St. Ignace

Even before it was named in 1671, St. Ignace was a key part of Michigan history. Before Fr. Jacques Marquette and the Jesuits arrived in the Straits of Mackinac, St. Ignace had a large Native American settlement. With the arrival of the French, fur trading became an important industry. St. Ignace became the county seat in 1882. By the mid-1800s, fishing, shipping, manufacturing, and lumbering were a crucial part of St. Ignace activity. As these industries died down, tourism increased. The a...