It was not until a band of Chippewa Indians refused to surrender their holdings on Isle Royale that a public request was made for military support in the Keweenaw Peninsula.

In 1844 Companies A & B, 5th Infantry, numbering about 100 men, were dispatched from Detroit to construct and garrison a fort at Copper Harbor. This site was selected for its proximity to the copper mines and for its deep-water harbor which could shelter supply vessels. The post was named Fort Wilkins, honoring then Secretary of War William Wilkins.

There is little evidence to suggest an active military presence in the Keweenaw. The Indian “threat” had never materialized; black flies, harsh winters, and bad luck had reversed the initial “copper rush.” One observer remarked: “The natural obstacles and the hardships to be endured are such as to discourage all but the most hardy and enterprising.”

When Fort Wilkins was abandoned in 1846, Ordnance Sergeant William B Wright was placed in charge. Under his supervision fort buildings were used by government survey parties, as private residences, and as storage facilities. When Sgt. Wright resigned from the service in 1855, Fort Wilkins was leased from the War Department by Dr. John S. Livermore, who refurbished the buildings and grounds and operated a public resort and health spa. Livermore’s resort collapsed with his death in 1861.

Fort Wilkins remained abandoned until after the Civil War, when a surplus of federal troops and a deficiency of adequate quarters at other posts dictated that the fort be reoccupied. In September 1867, Company E, 43rd Infantry, numbering approximately 66 men, regarrisoned Fort Wilkins. The physical remoteness of the post contributed to problems of morale, and desertion rates were particularly high during this occupation.

In May 1869, the garrison was relieved by 57 enlisted men of Company K, 1st Infantry, under the command of Captain Fergus Walker. On August 30, 1870, Company K was transferred to Fort Wayne at Detroit, and Fort Wilkins was officially discontinued as a military post.

Soon after the departure of the troops, Fort Wilkins Reserve became a popular resort for local summer outings. Parties of pleasure seekers journeyed from Delaware, Central and Calumet by buggy, steamboat, or bicycle, to camp or picnic on the fort grounds. Fourth of July celebrations were held here annually, and included band music, dancing and turkey shoots.

The fort was a popular destination for the Lake Superior Bicycle Club during the 1880’s and 1890’s, and after the turn of the century, automobile excursions to Fort Wilkins steadily increased. In 1922, the forerunner of the modern camper-trailer delighted one local resident who observed: “A touring party with a regular house on a white auto truck reached here this evening. They are from southern Illinois, and have all conveniences including a radio ... They are camping on the old fort grounds.”

Between 1870 and 1921, while Fort Wilkins was still officially owned by the federal government, it fell into extreme disrepair and decay. Although the Copper Harbor Lightkeeper and later Range Lightkeeper were assigned as caretaker, no formal maintenance program was undertaken. By the mid-1910’s, the decay and destruction of fort buildings was so extensive that concerned civic groups from Houghton and Keweenaw counties initiated buying the fort from the federal government for preservation as a public park. In 1921, the site was sold to Houghton and Keweenaw counties for $2,000. After deeding the park to the State of Michigan, Fort Wilkins was opened as a state park in 1923.

Today, Fort Wilkins is substantially restored. Of the 21 original buildings, 16 are presently standing including the barracks, officers’ quarters, kitchens, mess halls, hospital, and powder magazine. The first married enlisted men’s cabin and bakery were fully reconstructed using original materials and methods and well- documented original building plans. The post cemetery and the site of the married enlisted men’s quarters are located outside the stockade wall.

The primary significance of Fort Wilkins rests in the role it played in the origins of the Michigan copper industry. It contributes to a fuller understanding of the early copper rush. The site also represents two distinct areas of military history - the frontier army of 1844 and the modernized, post Civil War army of the 1860’s - and helps to illustrate military advances between 1840 and 1870.

The exhibits in the various buildings are based upon extensive historical research and documentation. They reflect the furnishing styles, living accessories, and environment of frontier garrison life circa 1840 to 1870.

We offer many useful self-guided tour aids. The orientation cabin contains an eight-minute slide presentation about the fort’s history. Also, a unique educational method employed at Fort Wilkins is the use of costumed, first person interpreters, who perform from the end of June to the end of August. They offer a view of the actual daily working of Fort Wilkins, as it existed in 1870. The information they present is well documented and pertains to the military and civilian environment of Fort Wilkins and Copper Harbor immediately before the site was abandoned. Visitors to Fort Wilkins will come away with a better understanding of the historic site and an appreciation of the lives and lifestyles of a frontier military/ mining community. Exhibit buildings are open daily from May through October.