi. ' - The fort was built by the British in 1780, and, at the close of the Revolutionary War, was ceded to the United States. At the opening of the war of 1812, the fort was garrisoned by a lieutenant and fifty-seven men. Captain Roberts, of the British Army, landed on the island with a force of 300 regulars, 700 In- dians and two cannon. They surrounded the fort, built Fort Holmes, and planted a gun there which commanded the weak- est part of Fort Mackinac. The fort then surrendered. The Americans determined to make an effort to win it back. After Pearyis victory a portion of his fleet, with 750 men on board, set out for the island. They landed at the same spot where the British had landed before. Trying to storm the fort, they were defeated. In their return to the ships they were surprised and fired upon by a masked battery and a large force hid in a woods. This was the battle of Early's Farm. The Americans arrived at their ships with a loss of seventy-five men in killed and wounded. It being found impracticable to take the fort it was determined to reduce it by starvation. For this purpose the Tigress and Scorpion were left behind. They found the schooner Nancy, laiden with six months' supplies for the garrison, opened fire and blew her up, cargo and all. With starvation staring them in the face the garrison, under com- mand of Lieutenant Woolsey, set out in open boats, and in the dead of night boarded and captured the Tigress, where she was lying at anchor at Detour. Two days later they captured the Scorpion, by sailing close up to her in the guise of friend- liness and then opening tire. The Mackinac blockade was now

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I0 The Spectator I pregnable cliffs. The highest point on the island is 318 feet above the water. The island now called Mackinac fpronounced Mackinawj was formerly caller Milimackinac. Milimackinac in the Indian language means Great Turtle. This name came from an old Indian Legend. The inhabitants of the shore were standing where St. Ignace now stands, when an island suddenly rose up before their astonished gaze. From St. Ignace the island look- ed like a turtle, so they called it Great Turtle? The climate of Mackinac is cool. It is described by Mar- quette as nine months of winter and three months of coolness. In winter the snow sometimes drifts fifty feet high. The island is essentially a summer resort. It is covered with souvenir stores, hotels, and summer cottages. The build- ings are all of the temporary wooden kind. The population in winter is about six hundred and in summer, during the height of the season, twenty-five thousand. It is not a commercial port, although an immense amount of commerce passes it through the Straits. The principal historical points of interest on the island are Early's Farm, Astor House, Fort Holmes, and Fort Mackinac. There are many natural beauties on the island, the finest being Sugar Loaf, a solid column of stone, ninety feet high, Arch Rocks, through which a beautiful view of the Straits can be ob- tained, and Skulls' Cave. During our visit there we did not visit Early's Farm. Astor House is a spacious white, frame building, built in the Colonial style. Here the foundation of the Astor millions, made in fur trading, was laid. Fort Holmes is a circle of earthworks, built by the British in 1812 to command Fort Mackinac. There for- merly was a large wooden observation tower, 150 feet high, in the fort. There was a large number of steps about a foot wide leading to the top. A woman ascending these one day fell down and was killed. The tower was lately torn down, on ac- count of its shakiness. f Fort Mackinac towers 130 feet above the harbor, which is on the southeast side of the island. The fort is solidly con- structed of stones, quarried on the island, and cedar logs, which were brought from the mainland. The walls have lately

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I2 -The Spectator . raised. This was the last historical event in these waters, until by the treaty of peace the island was given back to the Ameri- cans. For eighty years it was a government military post, un- til it was abandoned in 1895. 1 At the time of our visit last summer we were impressed by the abundance of lilacsg the island is covered with them. The lilacs grow not on bushes, but on trees. These trees grow as large as, and often larger, than our apple trees. The trunks are sometimes two feet in diameter. Mackinac Island is peculiarly suited for busy people seek- ing rest and repose, as nowhere can be found more perfect quietude. P Nina's Escapade By Margaret Ambrose '13 N a room cosily furnished and adorned with Christy pic- tures and colored pennants, stood a tall, graceful girl. Her dark brown hair fell in wavy masses around her high fore- head. VVith her hands behind her, she stood looking out the window, over a well-kept lawn, which terminated in a grove in the distance. The young thing smiled in anticipation of the good time she would soon have. Nina King was always anticipating fun and pleasure. Among all the girls of the Freshman class, she was the leader of the merry-making. For tonight the Freshman girls had planned a feast. Every nrember of the class was more than enthusiastic for its success. Almost at the last hour, however, Nina had told some of the girls that she could not be present. She was very sorry, she said, but she had such a dreadful headachef, and so would stay in her room all evening. VVho, to see her now, would believe the dreadful headache possible? She had turned suddenly away from the window with a little giggle, and half running across the room, threw herself upon the couch among a lot of college cushions, to com- plete the plan she had been forming. For several minutes she