This is not a ghost story in the traditional sense of the words. It is, however, a story of uncharted Spirit’s, shadow beings who have inhabited the dim, early pages of Michigan’s past. Who they were, what the reasons were for being here, and what befell them are mysteries which wave both further investigation and answers. These mysterious travelers left but one clue, one solitary sign to mark their passing; a circle of stone is on Beaver Island.

Discovered, or, rather, brought to the public eye in the early summer of 1988, this mysterious stone circle has been referred to by both professional investigators and amateur explorers as “Michigan’s Stonehenge”. Although merely an editorial tool designed to catch the reader’s eye, the label for this ring of rocks may be closer to the truth that never was intended. In the midst of the circle of stone which has been identified as belonging to the Mississippian Native America culture, lies a true enigma; an enigma I call Michigan’s Celtic connection.

From a geographic standpoint Beaver Island is the largest of a group of islands which once made up a land bridge which extended west from Waugoshance Point. Located at 45 degrees 40 minutes latitude and 85° 35 minutes longitude, the island is roughly 300 miles northeast of Chicago, 40 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge and approximately five hours drive from Detroit.

The island itself is 13 miles long by approximately 6 miles wide and is the largest island in Lake Michigan. The surface area of the island is roughly 58 miles and includes seven lakes and several ponds. Although most of the island is barely 80 feet of both the service of Lake Michigan, the maximum elevation increases to a point nearly 220 feet from the lake’s surface.

Modern Beaver Island history is generally divided into three parts. The earliest part, referred to as the Native American period, has been dated by the finding of artifacts located along Angeline’s Bluff that have been carbon dated to a period roughly 4500 years ago and believed to belong to an unidentified tribal group of the oldest artifacts which have been found in any significant number computer to be from a period of 1200 to 500 years ago and, though the same general type and style as the earlier items, remain just as mysterious as to their origin.

Ojibwa Native American legends state that the owners and creators of these artifacts and vanished long before them that the Ojibwa merely harvested their abandoned fields. In the same legends, however, are silent as to the whereabouts of this race of people. We shall come back to them, however, later on in this article.

The second and perhaps most colorful period of Beaver Island’s history is what I choose to call the Mormon Period. In 1847, a Mormon leader, one James Jesse Strang, established a colony at the northern end of the island which, by 1852, had expanded until all non-Mormons were practically driven from the island.

Strang, who was described by journalists at the time, as “a flamboyant, magnetic, red-bearded lawyer” who had been elected to the Michigan Legislature by his followers, declared himself king over the entire island. Parenthetically, it should be noted that, as such, he became the only “crowned head of state” to preside over any of the continental United States after 1776. The kingdom lasted a scant four years and ended in a volley of gunfire on the dock at St. John’s, the principal city on Beaver Island, which ended both in the reign and the life of the self-proclaimed monarch.

Following Strang’s death, the Mormons were driven out and the third period of Beaver Island’s history began. Many of the fishermen who had worked in the island’s waters prior to the establishment of the Mormon colony returned with their friends. Many of this new group of settlers had formerly come from Ireland. Although referred to as he Irish Period or Celtic Period, I rather think of it as the New Irish for reasons which will be seen shortly. It was this new influx of settlers which gave beaver Island its nickname “America’s Emerald Isle”.

As Beaver Island entered the 20th century, the Lake Michigan fishing community became the base for a new industry in the form of the Beaver Island Lumber Co. Following World War II, the island’s population slipped to only 500 people in 1950 and by 1960, had diminished to only 150 inhabitants. In the mid-60s, however, the island was “rediscovered” and transformed into an increasingly popular base for tourism and vacationing from major centers such as Chicago and Detroit.

In June 1988, newspaper reports from the island told of a rather curious find. A large circle of rocks and stones, measuring roughly 397 feet in diameter, was found on the island. Speculation from both the Native American tribal leaders throughout the Great Lakes region and archaeologists ranged from identifying the site as a place of spiritual significance. Various possibilities ranged from an ancient Solar calendar, to a type of Mississippian medicine wheel, to a place of worship.

A short distance from the main circle, a second circle with a diameter of approximately 200 feet, was also found. As investigators began to examine the site, soon became apparent the only major consensus appeared to have been that there is no explanation as to why the site was there. It was at this point in time that I decided to visit the location and conduct my own investigation.

What I discovered during my time on Beaver Island certainly flies in the face of convention and perhaps maybe some want difficult to believe. Nevertheless, after having conducted my own examination and research of the area, I feel that I have uncovered what may be the answer, or a lease part of the answer, on how this site came to appear on the small island in the middle of the Great Lakes.

As previously stated, the site where of the circles are located is roughly 497 feet in diameter and consists of numerous stones and stone formations. At the set of the site is a solitary rock with several curious markings. One looks at this solitary stone, the Sentinel, one notices the huge hole that has been obviously carved into the middle of it.

Many scientists believe that such a hole would be used for the center post which could be used almost as a modern surveyor’s tool and laying out the rest of the site. More peculiar, however, are the various markings and geometric shapes that appear on the stone. These markings also appear on many other stones throughout the site.

The outer edge of the circle contains a stone which marks the Summer Solstice. On the first day of summer, the sunrise is roughly over the top of that stone much has been in observed in other sites around the world such as Stonehenge in England. Additionally, there are stones which marked both true north and east. This is consistent with similar designations found in medicine wheels throughout the American West as North and East appear to be particularly important and symbolic directions to many Native American cultures.

Were this the extent of what was found at the site, it would appear to be similar to the medicine wheel located at Cahokia, Illinois, the Big Horn medicine wheel and numerous other Native American sites. But only is Summer Solstice represented, the primary directions accented but even the diameter of this wheel is surprisingly similar to the Big Horn would hinge circles at Cahokia (diameter roughly 400 feet), the layout of the circle is also similar to that of Big Horn and Moose Mountain medicine wheels (location of marker stones and similar ages-1500 1000 years ago).

But there are other stones at the Beaver Island site. These stones which marked locations that would appear to have little significance to the culture of any native American tribal group (at least as we have been able to understand thus far) but, instead, had a great deal of significance for those who followed the wisdom of the Druids, who treasured nature’s gifts and believed themselves as part of the mystery of the land, sea, the air, and of the fire.

Near the eastern stone marker in the circle just another stone which investigators have indicated marks sunrise on July 31. The general consensus is one found in their own curiosity and nothing more but particular date, at least in our modern day calendar would not appear to have any significance to any Native American culture. When one looks at the ancient Celtic, Viking and Wiccan calendars, however, one finds an entirely different story.

August 1 is generally recognized as Lammas Day, also known as Lughnasadh in the belief system of the ancient Celts. For those ancients, whether followers of Behl, Crom (Sun deities), Danae, or Danu (the moon deity), Wicca, or any of the other Celtic or northern European sects or denominations, Lammas was the day and that marked the end of the time of growing and the start of the harvest. This harvest had to be completed, of course, by Samhain (October 31-November 1) which is when we celebrate Halloween and All Saints Day.

This discovery would seem to indicate that there was some form of cultural interaction between Native Americans and Celtic or northern European explorers. It is not inconceivable that such an important day will be memorialized at a site serving as saying “permanent calendar”. If, in fact, this location was used by both cultures as a spiritual center, one would expect to find elements of both contained within the site.

As to why there would be a one day difference, if in fact the original place the circle was, far earlier than the 1000 to 1500 year. Which many scientists believe, the change in the declination as a result of the gradual shift in the Earth’s orbit (which has been well documented) could account for this deviation. Another equally plausible explanation is that early Celtic visitors might have “lost a day” Justin traveling from Iberia or Britain such that they were uncertain and can only tell by observations of the positions of stars and planets.

The second major curiosity contained in the site is the fact that, within the circle, there is a stone which if one were to look into the summer sky is directly below Polaris, the North Star. While many of the medicine wheels and other Native American markings tended to relate almost consistently to the stars Aldebaran, Sirius, and Rigel, there appears to be no particular reference in any tribal lore to the North Star.

However, it is well documented amongst all of the ancient sailing cultures that the North Star has been (and continues to be) a significant navigational tool. Once again, it would seem that the existence of the people other than the Native Americans is apparent here. I submit Celtic adventurers who spent weeks and quite possibly months sailing would have a great reverence for the North Star that guided them to a safe harbor.

A third curiosity on the site can be found a scant short distance from the “Polaris Stone”. When you first look at it, it almost seems unbelievable with such a configuration would be found. If you stand below the Bake Dipper in the summer sky, within that circle, you’ll see the positions of the stars making up that constellation duplicated in the stones under your feet with an eerie exactitude.

Throughout the rest of the location, there are other configurations which are still partially hidden by the underbrush, the accumulation of dirt and sand and by the shadows of time. Perhaps most striking evidence of the “Celtic Connection” however, can be found on several stones within the main circle. Looking at the stones, one observes markings which are, clearly, man-made. At first they appear to be nothing more than patterns or, perhaps, indicators to where the next stone in the circle might be found.

There is another explanation which is supported by Dr. Barry Fell and others who have examined similar sites (although not be Beaver Island location) in the United States. Their startling conclusion: that these “random markings” are, in actuality, part of the runic language utilized throughout northern Europe and by various Celtic groups.

In his book, America BC., Barry Fell advanced the theory that ancient peoples had journeyed to the North American continent century before Columbus. Of particular interest are the studies that he conducted of various locations found throughout New England. It is well documented that the Vikings had crossed the Atlantic and had established outposts in Greenland. It is not out of the realm of possibility that from that location, those seafarers pushed inland to the Great Lakes. Similarly, it is well within the realm of possibility that Celtic explorers, too, followed those same routes.

Dr. Fell identified numerous traces of various Celtic alphabets engraved in large stones. This leaves one making a comparison of these carvings and locations such as the “Druids Stone” found on a hillside near South Royalton, Vermont with the center stone found on Beaver Island. Similarly, outdoor altars to the Celtic Sun God Behl, identified by three staves of the Ogham alphabet and the altar of Mabo-Mabona, have been identified at the South Woodstock, Vermont location. The photos from Beaver Island are starkly similar in their configuration.

Is it possible that Celtic explorers visited the early Native Americans, interacted with them, and build a society unique not only to North America but to the world? The evidence appearing strongly suggests that just such an occurrence happened.  Why is it that only the barest traces of their existence remain? The answer to this question remains to be discovered.

While it may be assumed that the use of a stone circle as a form of calendar or astronomical map was a type of technology brought by the early Celts and/or northern Europeans to North America, I feel that a far different answer may be closer to the truth.

The Celts of the time, as suggested by the earliest dated artifacts which have been found, would have predated even the founding of Stonehenge. As nomadic travelers from the Iberian Peninsula to the land that we know today as Great Britain, and then on to the New World, the interest in seasons and very strong cycles would not have been of particular significance to them.

Conversely the Native Americans of the pre-Mississippian culture, who were largely agrarian and well attuned to agricultural concerns and cycles, would’ve had a most pressing need to document the passing of the seasons in order to plan their growing patterns, harvests and migrations to warmer climates during the harsh winter months of the Northern Great Lakes.

It seems logical, therefore, that the circle of stone found on Beaver Island is a melding of these two cultures. The positions of the stars and constellations within the circle could have been superimposed on the Native American cyclical calendar that existed when the ancient sea explorers arrived. Interactions between the two peoples was of such importance that even Celtic holidays, such as Lammas, are incorporated into the circle itself along with the Solstice stones which would have held an equal significance to both groups.

America’s Emerald Isle, most certainly Beaver Island as rightly earned that title. Whether the true story of this unique blending of cultures will ever be told in fullness remains to be seen. How did these totally different cultures blend? What discoveries did they make? What caused them to ultimately abandon this site of such importance to both groups? One day, perhaps, Beaver Island will reveal the rest of the story.