Established as an important fur trading center in the eighteenth century, with a predominately French-speaking population of French Canadians and Métis, after the War of 1812 the city gained more Anglo-American residents.

When the 1980 movie Somewhere in Time was filmed here, the city made an exception to allow the production company to use motorized vehicles on the island.

Andrew Blackbird was the son of an Ottawa chief and served as an official interpreter for the U.S. government in the late 19th century.

[9] One winter the Mi-shi-ne-macki naw-go on Mackinac were nearly annihilated by the Seneca, the westernmost nation of the Iroquois Confederacy, then based in present-day New York and Pennsylvania.

To commemorate this tribe, the Ottawa and Chippewa (Ojibwe) named the island as Mi-shi-ne-macki-nong, also known as Michilimackinac (meaning "Great Turtle") by the 18th century.

[10] The French colonists continued in the fur trade, which became extremely lucrative; they operated out of Montreal and Quebec, and established posts on Mi-shi-ne-macki-nong and throughout the Great Lakes area.

In 1796 as a result of Jay's Treaty with Great Britain, settling the northern border, the island officially became part of the United States and its Northwest Territory.

Although it was part of the United States, most of the residents were of French-Canadian and Métis ancestry, based on its colonial history, and French was the predominant language.

In the summer trading season, the population could reach 4,000, attracting agents and Native Americans from the interior.

[11] After the War of 1812, the United States prohibited British fur traders from operating in US territory, cutting off some of the relations between Canadians and Native Americans on the US side.

The noted French writer Alexis de Tocqueville visited Mackinac Island in July 1831 on his tour of the United States.

[12] Under American rule, Michilimackinac (the island and adjacent areas) had a justice of the peace, supervisor of roads, and two military captains until the borough was formed.

[14] The borough organizational meeting was held in the Indian Council House, presided over by Puthuff on Monday, July 7, 1817.

[13] On March 16, 1847, the Michigan state legislature passed a law abolishing the borough, effective April 1.

The legislature reversed this action and incorporated the island as the Village of Mackinac, effective March 25, 1847.

[15] In the late 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular summer resort destination for travelers from major cities such as Chicago and later Detroit, as well as more distant ones.

The seasonal peak of population in the summer, now made up of thousands of tourists and service workers, follows the earlier cycle of the fur trade.

[13] Personal motor vehicles were banned in 1895 in order to protect the health of the island horses and residents.

[19] At that time, all of nearby Round Island was included in the corporate limits, for reasons not clear today.

In downtown Mackinac Island, the highway is known as "Main Street", while elsewhere it is known as "Lake Shore Road".

The island has a large craft industry devoted to making fudge in a traditional manner, creating portions on cold marble slabs.

Doud has continually won re-election to the office since then, and as of 2024[update], she is the current longest-serving mayor in the United States.