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Fort St. Joseph Archaeology Project


URL: http://www.wmich.edu/fortstjoseph/
Organization: Fort St. Joseph Archaeology Project
Region: united states
Comments: Fort St. Joseph was established as a French Jesuit mission in the 1680s. In the first half of the eighteenth century the fort also began to take on roles as a garrison and trading post. Its strategic location along the St. Joseph river near Lake Michigan made it an excellent location for trade between the French and Native Americans, specifically the Potowatomi and Miami. The fort came under British control in 1761, during the French and Indian War. This occupation was short-lived as the British were forced out of the area during Pontiac's Rebellion in 1763. The fort was only briefly re-occupied by the British in 1779, though French traders remained in the area until approximately 1780. In 1781 a small group of French and Native Americans supported by the Spanish governor of St. Louis raided the fort and claimed it for Spain, but the group only remained at the site for a day. After this incident the fort was largely abandoned. Today the Fort St. Joseph Project is a joint initiative of the City of Niles, MI, and Western Michigan University with goals to excavate, interpret, and preserve the materials remains of the fort. The project is dedicated to archaeological research, education, community service learning, and intensive public outreach. The principal investigator of the site is Dr. Michael Nassaney.

Culture(s):
   European
   European American
   Native American
   

 Topic(s):
   Commerce
   Domestic
   Religious
   

 Era(s):
   17th Century
   18th Century