Sault Ste. Marie, often shortened to “The Soo”, is located in Chippewa County. According to the 2000 census the population was 16,542 people. The name Sault Ste. Marie is old French which means “Falls of St. Mary”. Tourism is one of the major industries in the areas. The locks and Kewadin Casino are also the major draws as well as the lakes, forests and the Lake Superior Shoreline. Sault Ste Marie in Michigan is located across the St. Mary’s River from its much larger Canadian Sister-City in Canada.

In the 1600′s French missionaries and fur traders started to come into the territory. At first the settlers were calling the city “Sault du Gastogne”. The city was founded as a mission in 1668 by Father Jacques Marquette and is the oldest European Settlement in the Midwest. Jacques Marquette renamed the city to Sault Ste Marie in 1668 when they settled. Soon fur trading settlement soon grew up at this crossroads on both banks of the river. The first “full-time” residents lived in lodges framed of wood poles, sheathed with bark or animal hides. The river that was below the rapids provided fish for the natives to eat, as well as providing food for other settlers in the surrounding areas. To this day the river is still a world-class fishing spot.

An interesting fact about Sault Ste Marie is that the original Fort Brady was established in 1822 by Colonel Hugh Brady, over the northern great lake region. The fort was moved in 1893. The third Fort Brady is now Lake Superior State University. Fort Brady was most active during World War I and just before the American involvement in World War II. In 1946, the “New Fort Brady” was given to the state of Michigan. Michigan used Fort Brady as Michigan College of Mining and Technology and today it is known as Michigan Tech. Some of the biggest programs at the school are wildlife management, business management, and criminal justice.

When in the city, you need to visit the Tower. The tower is a 21-story concrete building. The tower in Sault Ste. Marie was built in 1968 by the Catholic Church as the Shrine of the Missionaries. The Church wanted the Shrine to be part of a larger complex which would have featured exhibits about the early Missionaries, such as Bishop Baraga. In the plan there was a community center and new church were to come as well. Later, the church cut the plan that they had in mind, and the Shrine was donated to the Sault Historic Sites in 1980. Ever since the donation, it has been operating as the “Tower of History”. The Tower of History does tell the tale of the early Missionaries, but there is more. The Tower also tells the tale of the local and Native Americans as well. The lower level of the tower has museum exhibits as well as video presentations. The upper level you get the 360 degree view of the city and disruptions of the surrounding area as well as its own exhibit space.

Another tourist event you can do is going on the train tours. You can take the one-hour tour and you will see some things and find some things out that you would have. Sault Ste. Marie is considered “the original hockey town”. You will be able to see the Pullar Stadium which has the first Zamboni and possible was the first refrigerated ice. There are some guides that point out certain things and others don’t. Some guides tell the people on the trains that the fountain at Locks Park has a romantic light that makes it a great spot for a cheap date. The train will take you over the International Bridge.

The train will slow down and climb 135′ above the locks, which allows visitors to take in the sights without having to drive. You will be able to see many interesting things. You can look straight down at the anglers at the rapids, the locks, and the pulp mill. There are many more interesting things you will be able to see if you take this train tour.

Every year Sault Ste Marie has the I-5oo snowmobile race. It is just like watching NASCAR, but the differences are they are on sleds, and they are going around the oval track on ice. This event always takes place in February. The track is a mile long track. The I-500 race is the biggest event for snowmobilers in the Upper Peninsula and the entire snowmobile racing world. Drivers of the sled can and will exceed over 100 miles per hour. This year the parade lap starts at 9 am and the green flag will wave at 10 am. On-lookers will have a heated beverage tent to keep them warm, merchandise vendors and food to choose from all day long. You can even vote for your favorite sled if you would like. If you are coming to the area just for the race, you can stay at the campground, overlooking the track, with having electric for $75.00 for the week. If you are on the back bluff and have no electric the site is only $35.00 for the week. There are no reservations for the sites; it is a first come first serve. If you don’t want to stay at the campground, there are plenty of hotels around the area to stay nice and warm. Some of the hotels are the Super 8 Motel, Best Western, Days Inn, Comfort Inn and many more.

In the late 1970s and early 1980′s the economy dropped because the Air Force closed its Kincheloe Air Base which was in the south part of the town. In the late 1980s the economy picked back up. because the Kewadin Casino that opened the doors right outside of Sault Ste Marie, and two smaller casinos in nearby Bay Mills.

For a little indoor fun, you can do to the Kewadin Casino. The casino is a featuring a Vegas style gaming. This casino is not just a vacation get-a-way but it is also known for the full service business hotel and convention center. There are a total of 318 rooms, an indoor swimming pool, an arcade game room for the kids, sauna, steam room, fitness room and a hot tub. Also in the casino there is a full service restaurant, deli, gift shop, lounge, and always entertainment. You can have all this enjoyment for you and the family all under one roof. You won’t have to leave at all.

Notable residents

* John Johnston (1762–1828), married to Ozhaguscodaywayquay (also known as Susan), the daughter of an Ojibwa chief; together they built a prosperous fur trading business. They were among the upper class in both the Euro-American and Ojibwa communities of the region during the late-18th and early-19th centuries.

* Bruce Martyn, radio and TV play-by-play announcer of the Detroit Red Wings from 1964 to 1995. Martyn graduated from Lake Superior State University and began his radio career at WSOO.

* Chase S. Osborn, Michigan’s only Governor from the Upper Peninsula.

* Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, daughter of John and Susan Johnston, recognized as the first Native American literary writer and poet, and inducted into Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 2008.

* Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, ethnographer and U.S. Indian agent who named many counties and places in Michigan in his official capacity; husband of Jane Johnston Schoolcraft.

* Cliff Barton, former NHL player.

* Ray Kaunisto, NHL hockey player, LA Kings

* Tip O’Neill, former NFL player.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,542 people, 5,742 households, and 3,301 families living in the city. The population density was 1,116.3 people per square mile (431.0/km²). There were 6,237 housing units at an average density of 420.9 per square mile (162.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.99% White, 6.51% African American, 13.72% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 4.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.86% of the population.

There were 5,742 households out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 18.1% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 122.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,652, and for a family was $40,333. Males had a median income of $29,656 versus $21,889 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,460. About 12.7% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Tourism is a major industry in the area. The Soo Locks and nearby Kewadin Casino, owned by the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, are the major draws, as well as the forests, inland lakes, and Lake Superior shoreline. Sault Ste. Marie is also a gateway to Lake Superior’s scenic north shore through its twin city Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The two cities are connected by the large Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, a steel truss arch bridge with suspended deck passing over the St. Marys River.