While many may know that that parade ground behind Fort Mackinac includes Michigan’s oldest, continuously used baseball field, few know that it was once named in honor of a former Fort Mackinac Soldier.

Joseph M. Leggett joined the United States army in 1875 and served the final 18 months of his 5-year enlistment at Fort Mackinac. He was promoted twice at Fort Mackinac and was honorably discharged as a company sergeant in October 1880. Shortly before leaving the army, Leggett married Mackinac Island resident Mary Amanda Chapman, granddaughter of former probate court judge and village president Bela Chapman. After leaving the army, Legget remained at Mackinac for 56 years and worked variously as a laborer, painter, and fish merchant.

Leggett was also a member of a committee of local businessmen, “engaged in the carriage business,” that filed a formal petition to ban “horseless carriages” on Mackinac Island in 1898. Their effort outlawed automobiles in the Village of Mackinac Island, thereby preserving the historical environment that we enjoy today.

Beyond his professional activities, Leggett was deeply involved in community organizations and events. He helped organize the annual Memorial Day services, founded the island Boy Scout troop, served as a charter member of Little Stone Church, and managed the island baseball team. In honor of his love and support of the island baseball teams, the community named the ball diamond behind the fort “Leggett Field” in 1934.

Step back into one of Mackinac’s most remarkable moments. On April 29, History at Home dives into the story of the sloop Welcome and the incredible relocation that shaped the Island we know today. Join from wherever you are and uncover a piece of history you won’t want to miss.