Fort Daul was a gift shop/tourist shop located at James St and Ludington Ave. It is something of a landmark in town. The exterior is fashioned after an old fort, complete with log sides and stockade. The James St side of the building is decorated with murals of old Ludington. It is a building that truly has charm and appeal.
A visit to Ludington was never complete for us kids unless we went to Fort Daul several times! We would 
save our allowance for the trip. Entering the store clutching sweaty coins we would prowl the aisles searching for the perfect knick-knack. We bought toy drums, post cards, Indian beaded necklaces and belts, tiny pottery pieces, a cedar house incense burner, tiny metal horses…..all emblazoned with the name of Ludington, Mich.
Our biggest desire was to talk our folks into buying us a pair of the Minnetonka Indian moccasins that they carried in the back of the store! The smell of the leather! The neat fringe! The comfort- like a slipper! The beadwork on some! We positively drooled over this footwear! But to save enough moeny to buy them would take longer than was honestly feasible for a kid…after all those dimes and quarters burned holes in your pocket! None of us were succesful in wheedling a pair out of our parents. But I bought a pair with baby sitting money one trip. I just LOVED those mocassins and wore them all the time. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind a pair today!
I understand that the Fort is no longer Fort Daul. They have moved to new quarters down the street and the new store is called Daul’s Twisted Arrow. The Fort remains, as do the murals……and the memories!
