This year marks an important anniversary on Mackinac Island, the 200-year anniversary of an accident that led to Dr. William Beaumont’s famous experiments.

It was in June 1822 that a young man named Alexis St. Martin was shot and Dr. Beaumont, the post surgeon at Fort Mackinac, saved his life.

This terrible accident set Beaumont and St. Martin on a course of experimentation and discovery that remains crucial to medical science today.

At the cost of St. Martin’s permanent injury, Beaumont unlocked the secrets of human digestion.

To commemorate this anniversary, the Dr. Beaumont Museum inside the American Fur Store has been completely remodeled and will open for the 2022 season this Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

Steve Brisson, Mackinac State Historic Parks Director says “We are excited to update this exhibit as part of our bi-centennial celebration of this important event in medical history.”

The exhibit stands in almost exactly the spot where St. Martin was accidentally shot. It will detail Beaumont’s experiments and the scientific process, as well as the complicated relationship between Beaumont and St. Martin.