MACKINAC ISLAND PARK

Good work Seekers! Paul Hammond’s clues and puzzles have led you to Mackinac Island where his fortune lies somewhere buried.

This small island is located on Lake Huron in the state of Michigan. In 1875, the United States government preserved the island and made it the country's second National Park. But due to the exit of the island’s stewards, The War Department, and lack of funding, the island lost its distinction of being a National Park just 20 years later. In 1895, Governor John T. Rich successfully petitioned Congress to turn the park over to the state of Michigan for management. Today, the island is more resort than park, but still has several hidden gems: an old sacred burial cave, rock formations and Fort Holmes.

But you’re here on a mission: to find Paul Hammond’s fortune and save the Gates of the Arctic from suffering a similar fate as Mackinac Island. You explore the island, starting at the Stuart House Museum. It’s here that things start to come together. In the lobby of the Museum, you see a portrait of none other than Paul Hammond, honoring the museum’s top donor. You speak to the museum’s director about the painting and your reason for coming to the island. She shows you some peculiar paint daubs on the back of the painting. For years, museum staff have tried to decipher their meaning, but have not been able to crack it.