Old Mill Creek

In 1780 the British garrison at Fort Michilimackinac moved to Mackinac Island as a safer location during the American Revolution. Robert Campbell built a sawmill on this site to furnish lumber for the new fort and settlement. His sawmill and dam were one of the earliest industrial enterprises in northern Michigan. The complex later included a gristmill, an orchard, a blacksmith shop, a warehouse and several homes. Michael Dousman purchased the site in 1819 and continued to operate the mill until 1839. By 1867 the buildings were gone and the site had fallen into disrepair. In 1975 the Mackinac Island State Park Commission acquired the site. It opened its recreated working sawmill to the public in 1984.