Dec. 11, 2007

Michigan's State Historic Preservation Office today announced that the Michigan Historical Commission has approved the placement of a Michigan Historical Marker for the Icebreaker MACKINAW and the Mackinaw City Railroad Dock. The USCG Cutter MACKINAW was decommissioned in 2006.

"The 290-foot-long vessel was built during World War II in order to enable freighters to carry raw materials on the lakes year-round. Iron ore and other products needed by factories producing weapons for the war were transported when the lakes were frozen with the help of the MACKINAW," said Department of History Arts and Libraries Director William Anderson. "After the war the MACKINAW continued to play a vital role in Great Lakes commerce."

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter MACKINAW, one of the Great Lakes' most recognizable vessels, because of its "half-football" shape, called Cheboygan home for 62 years. When the Coast Guard decommissioned it in 2006, the vessel was moved to Mackinaw City for use as a museum ship. The MACKINAW's new home, the former railroad car ferry dock at Mackinaw City, has also been designated as historic and will share the marker with the icebreaker.

The Michigan Historical Commission also approved markers for the following sites:

The Tuttle House was home to Lapeer lumberman Columbus Tuttle and his wife, Linda. Tuttle's wood products were used to build many of Lapeer County's earliest homes and businesses. Since 1948 the house has served as a doctor's office. (610 N. Main St., Lapeer)

David Lester owned a shipbuilding yard in Marine City beginning in the 1850s. David and his brother Philander built 62 ships at their Marine City yards. The David and Laura Lester House is one of the city's most stately homes. (406 S. Main St., Marine City)

The Ford Lamp Factory Complex initially comprised a factory, a dam and a water filtration plant. The filtration plant supplied water to the village of Flat Rock, which boomed as a result of the factory's construction during the early 1920s. (26601 W. Huron River Drive, Flat Rock)

The Fractional District No. 9 School in Grosse Pointe Woods was listed in the State Register of Historic Sites in 1983.  Although relocated to a new site in 2006, the building's Stick Style detailing allowed it to remain in the register and qualify for a historical marker. (20025 Mack Plaza, Grosse Pointe Woods)

Since the Michigan Historical Marker Program began in 1955, the Michigan Historical Commission has placed over 1,500 markers throughout the state.  The markers are paid for with donations from sponsors who submit application packages to the State Historic Preservation Office. The Michigan Historical Commission determines the placement and wording of official state markers, which are the property of the state of Michigan.

The illustrated Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers contains the texts and locations of official state historical markers. It is available through a variety of booksellers.

The State Historic Preservation Office (www.michigan.gov/shpo) is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries.  Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Library of Michigan, Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Michigan Film Office.  Learn more at www.michigan.gov/hal.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL) .