Sault Ste. Marie (French rapids of St. Mary) is a city in
Michigan, USA, on the rapids of the St. Marys River. On the
opposite bank of the river is the Canadian town of Sault Ste.
Marie, which was divided as a result of the British-American
War.
In 2010, Sault Ste. Marie 14,144 inhabitants; by the
2019 estimate, the population had fallen to 13,420.
Sault Ste. Marie is at the eastern end of Lake Superior. This is
where the Saint Marys River begins, which is part of the Saint Lawrence
Sea Route and through which the lake drains and connects to Lake Huron.
The Saint Marys River also forms the border to the much larger Canadian
sister city of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario. Both cities are connected
via the International Bridge.
Sault Ste. Marie is located at
46°29'56" north latitude and 84°21'35" west longitude and extends over
52.32 km², which are spread over 38.33 km² of land and 13.99 km² of
water.
Sault Ste. Marie forms the northern terminus of Interstate
75, which connects to the Canadian road network via the International
Bridge. Michigan Highway 129 heads south from downtown.
The
region is an international rail hub; parallel to the road bridge there
is also a railway bridge over the St. Marys River. Through Minneapolis,
St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway, the US subsidiary of the Canadian
Pacific Railway, handled rail service south through the city. Today, the
Canadian National Railway is responsible for international rail traffic.
Chippewa County International Airport connects the region to the
airline network.
Sault Ste. Marie is relatively far away from
metropolitan areas. The closest major cities are Michigan's capital,
Lansing (462 km[ south), Green Bay, Wisconsin (454 km southwest),
Duluth, Minnesota (669 km[ west), and Toronto (689 km southeast).
Sault Ste. Marie is the oldest city in Michigan and one of the oldest
in the United States. Throughout its history, the flags of several
nations have flown over the Sault.
More than 2,000 years ago,
Native Americans began flocking to the area in search of abundant fish
and furs on the banks of the great, surging rivers that connect the
Great Lakes of Superior and Huron. Spring and fall were important
seasons for the natives, who called the area "Bahweting," or "The
Gathering Place."
The first full-time residents of the area lived
in lodges constructed of wooden poles and covered with bark and animal
skins. The river below the rapids provided abundant fish for Native
people and tribes throughout the area, who migrated here during the
height of the fishing season. It remains a world-class spot for sport
fishing.
In the 1600's, French missionaries and fur traders began
to expand into this beautiful territory. The merchants began calling
this wild area Sault du Gastogne, and in 1668, the legendary Jesuit
missionary and explorer, Fr. Jacques Marquette, renamed this burgeoning
European settlement Sault Ste. Marie in honor of the Virgin Mary, the
first "city" in the Great Lakes region The name "Sault St. Marie" was
given to the city in honor of the Virgin Mary.
The exact meaning
of "Sault" is disputed, but early French scholars noted that the word
translates as "jump" and refers to a place where one must "jump" into
the St. Mary's River. This translation relates to dangerous rapids and
waterfalls that can reach as much as 21 feet from the level of Lake
Superior to the level of the lake downstream. Centuries ago, this
prohibited boat traffic and required a detour overland from lake to
lake. This is the origin of the name of the main street that runs along
the river, Portage Avenue.
Due to the river's strategic location
and abundant natural resources, France and England often fought over
trading rights between the region and Native Americans in the 1700s.
The Sioux Treaty was signed in 1820, and control was transferred to
the United States in 1823. Fort Brady was built on the site of the
former French Fort Repentigny. The new Americans were concerned about
the possibility of a British invasion from neighboring Canada. The fort,
located on Water Street, was abandoned in the 1890s, and a new Fort
Brady was built on the site of what is now Lake Superior State
University. Throughout this turbulent history, the St. Mary's River
continued to dominate life and events in Sault Ste. Marie.
Sioux
Indians gather around a "bawetting drum" at a modern-day powwow.
Gatherings like this one have been held on the banks of the St. Mary's
River for hundreds of years...... No, they have been going on for
thousands of years.
For those interested in learning more about
the history of the "Sioux," I recommend the book "The City of Rapids" by
Bernie Urbick.
In 1797, the Northwest Fur Company built a
38-foot-long navigation lock for small boats on the Canadian side. This
lock remained in use until it was destroyed in the War of 1812.
Freighters and boats were once again diverted through the rapids.
Congress passed an act in 1852 granting 750,000 acres of public
lands to the State of Michigan as compensation to companies building
locks that would allow waterborne commerce between Lake Superior and the
other Great Lakes. The Fairbanks Scale Company, which held extensive
mining claims in the Upper Peninsula, undertook this difficult
construction project in 1853.
Despite adverse conditions,
Fairbanks' aggressive accountant, Charles T. Harvey, completed the
system of two 350-foot-long locks within the two-year deadline set by
the state of Michigan; on May 31, 1855, the locks were turned over to
the state and designated as the State Lock.
The federal
government took control of the property and the lock system in the
1870s. Today, that control continues and is administered by the U.S.
federal government. The Army Corps of Engineers Soo Locks are the
busiest locks in the world and also have the largest locks in the
Western Hemisphere, completed in 1968.
To learn more about the
history of the Soo Locks. If you visit Sault Ste. Marie, visit the Soo
Locks Visitor Center and enjoy the many exhibits and historical photos.
A detailed history of the Soo Locks is also available on the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers website. Click here to read more.
In the official census in 2010, a population of 14,144 was
determined. By 2019, the population declined slightly to 13,420. An
average of 2.22 people lived in the 5,735 households. The population
density was about 350 people per square kilometer. There were 6,232
residential buildings, which corresponded to a building density of 162.6
buildings per square kilometer.
The 2018 population was 75.4
percent White, 3.4 percent African American, 12.4 percent Native
American, 0.5 percent Asian, and 0.4 percent other. 8.0 percent stated
that they descended from at least two of these groups. 1.7 percent of
the population consisted of Hispanics, who belonged to various of the
groups mentioned.
6.5 percent were under the age of 5, 19.0
percent were under the age of 18, and 15.9 percent were 65 and older.
The proportion of women was 48.5 percent.
The median income per
household was US$36,102 (USD) in 2018. 24.7 percent of the total
population had an income below the poverty line.
Jane Johnston Schoolcraft (1800–1842), Native American writer
Clarence John Abel (1900–1964), ice hockey player
Bob Bemer
(1920–2004), computer pioneer
Terry O'Quinn (born 1952), actor