is a
State Park , nature preserve, and historic site in the U.S. state of
Michigan . It is run by Mackinac State Historic Parks, the operating arm of the
Mackinac Island State Park . 625 acres (2.5 km&
2) in size, the park is located 5 miles (8 km) southeast of
Mackinaw City, Michigan on
U.S. Highway 23 .
The original
Sawmill at Mill Creek operated from about 1790 until 1839. It was originally built to supply lumber to the
Straits Of Mackinac , especially the frontier settlement of
Mackinac Island . In 1793 it contracted with Fort Mackinac to make repairs on the soliders' barracks. The Mill Creek sawmill enjoyed a dominant market share of the supply of cut timbers in the Straits of Mackinac during the
Fur Trade era, and a Millwright's House was built about 1820 near the sawmill to provide a place for the mill operator to live. As global demand for
Beaver fur declined in the 1830s, the sawmill and Millwright's House were abandoned, following the death of mill owner Michael Dousman.
After the sawmill's abandonment in 1839, the original buildings rotted and disappeared. However, timbers cut by the original mill survived in buildings on Mackinac Island (Mission House and Mission Church built in the 1830's and still there today). Saw marks on these timbers could be used to reconstruct the mill machinery so as to closely resemble the original. The marks gave restoration experts information on the rake of the saw's teeth and the saw's operating speed. The saw's blade was fed in at about 1/2 of an inch per stroke.
Mackinac State Historic Parks has built the following resources and amenities at ''Historic Mill Creek'':
- The British Workshop (c. 1820) was rebuilt on the site of the original. It was completed around 1994. Inside are antique wood-working tools. In the summer you can see costumed interpreters using the tools to make shingles, and a variety of other tasks common to the 1820's.
- The creek Dam and Sawmill (c. 1790) were rebuilt in 1984; the sawmill was restored in part for the 2007 season.
- The Millwright's House (c. 1820) was rebuilt in 2005.
- As of 2006 there were 3.5 miles of nature trails.
An admission fee is charged for the park. A "Triple Choice" which will let you into Mill Creek and two other of the parks in the Mackinac State Historic Park system is $22.50 for an adult, or $13.50 for a child for the 2007 season.
