Mackinaw City (platted in 1857) is located at the tip of Michigan's lower peninsula, where the waters of Lakes Michigan and Huron meet. It was first settled by Chippewa and Ottawa Indians. The French built Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City in 1715. The fort flourished in its fur trade with the Indians, with beaver and raccoon skins being exported to France. The British, who won the French Indian War, conquered Canada, and drove the French out of Fort Michilimackinac in 1761. The British abandoned the fort in 1781 and moved to Mackinac Island, where they established Fort Mackinac.
The Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse operated from 1890 to 1957, when the Mackinac Bridge was completed. Four generations of lighthouse keepers lived with their families at this lighthouse. The lighthouse guided ships as they sailed through Mackinac Straits. In 1913, the lens lamp was converted from kerosene to Incandescent Oil Vapor, which is what is used in today's Coleman lamps. The lamp was replaced by an electric version in 1923. The red beacon emitted by this lighthouse was characteristic and could be easily identified by sailors who plied the Geat Lakes during those times.
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