50 New Collections Added to State Parks Collections; 1896 Tootle Letters Donated

A 1948 promotional poster from the movie “This Time for Keeps” was one of about 50 items recently acquired by Mackinac State Historic Parks. (Photo courtesy of Mackinac State Historic Parks)

Mackinac State Historic Parks added close to 50 historic items to its collection this fall, including an issue of a 1785 British newspaper and a promotional poster for the 1948 film “This Time for Keeps.”

Park historians are interested in the April 2, 1785 newspaper, The Morning Post and Daily Advertiser , because it mentioned in one column that the western military posts, including Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, in the midwest region had not yet been turned over to the United States.

Several British forts, including Fort Mackinac, became U.S. property following the Revolutionary War, however, the British garrison remained at the fort for another 13 years to protect its fur trade interests. Because the U.S. Army lacked soldiers to man a distant post such as Fort Mackinac, it was unable to force the British out.

Chief Curator of Collections Steve Brisson said the “This Time for Keeps” poster was used for display at theaters.

“It was only a few years ago that we did not have any collections regarding the movie ‘This Time for Keeps.’ Now we have a good collection, including a press book, lobby cards, and full-sized posters,” he told the Mackinac Island State Park Commission at its meeting January 28.

Also new to the collection are personal letters addressed to Milton Tootle that date to 1896. They were donated by Island resident Kitty Hannabass, Mr. Tootle’s granddaughter.

Mr. Tootle, who owned the East Bluff cottage now owned by Mark Timmons, was originally from Missouri, and he and his brother, John, were bankers and businessmen.

The letters include information on construction, maintenance, and other projects at his East Bluff cottage.

Mackinac State Historic Parks collects historic artifacts and items to preserve and interpret the history of the Straits of Mackinac and Upper Great Lakes. The collection includes several thousand items, such as military clothing and weapons, vintage photographs, Victorian furniture, and even historic buildings. Thousands of postcards depict the Mackinac area.

Items from the collection are used for exhibits, either in a formal exhibit or as part of a recreated period setting. The agency’s collection of postcards and other items, like its archaeological artifacts collection, can be viewed by the public by appointment at its Mackinaw City offices, the Peterson Center, on 207 West Sinclair Street.

One of the more precious items in the agency’s collection is a deed to Mackinac Island. An agreement was settled between Great Britain and Ojibway chiefs in 1781, in which the Indians were given a dozen canoes loaded with goods and merchandise, valued at 5,000 pounds, in exchange for the island. Later, British Lieutenant Governor Patrick Sinclair drafted a formal deed.

In 1796, a copy of the original deed was made when the Island was turned over to the United States.