Fayette Historic State Park

Park in Michigan, USA

Fayette Historic State Park

IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)[1]

The historic townsite seen from above Snail Shell Harbor

Location in Michigan

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Fayette Historic State Park (the United States)

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Location| Fairbanks Township, Delta County, Michigan, United States
Coordinates| 45°43′00″N 86°39′40″W﻿ / ﻿45.71667°N 86.66111°W﻿ / 45.71667; -86.66111Coordinates: 45°43′00″N 86°39′40″W﻿ / ﻿45.71667°N 86.66111°W﻿ / 45.71667; -86.66111[2]
Area| 711 acres (288 ha)
Elevation| 673 feet (205 m) [2]
Designation| Michigan state park
Established| 1959[3]
Administrator| Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Website| Fayette Historic State Park

Fayette Historic State Park

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Michigan State Historic Site

The blast furnace complex

Built| 1867
NRHP reference No.| 70000269
Significant dates
Added to NRHP| February 16, 1970
Designated MSHS| August 23, 1956

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Fayette Historic State Park is the state park of the historic town of Fayette in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located on the Big Bay de Noc of Lake Michigan, between Snail Shell Harbor and Sand Bay, on the southern side of the Upper Peninsula, about 17 miles south of US 2. Fayette was the site of an industrial community that manufactured charcoal pig iron between 1867 and 1891. The town has been reconstructed into a living museum, showing what life was like in this town in the late 19th century.[4] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.[5]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Fayette Historic Townsite
* 3 Camping
* 4 Hiking
* 5 Climate
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links

## History

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Fayette was once one of the Upper Peninsula's most productive iron-smelting operations. Fayette grew up around two blast furnaces, a large dock, and several charcoal kilns, following the post-Civil War need for iron. Nearly 500 residents—many immigrating from Canada, the British Isles, and northern Europe—lived in and near the town that existed to make pig iron. During 24 years of operation Fayette's blast furnaces produced a total of 229,288 tons of iron, using local hardwood forests for fuel and quarrying limestone from the bluffs to purify the iron ore. When the charcoal iron market began to decline, the Jackson Iron Company closed its Fayette smelting operations in 1891. Another event leading to the demise of the Jackson Iron Company was the use of the hardwoods and limestone to purify the iron, leading to the exhaustion of hardwoods in the area. This was the main source for purifying the iron and therefore led to the decline of the Jackson Iron Company. After shutting down operations, many residents left Fayette in search of employment elsewhere, though some chose to stay nearby and used the land for farming.

Because of the closing of smelting operations, the town became a resort and fishing village. In 1916 it was purchased by a wealthy individual and turned into a summer resort. It continued in that capacity until 1946 when another individual purchased it, who eventually fell behind on taxes. Lastly, it was purchased by the Escanaba Paper Company, and was swapped to the Michigan government for timberland. As a result, Fayette became a state park in 1959.[6]

## Fayette Historic Townsite

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Today, Fayette Historic Townsite is a living museum with many restored buildings. Visitors may walk through the buildings to learn about life in Fayette during the late 19th century. Over 20 buildings are open, with restoration continuing on other parts of the town.[7]

The townsite is open daily for visitors from approx. May through October. A visitors center and museum store are also located at the park. There is no admission charge; however, a Michigan State Park permit is required.

## Camping

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There are 61 semi-modern campsites as of 2006[update]. Facilities include electrical service to all campsites and access to vault toilets and water. Most campsites are well shaded. Boat camping is allowed in Snail Shell Harbor, and space is on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a beach on Sand Bay (Lake Michigan) just a short distance from the campground. The picnic area is adjacent to the beach and offers a picnic shelter, grills and vault toilets. Playground equipment and horseshoe courts are available.

## Hiking

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The park offers about 5 miles (8.0 km) of hiking trails. The trails are groomed in the winter for cross-country skiing. Trails wind through a hardwood forest, up beside dolomite cliffs (which are part of the Niagara Escarpment) and throughout the historic townsite.[4]

## Climate

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|  Snail Shell Harbor

Climate chart (explanation)

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−12

−11

−14

113

118

118

104

Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [8]
| Imperial conversion

J| F| M| A| M| J| J| A| S| O| N| D

2.5

2.2

3.1

2.5

3.6

4.4

2.9

4.6

4.6

4.1

2.5

Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches

## See also

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* Spider Cave: an archaeological site within the park.

## References

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1. ^ "Fayette Historic State Park". IUCN. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
2. ^ a b "Fayette Historic State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
3. ^ "When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established?" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
4. ^ a b "Fayette Historic State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
5. ^ "Fayette". NPGallery. National Park Service. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
6. ^ "General Management Plan: Fayette Historic State Park" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. September 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
7. ^ "Fayette Historic Townsite". Michigan History Center. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
8. ^ "NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index". NASA. Retrieved 30 January 2016.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fayette Historic State Park.

* Fayette Historic State Park Michigan Department of Natural Resources
* Fayette Historic State Park Map Michigan Department of Natural Resources
* Fayette Historic Townsite Map Michigan History Center

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Protected areas of Michigan

See also: Important Bird Areas and State game and wildlife areas

National|

| Parks|

* Isle Royale
* Keweenaw (Historical)
* River Raisin (Battlefield)

|

Lakeshores|

* Pictured Rocks
* Sleeping Bear Dunes

Landmarks|

* Au Sable State Forest
* Dukes Research Natural Area
* Grand Mere State Park
* Haven Hill State Natural Area
* Newton Woods
* Porcupine Mountains
* Roscommon Virgin Pine Stand
* Strangmoor Bog
* Tobico Marsh
* Toumey Woods
* Warren Woods State Park
* Waterloo State Recreation Area

Forests|

* Hiawatha
* Huron-Manistee
* Ottawa

Wildlife Refuges|

* Detroit River
* Harbor Island
* Huron
* Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area
* Michigan Islands
* Michigan Wetland Management District
* Seney
* Shiawassee

Wild and Scenic Rivers|

* Au Sable
* Bear Creek
* Black
* Carp
* Indian
* Manistee
* Ontonagon
* Paint
* Pere Marquette
* Pine
* Presque Isle
* Sturgeon (Delta County)
* Sturgeon (Houghton County)
* Tahquamenon
* Whitefish
* Yellow Dog

Other Protected Areas|

* Father Marquette National Memorial
* Grand Island National Recreation Area
* Saint Helena Island National Scenic Area
* Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

State|

| Parks|

* Algonac
* Aloha
* Baraga
* Bay City
* Belle Isle
* Bewabic
* Brimley
* Burt Lake
* Cambridge Junction
* Cheboygan
* Clear Lake
* Coldwater Lake
* Craig Lake
* Dodge No.4
* Duck Lake
* Fayette
* Fisherman's Island
* Fort Michilimackinac
* Fort Wilkins
* Grand Haven
* Grand Mere
* Harrisville
* Hart-Montague Trail
* Hartwick Pines
* W.J. Hayes
* P.H. Hoeft
* P.J. Hoffmaster
* Holland
* Indian Lake
* Interlochen
* Kal-Haven Trail
* Lake Gogebic
* Lakelands Trail
* Lakeport
* Laughing Whitefish Falls
* Leelanau
* Ludington
* Mackinac Island
* Maybury
* F.J. McLain
* Charles Mears
* Meridian-Baseline
* Mill Creek
* Wm. Mitchell
* Muskallonge Lake
* Muskegon
* Negwegon
* Newaygo
* North Higgins Lake
* Onaway
* Orchard Beach
* Old Mission
* Otsego Lake
* Palms Book
* Petoskey
* Porcupine Mountains
* Port Crescent
* Sanilac Petroglyphs
* Saugatuck Dunes
* Seven Lakes
* Silver Lake
* Albert E. Sleeper
* Sleepy Hollow
* South Higgins Lake
* Wm. C. Sterling
* Straits
* Sturgeon Point
* Tahquamenon Falls
* Tawas Point
* Thompson's Harbor
* Traverse City
* Twin Lakes
* Van Buren
* Van Buren Trail
* Van Riper
* Warren Dunes
* Warren Woods
* Watkins Lake and County Preserve
* J.W. Wells
* White Pine Trail
* Wilderness
* William G. Milliken
* Wilson
* Young

|

Recreation Areas|

* Bald Mountain
* Bass River
* Brighton
* Fort Custer
* Highland
* Holly
* Ionia
* Island Lake
* Lake Hudson
* Lime Island
* Menominee River
* Metamora-Hadley
* Ortonville
* Pinckney
* Pontiac Lake
* Proud Lake
* Rifle River
* Rockport
* Tippy Dam
* Waterloo
* W.C. Wetzel
* Yankee Springs

Forests|

* Au Sable
* Copper Country
* Escanaba River
* Lake Superior
* Mackinaw
* Pere Marquette

Underwater Preserves|

* Alger
* De Tour Passage
* Grand Traverse Bay
* Keweenaw
* Manitou Passage
* Marquette
* Sanilac Shores
* Southwest Michigan
* Straits of Mackinac
* Thumb Area
* Whitefish Point

Other|

* Agate Falls Scenic Site
* Bond Falls Scenic Site
* Michigan Islands Wilderness Area
* Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center
* Wagner Falls Scenic Site

* Category
* Commons
* Detroit
* Grand Rapids
* Michigan Department of Natural Resources

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