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It was once a military fort where soldiers were stationed to protect the tip of the Keweenaw from the threat of retaliation from the natives, and served as a lodging facility for Union soldiers during the Civil War. Over the years, time has taken its toll on some of those buildings, and a restoration group will be making the journey to give them a fresh coat of paint.
Park Manager Wayne Burnett explains said, “They’re out of Grand Valley State University but they’re statewide and there’s a group of 100 people coming up on September 17th. They’re going to leave from Detroit and Grand Rapids and drive up here on September 6th.”
The group is called “Michigan Cares for Tourism and their mission is to help restore some of the state’s premier attractions.
Burnett said, “They’re going to be brushing along Fanny Hooe creek where the range keeper’s dwellings are and along the fort along Fanny Hooe Lake and out at the light house. They’re also going to be painting some of the structures in the park, some of the officer’s quarters.”
Made up entirely of volunteers, the organization will donate their time to the park. Paint and materials will be provided by the park through a $5,000 restoration budget.
Burnett said, “The volunteers will be up here. They’re traveling one day and they’re going to spend the entire day working up here. A lot of them are going to stay at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and they’re going back the next day, so it’s a long traveling on the route. It’s a twelve hour drive from Detroit.”
Each year the group focuses on one destination and park managers are grateful for their upcoming efforts.
Burnett said, “This is the first time this effort’s being done up here and they only go to each park just once. They try to go to a different place each year.”
Local volunteers are welcome to participate as well and can sign up at www.gvsu.edu/michigancaresfortourism.
