Ancient Stone Circles
Station without Keeper’s Quarters, U.S. Coast Guard Archive Photo
Beaver Island, known as “amikwag-endaad” by the Ojibwe, meaning “where the beavers live,” holds a deep connection to its ancient past. On this island, there are at least two significant stone circle sites. The most prominent being the Beaver Island Sun Circle (site no: 20CX65), also referred to as the Beaver Island Stone Circle or Beaver Island Stonehenge. This site features an unusually symmetrical stone circle with a diameter of 397 feet. It consists of approximately 39 to 150 stones and boulders of various sizes, some as large as 10 feet. These stones, some appearing to have hand-carved symbols, showcase geometric shapes, Algonquian thunderbirds, bulls, feathers, human faces, figures, and even early Celtic writing. One notable artifact, the Carved Face Rock, is on display at the Mormon Print Shop Museum.
The Beaver Island Sun Circle
The Beaver Island Sun Circle is located on the island’s northwestern side. It is bisected by Mrs. Reddings Trail, and near Angeline’s Bluff Lookout and Peshawbestown, a historic Native American village. This sacred site holds significant cultural value for the Anishinaabe people. Discovered in 1985 by Dr. Terri Bussey of the Grand Rapids Inter-Tribal Council, the site has been the subject of extensive research. There are estimates suggesting it was constructed around 1,000 years ago. The site’s astronomical alignments suggest it may have been used by the Odawa as a solar and lunar calendar or even for navigation.
However, the authenticity of the site has been a subject of debate among archaeologists. There are some suggesting it may be a natural geological formation. Despite this, the site has been protected since 1988 by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBBOI). It was interpreted by the Amik Circle Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving these ancient sites.
A second site, the Fairy Stone Circle, was discovered in 2014 by M. T. Bussey on the northeastern side of the island. This site shares similar astronomical alignments with the Beaver Island Sun Circle.
Pre-Colonial History
Before European settlers arrived, Beaver Island was home to the Odawa people, who lived there for at least 300 years. The surrounding waters of Lake Michigan are notorious for shipwrecks. One such wreck, possibly the famed La Salle’s missing flagship Le Griffon from 1679, is believed to rest near the island.
The Odawa population on the island was substantial enough to support a fur trading post established in the late 1830s. Despite laws against selling alcohol to Native Americans, the trading post’s location is still known as “Whiskey Point,” reflecting its history.
The Mormon Kingdom
1856 daguerreotype of James Strang, taken on Beaver Island the year of his death by J. Atkyn, itinerant photographer who later became one of Strang’s assassins
In the mid-19th century, Beaver Island became the site of a unique Latter-Day Saint kingdom. Following the death of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, a faction led by James J. Strang settled on the island in 1848. Strang proclaimed himself the rightful successor to Smith and established a thriving community. The Strangites, as his followers were known, became a powerful force in the region. They found the town of St. James and constructing infrastructure that remains to this day.
Strang’s rule was marked by controversy, including allegations of forcing non-Mormons, referred to as “Gentiles,” to pay tithes. He asserted his authority over the island’s inhabitants. His declared of himself as “King of Heaven and Earth”. Plus, his practice of polygamy fueled tensions with the island’s Irish Catholic population.
Strang’s reign ended violently in 1856 when he was assassinated by two disgruntled followers. Following his death, Irish fishermen from nearby islands expelled the Strangites. The island’s Mormon era came to an end. Today, the only remaining building from that time is the Mormon Print Shop. It houses a museum dedicated to local history and was declared a Michigan Historical site in 1958.
America’s Emerald Isle
Feodar Protar Cabin, SW of St. James, on Beaver Island St. James
After the expulsion of the Strangites, Irish Catholic fishermen from Gull Island, Mackinac Island, and various Michigan port cities, along with immigrants from County Donegal, Ireland, settled on Beaver Island. The community, isolated from the mainland, developed a unique identity, with Irish being spoken in daily life and Catholic sermons.
Beaver Island became the largest supplier of freshwater fish in the U.S. by the mid-1880s, but overfishing and technological changes led to a decline in this industry by 1893. Local government in Manitou County, which included Beaver Island, was ineffective, leading to the abolition of the county in 1895 and its incorporation into Charlevoix and Leelanau counties.
In 1901, the 24-room King Strang Hotel was built, later renamed in honor of James Strang. The hotel became a refuge for locals seeking to escape the influx of summer visitors from Detroit.
Two other notable figures from Beaver Island’s history include Father Peter Gallagher, a charismatic priest who served from 1865 to 1898, and Feodor Protar, a member of a religious movement founded by Leo Tolstoy who served as a local doctor and friend to all.
Logging played a significant role in the island’s economy, with the formation of the Beaver Island Logging Company in 1901. However, the collapse of the Great Lakes fish population in the mid-20th century led to an exodus of residents until tourism revitalized the island in the 1970s.
Mormon Print Shop
Statehood Era (1815-1860) – Registered in 1958 and erected in 1977 – ID #HB32
Located at NW corner of Forrest and Main Streets – Lat: 45.74615400 / Long: -85.52074000
This building was erected in 1850, by James Strang and his followers. Here, during the 1850s, these Mormon dissenters published religious works and two newspapers, the Northern Islander and the Daily Northern Islander. Strang’s group had settled on Beaver Island in 1846 after breaking away from the Mormons led by Brigham Young. In 1850 Strang was declared “king” of his community, which made up the majority of the population on the island. In 1856 Strang was fatally shot by two disenchanted followers. An angry mob from the mainland stormed Beaver Island destroying buildings and forcing the Mormons to flee. At that time, this print shop was ransacked. It later became a boardinghouse. Today it serves as the headquarters for the Beaver Island Historical Society.
Mormon Kingdom
Statehood Era (1815-1860) – Registered in 1957 and erected in 1957 – ID #S136
Located at the City Dock Park, Charlevoix – Lat: 45.31805500 / Long: -85.25833200
About twenty miles northwest of here is Beaver Island. In 1847 James Strang set up a colony for his followers, dissenters from the main body of Mormonism. Strang crowned himself “King James” in 1850. Hatred of the sect by non-Mormons led to the Battle of Pine River in 1853 at present-day Charlevoix. On June 16, 1856, because they hated his authoritarian rule, some of Strang’s subjects mortally wounded him. Later in the summer, mainlanders drove the Mormons from Beaver Island.
Holy Cross Catholic Church
Statehood Era (1815-1860) – Registered in 2013 and erected in 2014 – ID #L2251
Located at 37860 Kings Highway, St. James, Beaver Island – Lat: 45.74514000 / Long: -85.52224900
Father Frederic Baraga (1797-1868) first landed on Beaver Island as a missionary in 1832. This church was built in 1860 and consecrated by Baraga, then Bishop of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. This church originally stood inland alongside the parish cemetery one mile to the south. To better serve the island’s population center on Paradise Bay, Holy Cross Church was cut in half, moved and reassembled at this location in 1957.
After the expulsion of the Mormons in 1856, many Irish families settled on the island. To serve this community, liturgies were given in the Gaelic language until the 1890s. The inability to attract teachers to the isolated Island’s public schools led the parish to invite Dominican Sisters based in Grand Rapids to help educate children on the Island in 1899. The last Dominican Sister to teach on the Island left in 1991.
Learn more about the rich history of the Northwest Lower Peninsula.
