What is Fort de Buade?

It was a French wooden palisaded fort located at St. Ignace, Michigan.

It was built in 1683 and named after Louis de Baude de Frontenac.

It was said to have a garrison of around 200 soldiers at one time.

It was the first of three forts built at in the Straits of Mackinac Area. (then called Michilimackinac)

and the first French fort to be built in Michigan.

It was built to protect the Fur trade, as Mackinac was the center of the trade at that time.

The Jesuit Mission and the Huron Village were located next to it. A French village was located on the South side of the fort and an Ottawa village was north of the Huron. The Huron and Ottawa put a palisaded wall between their two villlages.

All of this was on the Bay at St. Ignace, now called "East Moran Bay" where all the docks and ferries to Mackinac Island are located.

The Ojibwe Museum, a sister museum to Fort de Buade Museum, is located at the Jesuit Mission and Huron Village Historic Landmark, the oldest Landmark in Michigan.

Where is it now?

That is a good question for all

We know where it was located according to the old French Maps.

If they are correct, then our City Hall and various buildings, including the railroad tracks,

the Fort de Buade Museum, and the Arnold line docks, all were built over it.

 A 1717 map depicts that the fort was located  on the shore of East Moran Bay, next to the Jesuit Mission.

A marker was put up at City Hall by the Michilimackinac Historical Society which states that Fort de Buade was located in the vicinity of City Hall on North State Street.

See modern St. Ignace in comparison to the 1717 map (click on the link above, "Fort de Buade Museum Location"

Many of the elder St. Ignace residents say that  part of the palisade of the fort was found on a hill on what was called "Fort Street".  Many viewed it. There was also a field there they called the "fort field" and many old residents claim they found many artifacts.

This hill is a distance from the shore of St. Ignace so the location on the hill is controversial.

When Cadillac came to St. Ignace to be the commandant of Fort de Buade, he soon came up

with a plan to move the fur trade post to Detroit.

Thus, in 1701 he moved out of this fort to build up the Detroit Area.

The soldiers and many of the Indians went with him.

But they drifted back and by 1715, had built a fort at Mackinac City.

The Fort in St. Ignace was believed to be still standing in 1717.

This is portrayed in the 1717 map, you can see the emblems of both forts , one on the St. Ignace side and the other at Mackinac City.

Later, after the British took over the fort at Mackinac City,  "Fort Michilimackinac"

They again decided to move the fort, this time to Mackinac Island.

After the Americans won the war , they took over Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island.

THE MACKINAC TRIANGLE OF HISTORY:

There were three forts in this area, all fortified to protect the fur trade.

And they went through a procession of French, British, and American Cultures.

1- Fort de Buade at St. Ignace in Mackinac County

2-Fort Michilimackinac at Mackinaw City

3- Fort Mackinac at Mackinac Island

This is what we in the U.P. call the MACKINAC TRIANGLE.

The forts formed a triangle of history , moving around the Straits Area  and encompassing the

military operations of three super powers at work.