By Steve Galea Redcoats, wild-eyed fur traders, barges, natives coming to and fro in big birch bark canoes...these are the sights that would have greeted a visitor to Drummond Island not so long ago.  This wild and rugged island, with its natural, protective isolation--yet close proximity to the mainland--was chosen by the British military as an outpost after the treaty of Ghent settled the War of 1812. It was chosen because the immediate area had everything that a good fort required: a ready supply of fish, game, and water, good location, excellent quarry stones, and an almost inexhaustible supply of timber.  The location on the water also provided a mobility and influence not easily matched by inland posts. And, bases like these were integral in controlling and facilitating Great Lakes shipping. The British garrison built Fort Drummond shortly thereafter under Col. Robert McDonnall.  Both sides of that unfortunate conflict needed a presence in this area of the frontier; strategically, control and influence of the native populations drove this need. More immediate was that need for control of the lucrative fur trade and Great Lakes shipping. The redcoats and the Americans understood that this control was essential in developing the region.  Although the British held tight for another decade or so, Drummond Island was ruled an American territory in 1822. Reluctantly, the British abandoned the island in 1828. Since then, the island's history has been less dramatic and warlike, but certainly no less interesting.  Once the business of peace was at hand, nation building truly began; naturally, this takes raw material. With its stores of forests, dolomite, sandstone, and fish, the region helped this development.  The first people to settle Drummond and the nearby village of De Tour, founded in 1899, were a hardy, skilled, and independent breed. Clearing land and setting up homesteads, roads, and farms were not for the faint of heart. And back then, "Upper Peninsula" winters were not the easiest to survive.  Like most northern settlements, there was--and still is--a strong attachment to the land. Sustenance and market hunting, trapping, farming, maple syrup production, mining, and fishing were the activities that got people by.  There is also a strong maritime, boat building, and logging history in these parts; they are the heritage activities of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. At the landing at De Tour, the Historical Museum tells the story of a people who lived by the big water as mariners, fishermen, loggers, pilots, lighthouse operators, and the like.  In recognition of the important maritime role the area played, the De Tour Reef Light Preservation Society is now making an effort to maintain a local lighthouse as a historical landmark. This is part of a concerted conservation effort all over Michigan, which, with about 120, has more lighthouses than any other state. On the mainland, Les Cheneaux Historical Museum and Les Cheneaux Historical Maritime Museum in the nearby town of Cedarville shed additional light on the hardship and hard work of these 19th century pioneers.  In modern day, Drummond Island and the surrounding area is known for its rugged beauty and unspoiled wilderness. It is still rather sparsely populated, with more summer and winter visitors than actual residents.  Tourists, who are attracted to the area year-round, represent a huge part of the local economy. Part of this resurgence in tourism has also meant that Drummond Island and its inhabitants have taken stock of the great natural beauty that the area is blessed with.  In the last few decades, the region has made a concerted effort to develop while ensuring that this progress is not at the expense of natural beauty and biodiversity. Residents and tourists alike embrace unique places like the Maxton Plains and Hiawatha National Forest.  While it's easy to see that summer on the island has always been pleasant, a real turnaround has been in the way residents and tourists have embraced winter. Once, winter on the island and nearby mainland was a time for ice fishing, trapping, logging, and hardship; now, it is celebrated with festivals and snowmobile runs and races. The ice bridge from the island to Canada has brought international recognition to Drummond from those who love snowmobiling.  But aside from tourism, the island is also known for its excellent cedar logs, log cabin builders, and dolomite quarry. A large part of the economy depends on the mining and shipping of dolomite. The Drummond Dolomite Inc. quarry can even be seen from the ferry landing. This dolomite is shipped all over the world.  With its colorful past, Drummond Island and the surrounding region is well aware of its roots and where it has been. More importantly, the region seems destined and determined to have an even better future. Which, I suppose, is why tourists go back again and again. No surprise here. In a sense, I guess you could say that history is just repeating itself.  For more information on this and other Jeep Jamborees, please visit http://www.jeepunpaved.com/jamboree/index.html.  Copyright (c) 2000 by Steve Galea. All rights reserved.

All Outdoors® is a registered trademark of All Outdoors, Inc. Copyright © 2000 All Outdoors, Inc.
All rights reserved. Copyright ©1995-2000 DaimlerChrysler Corporation. All rights reserved.
Jeep is a registered trademark of DaimlerChrysler Corporation.
Important information and applicable terms and conditions