Life in a 17th century frontier fort will come alive this weekend in Niles. Western Michigan University will hold a public open house at the site of Fort Saint Joseph tomorrow and Sunday. The fort was built by French explorers and traders in the 1680's and abandoned a century later. Teams from Western and local volunteers have been excavating the area since 2002. Western anthropology professor Michael Nassaney is the project's leader:
"It is now an archaeological site, so there are no standing structures, there is nothing above ground that we can see. But beneath the ground, the signature of their daily activities is buried just beneath a thin layer of soil."
The Fort Saint Joseph open house will be from 10 A-M to 4 P-M Saturday and Sunday at the corner of Fort and Bond streets in Niles.