Interesting find at Fort Michilimackinc

[KILTED COWBOY]

Colonial era side plate found
https://www.foxnews.com/science/colonial-era-musket-part-discovered

[Dwshotwell]

I was just about to post this same thing. I live just down the road from the fort, so this is the post from our local paper:

https://www.cheboygannews.com/news/20190801/historic-find-at-colonial-michilimackinac

[Bill Weedman]

I am working on a Kaskaskia Indian site in Southern Illinois and there are many gun parts Type C & D Trade guns, fusil fin parts, 1 English trade gun, one small belt pistol and another pistol with a mask butt cap.I have measured over 1500 musket ball and am presently measuring over 500 Gunflints.
It is interesting to be able to examine these historic fragments and see the modifications made to them. One very interesting object is a hammer top jaw made from lead. Couldn’t have worked well but they tried to fabricate a part.
Retirement is fun.....

[Majorjoel]

I have taken the 100 mile drive up to Fort Michilimackinac many times over the years and I'll be doggone if I can remember how to spell it!

Have watched many digs going on there and this recent find is surely a real gem!   

About 7 or 8 years ago a local school teacher from Northport MI came to my place wanting to sell me an original English trade gun side plate that her and her class found while treasure hunting at a construction site. The Northport area is a very historic place, going back as far as some early French as well as English exploration's.  Native settlements there were prime places for trade as well as conversions to Christianity by these early European visitors.

The brass side plate she had found was luckily very closely buried next to an iron fragment of some unknown part, which enabled her metal detector to find it.  Her and her class even made the local Leelanau Enterprise News paper with their find.   

I did acquire the side plate from her and also paid her quite handsomely, as it was nearing Christmas and she had not yet finished her shopping.    I know I will never recover financially for my purchase but some things like this are to me just plain priceless.