Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Open Access Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Industrial Archaeology (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Social Sciences
Advisor 1
Timothy Scarlett
Committee Member 1
Seth DePasqual
Committee Member 2
Patrick Martin
Abstract
Windigo Ranger Station, Isle Royale National Park, is an historic landscape that provides a gateway to wilderness at one of America’s least visited national parks. Aspects of isolation have helped preserve Isle Royale’s extensive natural and cultural resources, making it an enticing setting for researchers and outdoor enthusiasts. This thesis combines information gathered from archaeological fieldwork and archival research to construct a narrative of landscape transformation at Windigo, Isle Royale National Park. From historic industrial townsite to contemporary NPS visitor port, this narrative highlights three prominent eras of landscape occupation headlined by the Wendigo Copper Company, Washington Club, and a combination of the early National Park Service and Civilian Conservation Corps. Using the historic narrative as a foundation, an exploration of NPS cultural resource interpretation sets the stage for a discussion of interpretive methods used at Isle Royale National Park. I assess current interpretive strategies used at Windigo, by providing suggestions for enhancement of non-personal interpretation.
Recommended Citation
Chynoweth, Marley, "An Investigation of Historic Landscape Occupation, Transformation, and Interpretation at Windigo, Isle Royale National Park", Open Access Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2017.