The Niles History Center is planning the next Fort St. Joseph Open House for the weekend of August 2.
History Center Director Christina Arseneau tells us on the 2nd and 3rd, anyone can come to the archaeological dig and learn about the latest discoveries.
“Every year, our Western [Michigan University] students come down and they excavate the site of Fort St. Joseph, which was built in 1691, and they find artifacts related to lots of different things, and this is a chance for the public to come and peak into the pits and see what they found this year,” Arseneau said.
The Western Michigan University archaeology students dig each year, and Arseneau says they still find new things all of the time. How about 2025’s findings?
“They found up to six households this year that they can positively identify, but they know that there’s probably several more. And they find items that are related to daily life, to training, the military that was present there, the religious missions.”
From its founding in 1691 until its abandonment in 1781, Fort St. Joseph was controlled by three European countries: France, Britain, Spain. It was also occupied by several Native American groups, including the Potawatomi. Arseneau says the French controlled the fort for much of its lifetime, but the British eventually took over around the 1750s, and some interesting findings come from that period.
Everyone’s welcome to stop by Fort St. Joseph on August 2 and 3 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for the Open House. Arseneau says it will include walking tours.
