Archeological Excavations at the Manitou Fish Camp, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, 1983

Summary

This report documents archeological investigations at the Manitou Fish Camp near the southwest tip of Manitou Island, within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. This historic EuroAmerican fishing camp was constructed in stages beginning about 1895. Most of the structures date to the early decades of the twentieth century. The camp has had essentially continuous use throughout its history, both as a fishing camp and as a weekend retreat. The historic importance of the camp is underscored by its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The rapidly deteriorating condition of the camp led to the need for extensive structural renovation beginning in 1983. Since restoration activities would impact soil deposits around and under several of the structures, archeological excavations were initiated to collect data which might otherwise be lost. Although a large number of artifacts was collected through these excavations, archeological research has not added extensively to the previously available historic record for the camp. However, the archeological research has provided some data for evaluating the accuracy of the historic record with regard to the age and function of several of the camp structures. The evaluation of that data forms the core of this report.

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Sponsor(s): National Park Service; Midwest Archeological Center

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