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&2 MICHIGAN OCZM GRANT #NA-80-AA-H CZ157 SUBTASK Idn l ment op OBD+,G\TII,%kfer,&A-SC6dtes, Inc. Prepared -by: The City of Sault Ste. Marie and 0@ Historic Sites, Inc. and O'Boyle, Cowell, Rohrer & Associates, Inc. k Landscape Architects/Land Planners/Urban Designers Kalamazoo, Michigan .This Plan for Development was prepared in part with financial assistance provided through the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 administered by: Michigan Coastal Program Division of Land Resource Programs Department of Natural Resources .'it Office of Coastal Zone National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce n erce NO alfrer.-vices Cem, -Utor Libranr Coas al 2234 Soutl,-@, 17-7claco--a V-aa-', Charleston, SC 20@ KS R p1d AA t June 1981 US Department of Commerce --1 NTOA-A Coastal Services Center Library 1. @4. South Nobs-3--,-I Avo--auc Oi:Aarksston, SC 20,4@-OZ -2413 This Plan for Development is a joint effort by the City of Sault Ste. Marie and the consultants. Below are listed the community and consultant teams. In addition, many community officials and citizens aided in the preparation through their attendance at meetings and willingness to be interviewed. City Canission: Mayor Jerald A. Peters City Manager Neal A. Godby -.Commissioners James A-Alfor'd Walter D. Babcock Verna Lawrence William E. Lynn Robert Huskey. James W.T. Moody Cormn i ty Tem: Project Coordinator Oscar J. Sudstrom, Community Development Department Le Sault de Sainte Marie Historical Sites., Inc. Thomas J. Manse, Director Special Ad Hoc Committee Reeti. Freeborn, Coordinator Consultant Temi: Project Coordinator O'Boyle, Cowell, Rohrer & Associates, Inc. Lanscape Aschitects/Land Planners/Urban Designers Kalamazoo, Michigan His.t.oria.n Larry B. Massie Allegan, tfl@chigan Architect David K. Pyle Kalamazoo, Michigan .Project Designer Victor R. Nelhieble Lansing, Michigan Grap4ic Designer Gary L..Cronkhite Kalamazoo, Michigan Td Contents section Page Introduction 7 1-4 Analysis 5-9 Overall Development Concept 10-16 Logo & Motif 17-27 -74 Development Plan, Locks Park 28-D Budget Estimates 35-40 The Heritage of Sault Ste. Marie -:41-67 Plans & Sketches Broad Area Analysis Historic Sites & Recreation A-1 Broad Area Analysis Circulation & Signage A-2 Waterfront Corridor Linear.Analysis A-3 Locks Overlook Station P-1 Locks Overlook Major Kiask S-1 Plank Alley Station P-2 Plank Alley Interpretive Area S-2 Fort Brady Station P-3 Fort Brady Obelisk Area S-3 Fort Brady Wall Reconstruction s-4' Fort Brady Marquette Mission Ghost Frame S-5 Life Size Figures S-6 Johnston Homestead Station P-4 & P-5 .Schoolcraft House Restoration Exhibit S-7 Joh kl@ Of stead Area nston Home Baraga House Information Center s-8 14 rw i I I I I I I I I I I I Introduction I I - I I I Purpose of the Study The basic purpose of this study is TO DEVELOP AN ATTRACTION THAT WILL DEMONSTRATE TO VISITORS THERE IS MORE TO SEE AND DO IN SAULT STE. MARIE AFTER THEY HAVE SEEN THE LOCKS. The Locks, with the continuous passing of ships, is a major international attraction drawing up to a million visitors to the city annually. Unfortunately, many tourists assume that the Locks and the Corps of Engineers Park adjacent to them is all that the community has to offer. "A plan for the Economic Development The Coastal Area Management Plan, SauZt Ste. of the SauZt Ste. Marie Coastal Marie, Michigan indicates that with aggressive' Area", Ayres, Lewis, Norris & May, promotional activities and,improved-attractions Inc., September 1979 and facilities, the area could experience significant economic growth. That potential growth in importation of touri.st dollars provides an impetus to assess the ability to attract and elongate the stay of visitors to the community. MethodoIGgy 'TheICoastal Area Management Plan_,.SauZt Ste. Marie, Michigan prepared by the City and Ayres, Lewis, Norris & May, Inc. i,dentified and studied four-specific portions of the city waterfront for high development potential. The so called Portage Avenue Area was projected by the Plan to continue as an important commercial tourist attraction and the Plan further recommended that the considerable historical significance of the area be developed in any future implementation, phases. The.Plan also recommended development of a I'major pedestrian corridor along Park Place" (Water Street) that would "link the Locks and associated tourist/commercial activities with historical sites, Mariner Park and nearby tourist attractionsil. With encouragement and funding by the Division of Land Resource Programs, Department of Natural Resources through the Michigan Coastal Program and the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, Sault Ste. Marie and Historic Sites, Inc. have initiated-this Historic Walkway Study for implementation. The initial focus of this study is to develop a detailed plan that could lead to implementation of a pedestiran corridor along the waterfront- The intent is to develop a bona fide historicad and cultural attraction that could complement the Locks as a people magnet to Sault Ste. Marie. The initial phase of the study concentrated on gathering all available information such as base maps, studies, reports, articles, books, plans and other data. Meetings were initiated with a community steering committee appointed to meet with the consultants, review information and provide direction. In addition, interviews were conducted with city officials, community historians and other individual citizens who expressed interest in the study. During those concentrated periods in the community, inventories of potential historic sites were made. The majority of those sites were photographed and evaluated. This inventory of. potential historic sites was not limited to the immediate vicinity of the waterfront but took place primarily within the River Island created by the power canal. 2 The next phase of the study was further research and the development of preliminary concepts for the entire River Island. The conclusions reached at this phase were based on comprehensive historical research and with the realization that Sault Ste. Marie does indeed have more to offer the visitor than the Locks. Tourists visit Sault Ste. Marie to see the Locks because they know it is necessary to transport large ships from one lake level to another in order to continue through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. However, few realize that this connection between the Great Lakes has germinated the--seeds of international history and that remnants.of that legacy can be interpreted in interesting ways today. While few-artifacts or examples of architecture exist from the 17th or 18th Century predecessors of the community, many good tales can be authenticated and would be interesting and exciting to the uninformed tourist as well as the history buff. Early travelers (tourists,), carried many stories from the area to other parts of the country. The opportunit.y to feature these stories of Sault Ste. Marie should make walking, ridi.ng and driving through an interpretation of its earlier days and the visible resources of the 19th and 20th Century more significant than many other "Old Towns" in Michigan or other states. These additional features could well hold the interest of many people if they are offered as complementary alternatives to the more contemporary fee-attractions. 3 To develop Sault Ste. Marie as a bona fi de historical visitor.'s attraction in competition with the reconstructions at Macki-nac and Fort Michilimackinac could be a major mistake. Rather, to offer a city filled with State and National heritage in handsome river oriented 01 spaces could extend the visitor's concept of the The Proposed motif is a Locks Park from the west at "Treaty Point" to the linear, river oriented, Edison Sault Electric Company at the east. It is historic park. within this linear Locks Park concept that we have focused our detailed planning with the preposition that if this concept is implemented, operated and. maintained as a very high qual ity offering, the impact on the entire community should be considerable. Summary of the Study Th i s I i nea r LOCKS PARK concept i s conce i ved as primarily a pedestrian corridor that will relate the heritage of the community as a continuous story from the 17th Century to the present. Its intent is to stimulate the popular concept of history rather than to appeal to the strict history aficionado. The tales that are to be told have been carefully authenticated but since few artifacts exist, other means will be utilized to involve the user in the spatial concept. The final planning phase prior to implementation of the plan is concerned with specific delineation of physical features that will tell the story that is the heritage of Sault Ste. Marie along the waterfront area. Along with these physical features, the study includes recommendations for necessary ancillary facilities and management tools for successful operation. 4 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Aru is I I - I @s I I The following plans represent the compil ation of information gathered from on-site visual observation. No attempt was made to duplicate other previous planning reports or current plann,ing efforts being undertaken by the City and E.U.P.R.P.D.C. staff. In order to comprehend the planning efforts that provide background for this study, the following information is referenced: CoastaZ Area Management PZan, SauZt Ste. Marie, Michigan., "A p4an for the Economic DeveZopment of the SauZt Ste. Marie CoastaZ Area", Ayres, Lewis, Norris & May, Inc., September 1979. Contai-ns:@ EconomicConditions, Natural Resources, Physical Resources, Institutional Considerations, Development Potential @Suitability and Option s, Coastal Area Management Plan. FinaZ Environme'ntaZ Statement, Operations,, Maintenance, and Minor Improvements of the FederaZ FaciZities at Sa,uZt Ste. Marie, Michigan, U.S. Army Engineer District., Detroit, Corps of Engineers, July 1977. Contains-:---H-istory and'Authorization of Locks, Description of Capital Improvement Program (see especially, pp. 4 & 5 and Appendix E.) Sault Ste. Marie Planning Department, Mr. James Hendricks - various completed planning studies. and current in-progress studies including parking, C.B.D. and other related projects. 5 Le Sault de Sainte Marie Historical Sitesj Inc., Mr. Thomas J. Manse, Director - various development and restoration plans. Sault Ste. Marie City Engineer, Mr. Walter E. Mowry - various utility and street base maps. Department of the Army, Detroit District, Corps of Engineers, Sault Ste. Marie - various site development maps. Broad Area AnalysiS The following Area.Analysis Plans address several 01 issues that affect the visitor's impression of Sault Ste. Marie. Specific elements that are r evaluated are: General areas of historic and cultural interest.. 2. Identification of community and tourist recreation Historic Sites & Recreation attractions. 3. Relationship of the Locks and St. Marys River to the City. 4, Automobile circulation and parking analysis. Circulation & Signage 5. Identification of signage problems and potentials. 6. Aesthetic considerations. 6 7, ffo;@;,;:;w cc op Ywa or @@a rl@e 're = .. VI.W. 7r' Ir"I'l 1-0 C Xcr@-@At. Alzar@WY WAf1CW /0 AZI CCOJrAZ-?- OMWRR&Idr@ am ftv traa. "ra N... WAKA""Mwm T@g @ONr. r.9 Or@@ @A@05 --104 @fc @.l -0 -A.@. 4.1 RT lb@ r 0- @er Aws S@wr- '00 Ir .................. -77"1 A@ Awo ..... ...... C.= XaA F* SrA AV-, T-500 @@'a I L .3,qoAo AREA ANALY51 @//570R/C 3/jrEs R-caq O'BOYLE C 7@- JUDY )brr DO r/ w1w- m"'Mr. A.. Z. trd-P44 AW @AX;1@4; CA@ Tdr IV -V.7 "fill. -11 lWt.1,4AWA //At 11A"@ St;VI-N@W AND Atrrmv"Al, OW@@ @@d@T 7=94" wr .7. P.0 "rw A co@-p'. 414 'row" A0, A -J., @W,-, - - - - - - - - - - - US A; r /@- Cl- m Ar A. @7W arAre C-Pqd 7rlAw mew" cA I It ..a 11 /1 A, @-r,@ 5 ZOM 7- F@M@MA I ds@ @rA rl- AWA, Ir '0 r BAw#Am @,4@@TIAI .L@ W AF57@- WA@ wr -qc@ 01- ZOAAl 7D -q.m,r 3rs AA-W Mc-;- 4.WV*,V Sr. At A. A-@ 77- A.@- &-ftAa- m r@ Ir - - @ #lr,# 7,",-,-IC A 7- 4-0 70 Me AM- X@w@ -mm,,n -;,, 'r , A@ a@ R@D-A@ lm'@@7 aR- 7xv C" A@ IWAAA@. A(AJ-@ @ 41CA 00 TAa _1 Ili!!,T A Tt. . @I'f r [email protected]@ IT M r@ AWIMCM AW --7 r- OAN'07-#dr S7AT1.1 (V'Orf@W bVIW-MA7-) 1.31TOAo AREA Av, CIRCULAorlav AWR@ qA-Y TV R@r J7- MA-m O's Analysis of the Heritage Of The historic significance of the Waterfront the Waterfront Corridor Corridor in Sault Ste. Marie has been well documented and supports many local claims of being among the earliest white settlements in the Northern Hemisphere of the Americas. Certainly, there should be no dispute of its early importance in Michigan and there is factual data supporting-its existence prior to theMackinac area and the remainder of the Southern Peninsula. The fact that few artifacts remain from early days is partly due t6the temporary na.ture of the structures.of the early trappers, traders and' missionary leaders. Even the.Indians who gathered near the rapids during fish migration p6riods (and.became the principal attraction for the trappers, traders and missionaries) left little visible evidence of their existence. This lack of visible resources was apparent after see Potential Sites Survey., Sault potential historic sites were inventoried and Ste. Marie, Michigan - O'Boyle-,. researched. It became evident that the available CoweZZ, Rohrer & Associates, Inc. options for interpretation of.the heritage along the Waterfront Corridor were: -...-.I,nterpret only the 19th and 20th.Century architecture and artifacts that do exist. Replicate early artifacts arid-struct6res and interpret remaining visible evidence. 31 Tell an interesting story of the people and places that would accommodate a popular (yet hi-storically accurate) tale of the Heritage of' Sau,lt Ste. Marie. evaluation of these options and in light of the principal goal of this study and the quan'tity and quality of the..visible artifacts, the study 7 team concluded that the Heritage of Sault,Ste. Marie would best be interpreted as a story. This story could then be told in a walkway along the see THE HERITAGE section Waterfront Corridor with individual spaces displaying interesting tales about people, events and artifacts near the areas where those historical offerings occurred. The emphasis of this pedestrian interpretation is to involve the participant. The information that is to be offered would-be historically accurate and would be a "hands-on" experience. Interesting spaces and structures that do exist would be explained in various ways, some ghost replicas would be created and the saga of Sault Ste. Marie would be told as a continuous narrative. 0-t Waterf ront Corridor Linear The Waterfront Corridor has been,previously Analysis identified by the Coastal Area Management Plan, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan as having a high potential for additional.development to complement the Locks as a tourist attraction. It is within this corridor that the study is primarily intended and, therefore, the analysis section of this,study focuses on that area. Specific elements analyzed are: Automobile tirculati on and parking. 2. Evaluation of existing facilities and open spaces. 3. Delineation of significant structures@ 4. Potential for historic interpretation. 5, Potential for improVem ent of waterfront visual resources. 9 -(H@FSE 7ivo 'm-r Ar NCOAf RA r, VCA -r,0,6 ANY VO$17'@S 4)ONOT -0 1;5 r 7 COMW Ed A ASAMTI@ML -rot@ tsoc7iom op ?@UtTAi;6 67'9697 -9@W@06 I" 7'AOkg P-@M@ WORA Low@,D A-0 "rovoo M@Nr- 4.o AO PA M@T 15,rcff FAr@r@ "aelL.0 OCCWX /At rNIS AA-EA BIVD allr AD A Ts ctwrmoezwD Ay PS. 7'C#AIAI AalTr t WX FdPlcdr Ar 04 OF ftauc CrN TV #is 7-0 c wA@-A@. edpec'Y SC-eDi.OD b AWED. AL-W Lo@p_ -rowEx ar Yfe'Tory. DOMINAMT 4ANDAMR AtO PA*'XlNq. 4CCESS' 'By AND rOWr Tfq/,V E.Celz&qT FLAce Pt:kr cpelrv/eov OF cwry Supp-mlom 5rATg OxLe Ar C] u C@ PorIA4AA'r WAC@-AY AD-r& C, 0 0 0 75,qFRO/V7 ORRIL LINF.Ax ANAiysls O'BOYLE e rd opment ncept 11 avel @n The ability to capture the imagination and hold visitors in the community for longer periods of time will require community commitment. That commitment will require goals that are broader than just offering the Locks to the visiting public. The perception that the Locks are enough to bring in up to a million visitors to'Sault Ste.. Marie is hot enough.-@,Thecommunity has more to offer. But to effect-ively compete, it cannot accept its present role as a depressed, small, northern city. It should.adopt new.goals that take advantage of its international position. Sault Ste.' Marie, Michigan can offer more than the International Bridge to Canada. It can capitalize on the fact that it gets its share of seasonal visitors that include a trip to the Locks in their itinerary. The city must now take Broad _SCa I e --Goo Is the extra step and commit to goals that would make it more than a stopping place to see a.few ships pass through the Locks. It must commit to a rather subtle change in philosophy that could make it a primary destination for the traveler. Among:.,those goals that could strengthen the image of a Via,ble Sault,Ste. Marie are: The recognition by the co;nmunity that the whole city contributes, however subtly, to the overall impression that visitors perceive i.n their.short time there.. The most impoetant.task is to generate an enthusiasm in all of Sault Ste. Marie's residents to the town and its heritage. Friendly-people, tree lined streets, a healthy business and industrial di:strict-as well as:.@, pleasant open spaces contribute to the total positive feeling that is carried from the 10 community and contributes to the decision.to stay longer. The commitment by the community to the philosophy that they REALLY WANT more visitors to come to Sault Ste. Marie and once there, stay longer. The pstablishment of quality standards for historicbl, cultural, commercial and hotel/motel facilities. The recognition that the commun ity can compete favorably with the offerings of other national attractions an'8 the commitment to spend whatever effort and money is available wise'ly,-not just qui-ckly, to get the'job done. A commitment by the*community must be made that a first effort or phase is only part of the total need to raise the conscious level of both tourists and residents to the current assets of the community as-well as its'heritage. The encouragement--of the private as well-as-,the public sectors to help fund improvements to renovate, restore or reuse, not cover up or disguise, historical structures. The move to respect well designed period architecture has proven to be good business practice in other parts of the country and should be capitalized on here. Recognition by the commercial enterprises along Ashmun Street and the entire business community that they can derive a direct economic benefit from iniprovement in the Waterfront Corridor. In addition, efforts by the City Planning Department to coordinate the C.B.D. with the waterfront development should be supported. Coordinated comm6nity development of additional parking within easy walking distance of the Waterfront Corridor. City, Corps of Engineers and private development of additional parking lots should be integrated in the Ci.ty Planning- Department's efforts to revitalize the city and its River Island.' In-order.to achieve at least some of these broad scale goals, it will be necessary to commit to Strategies certain strategies. Those strategies could well include the following: Promoti on Once committed-to the idea that the community welcomes visitors and sincerely wishes that their stay could include the Heritage that is Sault Ste. Marie.,, all possible.media forms should .convey thal, message. Signage Upon. approaching the City, the visitor should have a clear idea where to go to experience the entire Locks Park. Little doubt.should exist to- the first time visitor that Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan welcomes him. It should not be necessary 'to assault him with six or seven signs that take away from the-image@-of a consolidated eff ort to-make him feel comfortable. With that',in mind, we.--have developed a central motif for the Waterfront Corridor and recommend see LOGO & MOT.IF'sec@tion that it be used as a si.ngle graphic at the .@primary entrance to the City (Ashmun and Easterday) from 1-75 and-other local entry roads. Additional signs leading through the City should be consistent with the single 1ogo representing that Locks Park with the Locks and other waterfront facilities is easily accessible. Inclusion of other Unformation such as boat tours, overnight accommodations and other 12 attractions simply confuses and alienates -the tourist in his quest to be near the Locks. In order to develop an orderly automobile access to the primary attractors of the waterfront area, we recommend the following circulation plan: W-49TORDAY Orderly Parking Upon reaching his destination, parking should not frustrate the visitor's efforts to see the Locks but should be orderly while exposing him to other assets which could ignite his interest in the communi-ty. The parking,lot is often the last impression a tourist recalls.- Comfort Facilities 4. overnight accommodations, restaurants, and comparison goods shopping facilities should contribute to the total Locks Pa.rk experience. 13 River Interface 5. All efforts should be made-to mitigate the feeling that nearly two miles of riverfront and Locks running through the city is fenced off and, therefore, unavailable,to casual contact by the visitor. Compromise agreements should be negotiated with the Corps of Engineers to ensure the safety of visitors and workmen without seeming to set up a second-Berlin Wall. Use low fencing 42" high+ for the protecti-on of visitors instead of 7`8' high chain I ink topped with barbed wire. Strategic Sit es A determination of the future disposition of certain strategic sites that effect the success of the entire Locks Park concept should be made as soonas possible. Those sites include: a. Brady Park b. Coast Guard Station c. Old Post Office d. Edison Sault Electric Plant 14 Visitor Involvement A long-term dedication of resources should be made to extend the opportunities for visitor involvement in the heritage of Sault Ste. Marie to the entire i'sland of the central core of the city. This could best be accomplished by: a. Enlargement.of an interesting pedestrian walkw'ay via side trips or routes from the Locks Park corridor. b. Arrangements for a flexible on/off pass system to shuttle busses or trams that@would move through certain parts of the community during the peak season. c. Preparation of a comprehensive, interpretive brochure'of Sault Ste.'Marie that could be used for self-guided pedestrian and automobile tours through historic parts of the city, the nearby River Island and nearby points of interest. These publications should be of high quality. r An. apC 15 d Encouragement of private enterprises to offer day long boat tours through the River Island Chain or upriver to the Lake Superior shores of Michigan. e. Development of facilities and attitudes that would encourage pleasure boats to spend time in.Sault Ste. Marie. Along with those facilities could be the extra incentives to offer full and bareboat charter service near the Locks and the downtown area. f. Encouragement for local restaurants to offer quality.dishes th at are unique to-the .Herita*ge of Sault Ste. Marie. Ethnic dishes, boiled whitefish and other offerings are the touches that leave lasting impressions. The initial community commitment must be the development of Locks Park. With dedication to the-goals stated above and this physical improvement, Sault Ste. Marie will become a viable visitor's attraction. 16 One of the primary objectives of.this study is to define a motif for Sault Ste. Marie and develop a logo to represent that motif. The question is first asked, what is a motif and of what importance is it in-this study? Webster defines motif as "a salient feature of a work; the theme or dominant feature". In any design problem and in particular one of the scale undertaken here for Sault Ste. Marie, the first t'ask is to.sort out all the existing conditions and variables and attempt to identify a dominant theme around which everything is organized. @If that-is not done, most development that occurs is near chaos..-,-'- The case has been stated and justi fied elsewhere in this study that the dominant theme of the primary development area in Sault Ste. Marie should be that of a water oriented green space in which historical features can be interpreted. The logo or symbol for.Sault Ste. Mar ie presented here is historically oriented in shape and letter style and-reflects both the domi.nan-t character of the waterfront and the City. The logo is shown as it could be used in a variety of ways to simply and uniformly direct vis,itors, identify features,.and identify the City. 17 The primary logo to.identify the City of Sault T, Ste. Marie, Michigan. This form should be used on its own as a sign face. It can be used a5 a directional symbol, on publications, as a letterhead, or identifying mark from highway signs.to.shopping bags.- -.Noun- This logo is also intended to,identif y Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. This form should be used.whepe. the shape of the shield and the ship would --- conflict with other symbols. This spot can be used in the same ways as the shield above but only if it is determ ined that the shield does not fit. The primary use for this logo would be to mark tram stopping points throughout the city. 18 Historic Locks Park This symbol is to be used to identify Historic Locks Park; the area from Treaty Point to the Edison Sault Electric Company. Possibly in the future, it should be used to identify the entire island area of Sault Ste. Marie. Historic Locks background Park color blue Fort Johnston Plank Locks Brady Homestead Alley Overlook This symbol is to be used in Locks Park to identify specific areas of interest. This symbol should also be used in the guide books and maps so visitors can relate from a symbol on a map and text to a sign on the ground. Spots and names can be expanded as new attractions are added. 19 The symbol of the ship alone can also be used for various purposes. It is proposed here that it be used initially as the symbol on the pedestrian trail markers in Locks Park. As the logo becomes better known and identified, this symbol can be used more since words will not be necessary. The layout for the logo shield and spot is presented here as a ratio to the width of the shield. The art work can be photgraphically reproduced to fit the size of the shield. background off white lettering blue lines blue sky darker shade of off white boat and water blue The signs that follow are the proposals to display the logo and interpretive material. They are designed to be consistent with the main theme of the area, to be of materials that are locally available, economical, readily fabricated and interesting. 21 MAJOR KIOSK The major kiosk is to bci used at r strategic points along the walk such as primary starting points. It should explain what the area is (see fic sign below) as well as speci historic-facts and current events. Pr This kiosk should dispense tour maps and could be lighted and include a public phone. roncIz@e ha@l M-e MAJOR KIOSK PLAN The citizens of Sault Sainte Marie welcome you to: L.L. Park i-ongout, to-tanity.ffrt t.Ukth. many hat"t, feel.,. of our waterfront. The --aon and interpretation under,vay at ..i-. i... in he park wiU heip to trU the sjoy behind -., 350 y- .1 ou, h.,il.s.. We hop. the, 'hi. cotnfi-img poi- iU make -h trip 1. Sault S11A.. Man, mon, W.-intr We invite J,ou to -plore iorks Park on foot, by thu, Y.b.L Walk ------- 0-k ar-64 by ilue ijn Guidebook Igor- Tr:m Pl-aeuk. . Map A Guidebook to make your visit mmpktt. Aft., you Locke Fark. we invite y- so vi.ii the other hia'aric saaa and bi1diS, of our oty, r e 22 SMALL KIOSK Thi's kiosk should be used where ...:, @@ Ue height is.--required to explain the 2-r-Z-Mw@ JA2Y necessa.ry,material or to attract attention. Graphic" material can be displayed on one,.two, three-or four sides and should be similar to that shown he' for.Henry Schoolc,raft., MIJ re -\ Mi Henry Schoolcraft e L briginal Facades 1827 01 41, J7 6W :5@0 5 Schoolcraft House i.7 E r Before Reswration 23 PEDESTAL SIGN The pedestal sign can be used at a RI variety of points along@the walkway ma e4 "105-,et not just at primary information stations. They can be used to display relatively brief narratives or photographs of points of interest. ILIr ve !@14#1 rz 64 W 'A 4., PEDESTAL SIGN DETAIL., 24 identification plaque solid interpretive panels both sides or single seethou panel TWO POST SIGN This is a relatively large sign which could have a metal or see-through plexiglass face. Its primary purpose is to display large photographs, sektches and some narrative to be as life-like and interesting as possible. It is proposed that the existing State of Michigan Historic Markers be used along with the new signs to indicate Michigan Historic Sites and to tell the story. STATE HISTORIC SIGN 25 ba m rief This sign would use fabric or metal ,panels that would-be-changed periodically to advertise special events and happenings in the City and along the walkway in bold, bright colors. The same signs could gy 9 -t"-"ka be used each year for annual events. EVENTS BANNER SIGN 26 WALKWAY STATION IDENTIFICATION !�IGN RS This is the type of sign that should be used to give directions into the City, to give directions to Locks Park and to identify specific graphl@ z-,Ai-S stations in Locks Park.- All directional signs used should be of this character. nd@_ - @w_ It is proposed that this sign be used along the path visitors are-to 4=La follow in Historic Locks Park. As more areas of interest are developed 41 'A 1/8 -:5 led/ these same markers could be used V/ @@Jvtvo _.') with different colors to mark Pal individual areas or tours. PEDESTRIAN TRAIL MARKER 47 '619 t" le, ba.4- 27 Pkn rk @tmel@,ment ks T he Development Plan for Locks Park makes-two ' simplistic assumpti.ons: Assumflon 1, Most of the up to one million annual visitors to the community come primarily to see the Locks. AssmPtion 2. A majority of the visitors spend a couple of hours watching several ships pass through the navigation Locks and perhaps, an-additional two to four hours at community attractions and businesses and then leave the city for other destinations. In order to elongate the visitor day from less than one million visitor days to up to two million visitor days, we believe that several is'sues must be honestly considered: Issue 1. The admission that the Locks [email protected] will continue to be the major international attractor for tourists to the community. Issue 2. .-Several parcels of land located within the walk- way are not owned.or controlled by the City, however, they are critically located and of significant hi.storic importance. It'is important that the city work with the owners and administrators of these lands so they may be incorporated into this conceptual plan and used to the benefit of Sault Ste. Marie. Issue 3. The commitment to quality development of a second major anchor (Johnston Homestead area) to complement the attraction of the Locks. Issue'4, The development of a quality pedestrian link between the two proposed major attractors. As we have indicate.d-in prior sections, the entire River Island created by the Power Canal could eventually be developed as a major... 28 attracti6n.for tourists. We are, however, concentrating on the Wa terfront Corridoe (Locks Park) from the Locks to and including the Edison Sault Electric *Company north of Portage-Street as the most significant initial effort. We project a plan that if developed properly within realistic implementation phases, could demonstrate that there is indeed more to see in Sault Ste. Marie after one has seen the Locks. We have envisioned this initial effort to concentrate on pedestrian participation in interesting spaces along the waterfront. In order to-make this effort successful, we believe a commitment for this area should include: Wdll@mcry Features a. Areas for local artists, craftspeople, flower vendors, etc. b. Space for festivals, art fairs and other regularly scheduled spec[al events;':events that recall tradition of the past that involve active-participation by visitors should be an integral part of the planning. c . Lanscaping and street furniture should be integrated to develop human scale, unify A" 4-1- 44- )A quality and add interest to the spaces. alas) b. k PAA oS. 29 d. Signs and other interpretive.devices-should be developed to appeal to people of all ages and to minimize the need to be an historian to enjoy and feel comfortable with the experience. A@ e. Visi tor involvement and participation. to avoid the feeling that-the walkway is merely another outdoor museum. .f. People.in period cos.tumes partic ipating with the visitors'and becoming part of the visual experience.' g. Indian involvement in the interpretation of the Heritage of Sault Ste. Marie by developing a small encampment and/or becoming part of the visible human reminder of their historical importance. h. Development of a major outdoor.performing amphitheater near adequate parking to- facilitate regular events. 30 operation Management In order to ensure the future of Locks Park, we believe an operational and management vehicle should be established to raise funds, develop quality facilities and operate and maintain common attractions. This umbrella agency could benefit all the citizens of the city. Possible activities could include: Funding a. Serve as a receiver of donated and grant funding and services. b. Develop a common ticke.t concept for several area fee attracti ons that could.be offered to visitors a t a reduced rate. A percentage of this ticket or pass fee could be retained for operation and maintenance of common free facilities. C. Encourage local vendors to offer good quality museum gifts and crafts for sale that could be representative of the heritage of the area and the s'tate. In addition, a booklet detailing the historical attractions and their location could be a major feature. Development a. Contract for planning and implementation in logical phases of common facilities in strict adherence to quality standards. b. Utilize local craftspeople and labor to construct portions of the work and make that effort part of the experience of the visitor. An'example of this would be that in the, renovation of the Schoolcraft House, agood case could be made for doi.rig all the renovation by hand,allowing people to observe the process. It is very likely that the reconstruction process may be more 31 interesting to the visitor than the f,inished project.. c. Attention to detail-that is more important than quantity can only be managed by an authority having responsibility for the whole, not parts, of public or.quasi-public facilities. Operation and-Management a. centralize visitor center operations to make local--attractions available but not give the impression to the visitor that the town is full of hawkers offering tourist traps. b. Develop a maintenance plan that would encourage the whole town to sparkle. Good quality offerings and.authenticity are not enough if the area is dirty or trash is in evidence. Successful theme parks such as Disney World have demonstrated the need and economic return of maintenance. C. Encourage local historians to act as tour guides for Senior Citizen and other bus 32 groups that might be easily lured to the city in the off-season if properly approached and adequately entertained. d. Program regular events in the public facilities that could showcase local talent and provide entertainment to the community as well'as visitors. The most successful events could well be those whose original purpose is to provide entertainment for the area. Emphasis in that direction will not only increase chances for survival for the activities but al so, in turn, will be more genuine to the visitor. Such events could be the unique events, such as: *Band Concerts *Demonstration from the Coast Guard Fireboat *Coast Guard Openhouses *Corps of Engineers Openhouses First Boat of the Season Festival *Last Boat of the Season Festival *Parades *Art Fairs and Student Arts & Crafts Shows *Indian Ceremonies, Encampments & Meetings *4th of July Canoe Races *Original Mackinac Boat Races *Drum and Bugle Corps Formation *Outdoor Barbecues by Service Groups *.Ethnic Food Festivals e. Possible establishment of a "Park Ranger" program to facilitate parking, maintenance, sales and visitor information activities. f. Provision of a central' clearing house to negotiate with public and private.interests to make waterfront and historical structures more available and appealing. 33 The Development Plans that follow detail the proposed site development of Historic Locks Park and graphic int erpretation of the Heritage of Sault Ste. Marie. 34 -6415 *'/O-sk mwwfo NAVE Mae wa j 7@ I)vr-o MA710t-i 74-- nE 0AW k105 I. WAtKWAY P-X7=1-A,444-7/0Al 4,VZ@ MA,@ 4:V4-"Ts --st" rDR 4c7/qT/ES 1h' T4A'47 S7@--444R%5 5. PA IVE I- Wl TH 4N 0 YAM V/--JV @@ 4#1147 s"w A16'-vR-r' 4. FAAAEL ON 7#r- E.4j'rj C IN -'44/LT :577@S, "AN-iU- LOCKS OVERLOOK STATION PLAN 8 @om I KEY ko. All LOCKS PARK STRIP MAP k-'@ &J- A", O'BOYLE COWELL ROHRER & ASSOC., INC. 0/30/01 p- I . ..... ... .. zi IYVI --rap ire LOCKS OVERLOOK MAJOR KIOSKI r MAJOR- r,-- OcKeo Te@ T7@ R@el'x 2(Ay way ........ . @pvvm Fj,,17@) TO -40f Az 7,, :57Kk- 'A "W@ @01k* A -r'ev5 I- V S7 -,,v- PVH /T@ PlAtD-, NCW '@,l T 4@ @5,1,qN V/7W W@7 4-1 PLANK ALLEY STATION PLAN t Rs W-* A ll-e@l LOCKS PARK STRIP MAP O'BOYLIE COWELL *Qt'4RER' ASSOC., INC. G/:1041 P--r2 Ar, 17. VI -I. L LiMLA L't I lkl . ............. VI/k Zi PLANK ALLEY INTERPRETWE AREI THA7 47- POE JLe- r-,-q -@a@ .3 7rbg-'% or 7'Ao Iz- r C@ rC*-r MrA@Y- WA4415 T@- 7-Y',--- @ A@pmo-,@Tg =qvw@ 12@,:A4--45 110 W-# 7@7 ANO PAIOr4@5 01 r#d 1?05 C5198MATfO" 'Alri-9 SA71 774e 4@,Aa E.@-PM6tlr. 4- zwo-eo Pr AVA7- &MAOr A04-rXZM-) av@m -veseW7 D-r Los A&W IVA. re.-ra P)Avls 7E A- 97-,r j5 a 7- A"o A','A'RA-rly@T m ef7', EXr-j A III- feK'7 sm A-6pa@N-rl4N@r _NAc,@ ---4rcwq 41q VEIV4)0,V- see "o"r' XL7loV/ws'ff'e @7-140 9@4>5'rrEeT /7-r- OA- CLOSi@@, WATe--r 57,ee-17 6A'Aj>'r Af" ,LRA57 A09' 6vFv7!s. FORT BRADY STATION PLAN G-CA1,5 r-4o' AP BRADY PARK AREA ST I MA Y-LA@ AZOV") "JV 116.. WAMA7"ff (j.$T e.A- PXt)Ffl5fi A Z-AAL P@r- 7M.- TO axp"'. C70r. A4AX@0 7@LAmx A-my W-7-&Jr 4'rr..T a e,rm C WELL RON RER A ASSOC., INC. 6/30/61 61tiat of M14;otl rL-- 5-191 FORT BRADY OBELISK AREA Tw 116 t4 6. 7q, I-Al ve /* walk, FORT BRADY WALL RECONSTRUCTION1 S-4 0 eT Ir .- Lo8ofe.W ILI 7-. FOR'T BRADY MARQUETTE MISSION GHOST. FRAME S-5- A el A6el 91., Ll@ LIFE SIZE FIGUREJ MA PEC t, /,vaW M@AE 7@'C lk 7-1 W-4@ 1-1 7MIL @-r- AX7@@GLI E1-6c7mlc Z@ A:-, rl> 03 17 7fte ASIt,.A C@ V, 5T-T IN-TA@ 4-'ZN64@ 7@- -A@-5 C-17j' `4@ 7@ jc-.E@ CITY F-ATk /11@ oc', @Ezl , -7-@c Ft-r Arswma@ ZbT Awl@71'vq P4,rK/N,* 4--T AvPt;-r/4A7-/- it:- kA-= ATZA4`Wl 'k*96- IM16LAAWAY &XP"NAT@N AWO 1. & V&Af 7-s --stqN imow = r/m 3 Av S@ r 38KH0P b^M49^ AND A Abase a-aN17-y E114@Z@-q 4Wier CA'w. A@c 07,Vc& PWA-s POAS"Ir 11-7 rOR -10 @Ilq All- @,U7 to w Wr r--m T MAP CKS jq TON H JOHNS OMESTEAD STATION PLAN UG@ HIGH PRIORITY ITEMS A, @i O'BOYLE COWELL ROHRER ASSOC., INC. 6/30/81 6-r. M A /W-7'@S IV VEA@ tu 7Aess 7 C 4dRAC 6 Eva-F'.6, T_@ IW5 @AC@4 .1 V& A S@@ 1. @pr- xt IT@ u A 'Am'Gry Op C,4Nq RAM= :E r7 4-@, rRa, Te c rme Ev qe@ 7m" e6 tT pl@l X. WA@ 'NA-. 7AWO@, iwsT,.q &,Cc eWA@ -LA- 7 T@ 'N'p-_r ava" rewsE.0 RAR pzo&v- fvu, r 1 1, @ "s, %A I -ro IA@ To 7'1@-7 77--s bib- s N El Erl -F@wr 7.1mas zrp.*c.. lro@ 7 WEW ENT @G TO 7T@ _,rP v, S60 7-4c@19 ADT INPVKMA71014 FDc @clqNs @Y Am@IT@EATEc A 67_,rA@ '-M@0 "l-T 7X-Ai4. J.= '*MrS7-CAC A4@- 01@MIYS &I--q P@ N@7?Agff- Iri ko Y!C-tA7@@ 7- @P-17*@719ffl 19 it KIEV CKS 7lbx.-r.4rF_ f7rEET JOHNSTON HOMESTEAD STATION PLAN COMPLETED FORM p W_ ILI VF_T !ro. O'BOYLE COWELL ROHRER A ASSOC, l"C. 6/30/61 P-51 pl- A" e- SCHOOLCRAFT HOUSE RESTORATION EXHIBIT S-7- -T T M, i @pl T-T- ilia rw@ v@ 10, @-.Jo I 4"t JO NSTQk HO*ESTEAD- AMEA Bf "AG "- Yn'-"@ - I ""%n r - ^ " "',4- f" et EfiMdtes The following estimates have been assembled according to work items to facilitate setting of annual prioriti es. A recommendation for first priority is indicated by an asterisk (*) and totals are summarized on the last page. station on the plan sheets has been identified in the estimates. All estimates reflect 1981 construction costs. Periodic adjustments should be made to reflect annual changes. Estimated fees for pr eparation of final plans and bidding do cuments have only been included on the summary page. 35 LOCKS OVERLOOK STATION - Pl From Corps of Engineers to Plank Al ley Station. *1 Locks Overlook Station Identification S.ign $ 1,8oo *1 Major Kiosk 6,000 *14 Pedestrian Trail Markers along existing walks 700 *1 Pedestal Sign 500 **fotal Budget $ 9,000 *Suggested for 1981 Implementation Budget $ 9,000 **Total Budget assumes that walk or street lighting-will not be required in this area. PLANK ALLEY STATION - P2 *1 Plank Alley Station Identification Sign $ 1,800 Plank Alley Reconstruction 8,000 Red Sandstone Retaining Wall 4oo Lilacs & Ground Covers 400 Strap Railroad Reconstruction 2,000 *3 Two Post Signs 2,250 Additional Concrete 300 *1 Major Kiosk 6,000 2 Pedestal Signs 1,000 Wagon or SI'6igh No Estimate *3 Pedestrian Trail Markers 150 **Total Budget $ 22,300 *Suggested for 1981 Implementation Budget $ 16,700 (note: Only one of the Two Post Signs (Early Water Street) has been included in the Budget) **Total Budget assumes that walk or street lighting will not be required in this area. 36 FORT BRADY STATION - P3 *1 Fort Brady Station Identification Sign $ 1,800 Elijah Allen Display Area Picket Fence 1,400 Pedestal- Sign- 500 Lilacs near picket fence 500 New 10' wide Stonechip Walk from Allen Display to-Marquette Display with wood-edging" 1,000 Father Marquette Display Area Concrete Pad 1,800 Ghost Frame Display 3,500 Sculptural Personages (Father and Two Indians) 6,ooo Pedestal Sign (Father Marquette) 500 Obelisk Display-Area- Concrete Pad 1,800 6 Benches (see Performance Stan-dards) 3,300 Two Post Sign (see-through photo of 1905 Celebration) 750 Three-Natio ns Flag Exhibition Concrete Pad 1,800 3 Flagpoles and Flags@ 3,000 Pedestal Sign (Cass) 500 Plank Paving 5,750 Planting around the three disp@tay areas 2,000 New Stonechip Walk from Three-Flags to Fort DeRepentigny 4,ooo Fort Brady Display Area Two Post Sign 750 3 Pedestal, Signs 13500 2 Benches (see Performance Standards) 1,100 Fort Brady Partial Reconstruction including Block House 35,000 Fort DeRepentigny Displ ay-Area Stonechip Walk and Planting (include existing stone and marker as part of display) 1,200 37 FORT BRADY STATION --P3 (continued) Paul Bunyan Display Area Interim display to interpret work of the Corps in. the area. 2. Pedestal Signs $ 1,000 Stonechips 200 Stonechip Walk to and including Waterfront Viewing Area 4,ooo Waterfront Viewing Area Change 7' high chain I ink fence to low fence (match fence at viewing area of the Navigational Locks) 4)000 16 Benches (see Performance Standards) 5,800 Miscellaneous Street Furniture (see Performance Standards) 5,000 Additional Park Trees 10,000 Tram Drop-Off Area Paving and Curb and Gutter Changes 4,-500 *6 Pedestrian Trail Markers 300 10 New Walk Lights (see Performance Standards) 10,000 Total Budget $124,250 *Suggested for 1981 Implementation Budget $ 4,350 JOHNSTON HOMESTEAD STATION - A Landscape Plantings & Gardens $100-,:-000 Picket Fencing at Schoolcraft House 5,320 New Stonechip Walks 10,000 Earth Berm Amphitheater 25,000 Boardwalks & Decks S.S. Valley Camp 45,000 Deck across Rear of S.S. Val] ey Camp 17,500 New Deck at Public Boat Slips 8o,ooo Steps, Deck-& Boardwalk north of Schoolcraft Hous e 25,000 15 New Lights (see Performance Standards) 15,000 New Parking and Drive Changes 56,000 Move, Renovate Outside and Provide Setting and Services for the Baraga House as a Visitor's Center 30,000 Restrooms near Baraga House 45,000 38 JOHNSTON HOMESTEAD STATION - P4 (continued) Close Water Street between Glenn and Johnstone (includes removal of existing paving and curb and gutter .and installation of fiefl, topsoil, new paving, curb and gutter, inlets a 'nd storm sewer) $ 24,ooo Miscellaneous Lawn Work, Topsoil, Seeding and Sodding 10,000 Miscellaneous Street Furniture (see-,Performance Standards) 10,000 Small Kiosk'at the U.S. Coast Guard Station 1,000 Small Kiosk for Johnston and Schoolcraft 1"000 2 Johnston Homestead Station Identification Signs 3 6oo Pedestal Sign - Kemp Office @500 Events Banners (fabric) for Special Displays 1,500 Major Kiosk at the Baraga House 6,000 Miscellaneous Two Post and Pedestal Signs near Amphitheater 2,500 Outdoor Coal Display (north of Kemp Office) 3,000 Pedestrian Trail Markers 150 Total Budget $517,070 *.Suggested for 1981 Implementation Budget $ 57,070 SUMMARY OF LOCKS PARK- DEVELOPMENT BUDGET -ESTIMATES A. Total Estimated Long Range Rhysical Development Budget $672,620 Estimated Fees 67,000 TOTAL ESTIMATE $739,620 B. Total Suggested 1981 Implementation Budget Pl - Locks Overlook Station $ 9,000 P2 - Plank Alley Station 16,700 P3 - Fort Brady Station 4,350 P4 - Johnston Homestead Station 57,070 Directional Signs from 1-75 Ashmun Ramp 1,8oo Easterday Ramp 1,800 Easterday & Ashmun Intersection 1,800 Easterday & Johnstone Intersection 1,800 Easterda'y & Eureka Intersection 1,8oo Eureka & Spruce Intersection 1,800 SUGGESTED-'Jrg8l IMPLEMENTATION $ 97,920 Estimated Fees 10,000 TOTAL ESTIMATE $107,920 39 SUMMARY OF LOCKS PARK DEVELOPMENT BUDGET ESTIMATES (continued) C. Other Long Range Recommendations 1. Preparation and publication of 10,000 one-page, two-color, fold-out brochures of The Heritage and Map of Locks Park estimate $1,800 2. Preparation and publication of a multi-page guidebook of The Heritage of Sault Ste. Marie estimate $4,500 40 ne The following is the Heritage of Sault Ste. Marie. The symbols in this text relate to the symbols of each specific station indicated on the Development Plans for Locks Park. As stated earl.ier, this narrative should be included in the publication of a comprehensive, interpretive brochure'and walking tour map of Historic Locks Park and eventually, in a guide book of Sault Ste. Marie. 41 HISTORIC OVERVIEW Ole., From the river, the rocks and the fish grew Sault Ste. Marie. Centuries of advancing and retreating glaciers scooped out the immense valleys that came to be the Great Lakes. The water level of glacial Lake Algonquin, ancestor of the present Upper Great Lakes, stood 50 feet higher than presently. A narrow strait, without rapids, two to six mi-les wide, connected Lakes Superior and Huron. The ridge line, one-half mile to the south, now topped by Lake Superior College, marks an ancient beach of this strait. As the last glacier retreated and the Great Lakes assumed their approximate present contours and water levels, a ]edge of solid Jacobsville sandstone, one-half mile-wide, separated Lake Superior, with its 23 feet higher water level, from Lake Huron. Over this 'Iedge, thickly strewn with glacially deposited granite bo ulders, raced the waters of Lake Superior known as the St. Marys River. At the rapids thus formed, the water dropped 18 feet in less than one-half mile. Whitefish, famed as one of nature's most succulent foods, abounded in great numbers in the region, especially in the rapids. Prehistoric Indians settled in the vicinity because of this rich source of food. Shortly before contact w i th the f i rs t wh i te' men i n the ea r I y 17th Century, bands of Ch i ppewa (Ojibway) migrated from the north and east to establish a village, Bowating (shallow water pitching over rocks), at the foot of the rapids. A specialized technology emerged as the best method to catch the whitefish which formed their primary diet. They poled their frail birch bark canoes up the swift current of the rapids. Spotting the whitefish, easily visible in the shallow water, with long handled nets they ski'llfully dipped their canoes full of the gleaming trophies. During the Fall, when the whitefish ran, thousands of Indians from various tribles gathered here to fish; while a smaller number remained year round. 42 The Chippewa lived in bark covered wigwams, practiced limited agriculture, gathered wild rice and made maple sugar, but relyed predominately on hunting and fishing. They believed,a mysterious power dwelt in all objects, animate an d inanimate, which they worshipped as Manitus. Elaborate funeral customs included bur ial in.a sitting position or lying on the back.or side. A major Chippewa cemetary existed on land now forming a portion of Government Park. Harvey's first lock passed directly through this sacred site, and during its construction in 1853-55 great quantities of bones were unearthed. The militant Chippewa warriors engaged in perennial wars with the Sioux to the' west and the Iroquois Confed eration to the southeast but remained uniformly friendly with the French. In 1653 and 1662,*lar ge war parties of Iroquois from western New York invaded the Sault area.. In both instances, armies-of Chippewa and other western tri,bes-routed these fierce invadersi destroying them almost to a man. Iroquois Point, twenty miles to the west, commemorates one such battle in which the bodies of large numbers of slain Iroquois were left on the beach. As late as the 1820's, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft reported scattered bones at the site. Samuel de Champlain f.irst visited New France in 1603, founded Quebec-as- his base in 1608, and embarked on a lifelong quest for a water route leading to the legendary riches of the Orient. As a result, he promoted the discovery of the Upper Great Lakes and the establishment of French dominion there. His protege, Etienne Brule@. prior-to his cannabalization by the Hurons-in 1632, repeatedly ventured into the unknown country to the west. He apparently passed through the Sault region sometime before 1623 and probably named the rapids there Sault (jump or small waterfall).de Gaston-(brother to the King of France). In 1634, another protege, Jean Nicollet, equipped with a ceremonial Oriental robe to greet the Chinese, also jour neyed through the Sault on an exploration tour during which he became the first white man to reach Lake Michigan. 43 In 1641, the Hurons held a commemorative celebration, the Great Feast of the Dead, on the shore of Lake Huron. Two Jesuit missionaries, Fathers Charles Raymbault and Issac Joques, attended the festival where they met a delegation of Chippewa from the Sault who invited them to visit their village. In October of that year, they reached the site to find a gathering of 2000 Indians. Staying only a few days, they performed Mass and named the river after their patron, Sainte Marie. Raymbault died the following year, and Joques was captured by the Iroquois and submitted to fiendish tortures, his hands mutilated and fingernails chewed off. He eventually escaped, was rescued by the Dutch of Albany, and made his way back to France. However, he returned to Quebec in 1644,- to become one of the first of many subsequent martyrs when he fell victim to a Mohawk hatchet in 1646. Following the disasterous defeat of the Iroquois'in 1653, the French established a temporary peace and the following year a great fleet of canoes laden with furs made its way to Montreal. This stimulated fur traders, Medart Grosseiliers.and Pierre Radisson to renew exploration of the western country. In 1659, during one such voyage, they reached the Sault and Radisson noted the abundance and fine flavor of the whitefish in his journal. After a journey during which they discovered the Mississippi River, they returned to Lower Canada in 1660 where the governor levied a ruinous fine on their rich cargo of furs. Failing to gain justice from French authorities, they offered their valuable knowledge of the interior to the rival British. Charles 11 thereby chartered the Hudson's Bay Company which eventually superceeded French control of the western fur trade. For severa.] decades following the mid 1660's, Sault Ste. Marie remained the major seat of French activi.ty in all the Upper-Great Lakes country. It became a common rendezvous for a generation of French explorers, Jolliet, Pere Sieur Du Luth, Saint Lusson, who continued to seek the western water route 44 to the Orient and the fabled copper deposited to the west. The Jesuit missionaries designated the Sault as the headquarters for their extensive Ottawa mission in the latter 1660's because of its major geographical position. Perhaps most importantly, Sault Ste. Marie became the first site in the Upper Great Lakes to assume importance as a trading center when it emerged as the nucleus of a widespread fur trade, a distinction -it retained until the rise of Mackinac in the 1680's. From the Sault, licensed traders as well as their more colorful rivals, the unlicensed coureurs de bois, fanned out for hundreds of miles loaded with blankets, trinkets, and whiskey and other trade goods to return months or years later, their canoes piled high with rich beaver pelts. However, this golden age in Sault history was to be short lived. Toward the end of the 17th Century, when Indian wars made Lake Superior unhealthy for white men, activity moved to the south, to St. Ignace and Mackinac. Shortly thereafter, partly as a result of Jesuit persuasion the French banned fur trade from the Upper country, and under Cadillac, Detroit came into prominence. The Fathers abandoned their mission at-the Sault sometime around 1700 and a half century of historical darkness shrouded the region. But Sault Ste. Marie was too strategically located to remain asleep. Despite the prominence of Mackinac in the later fur trade, a rather vi@gorous trade continued at the Sault. As the Michigan fur trade became largely a thing of the past by the middle of the 19th Century, the Upper Peninsula would quicken with other economic activity. Vast forests of white pin'&@and some of the world's richest troves of copper and iron awaited discovery and harvesting. Sault Ste-. Marie, as the gateway to this wealth, would again see bustling activity. Even before this time of extractive exploitati on, Sault S-te. Marie enjoyed the beginning of an industry that continues to the present as her most important economic asset, tourism. 4.5 The first three decades of the l9th Century witnessed visits to the Sault by travelers bent on exploration or government business, and many such as Alexander Henry, Ross Coxe,. Thomas McKenney and Henry Schoolcraft published picturesque accounts describing the rugged beauty of the region. When the advent of steamboats on Lake Huron in the 1830's made it possible to travel in much greater comfort and safety, excursionists, stimulated by these published accounts, began arriving in-the-north country. A trip to Sault Ste. Marie and Mackinac Island became part-of a fas.hionable tour and many of the tourists, especially the British, also documented their observations in published travel accounts. Frederick Marryat, prolific author of contemporarily popular adventure novels, described Sault Ste. Marie in his Diary in America (1839)' .'as containing about fifty houses, mostly built of logs, and seemed particularly impressed by the greater development of the American side. One of the most charming of these British tourists, Mrs. Anna Jameson, lingered-at the Sault for several-days in 1837. She likened the churning waters to "an exquisitely beautiful woman in -a fit@ of rage" and became entranced with the prospect of shooting the rapids, Indian style. In Winter Studies and Sumer RanzbZes-.- (1839)-, she breathlessly described her exciting trip down the white water in a ten foot birch bark canoe manned by a skillful Chippewa paddler. Her friends, the Johnstons, assured her that she was the first European female to perform the feat-and promptly renamed her in Chippewa "the woman of the bright foam". Until the rapids were tamed by a compensating dam control-ing-the level of Lake Superior, for three-quarters of a century thousands of other adventurous tourists ran the rapids at the Sault, their Indian paddlers yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs to make it even more exciting. Only the Indians, who knew the rapids by heart,'.dared steer their flimsy crafts through the white water. Even they usually took the precaution of leaving a ceremonial tobacco offering to appease the River Gods before embarking. Some-local Chippewa became tourist 46 attractions in their own right. John Boucher in particular, was a great fisherman who supplied tourists and townspeople alike with fresh whitefish and for decades was known as the most skillful rapids pilot, usually winning the annual 4th of Jul y race. A famous tourist who came in 1846, William Cullen Bryant, arrived while the Sault buzzed with excitement over a mysterious murder. Someone had shot Henry Schoolcraft's brother, James, from ambush at point blank range and evidence pointed to the wildman, John Tanner, as the killer. Tanner had been captured by the Indians as a child in Kentucky, raised by various tribes, and as a contemporary acquaintance described him, he was "more of an Injun than any of the Injuns, and a damned mean Injun too". He had been.brought to the S ault in 1828 by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft as an interpreter but soon discharged because of his insane rages, which later erupted into hatred for Schoolcraft, Abel Bingham, the town's Baptist missionary, and anyone else who thwarted him, including supposedly.James Schoolcraft. Townspeople told William Cullen Bryant that the smoke which clouded visibility came from Tanner's setting the woods on fire. For years, local parents scared children into goodness by tales of the boogie man John Tanner lurking in the woods. Years -later, came stories that Lieutenant Bryant P. Ti Iden, who had been stationed at Fort Brady -i-n 1846, confessed on:, his deathbed to the murder. John Tanner was never seen again after the killing, and the crime itself remains unsolved. INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE, MICHIGAN MERIDIAN, AND UNION DEPOT Boom times hit the Sault in 1887, and the little city that had slumbered since the earlier canal building excitement in 1853-55 woke to find its streets crowded with strangers, tents pitched everywhere, and choice downtown lots zooming in value a hundred-fol8. It was the coming of the railroads that brought these hordes of speculators. Three separate lines simultaneously snaked 47 their way to this northern outpost, promising the long sought overland link to the world and prosperity for the Sault. As the Canadian Pacific extended its .line from the northeast, the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad connected the region with the south, and the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie, later popularly called the "Soo Line" reached out from the west. These three ambitious railroads united in a cooperative venture to finance the construction of a bridge costing $1 million spanning the St. Marys River. In 1887, the great International Bridge, 3607 feet long, stood complete. The Dominion Bridge Company of Lachine, Quebec erected the superstructure, much of which still remains in use. The trunnion bascule section commonly known as the jackknife bridge spanning the 3rd and 4th American locks was installed in 1913, and in 1945 the vertical lift bridge section with towers 175 feet-high replaced the origina.] swing span. The International Bridge generated enormous traffic. In 1910, 3240 railroad engines passed over the bridge hauling 31,508 cars, and 33,638 ships crossed under. Seventy-five years would pass before the two Soo's, American and Canadian, were-united by-a highway bridge. Prior to that, automobiletraffic was ferried L across the St. Marys. The governments of Michigan and Canada created an Internat-Jonall Bridge Authority in 1935 to plan construction but not until 1962 would the International Highway Bridge become reality. Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist, and London of New York designed the structure which including approaches is 2-.76 miles long, contains 114,000 tons of concrete and 11,000 tons of structural steel and cost $20 million. The United States Land Ordinance of 1785 established a system whereby government land would be surveyed, p.rior to sale, into townships six miles square further divided into 36 one mil e square sections. This system was followed for all subsequent disposals of government land to the west. In Michigan, surveyors measured townships from an east/west base line which marks the northern boundries 48 of the second tier of counties in the lower peninsula and a north/south prime meridian extending south from Sault Ste. Marie. A bench mark located at the intersection of Portage Avenue and the International Railroad Bridge-marks the north end of the Michigan Prime Meridian as established in 1840 by U.S. Deputy Surveyor William A. Burt. By the turn of the century, three railroads carried throngs of tourists to bustling Saul.t.Ste. Marie. At that.time, the Union Depot, once the pride of the city, was.constructed to provide common.service for passenger trains. PORTAGE AVENUE To bypass the boiling rapids, early travelers followed an ancient portaging path. It ran from the head of the rapids, west of the International Railroad Bridge, along the present route of Portage Avenue, curved northeast near the Osborne Avenue intersect ion, fol lowed Water--Street and- terminated somewhere near- the north end of Johnstone Street. Along this historic stretch, Indians first beat a path as they carried their birch bark canoes, followed by 17th Century French explorers and missionaries, voyageurs and coureurs de bois lugged heavy loads of prime furs, the first steamship on Lake-Superior was painstaking ly dragged and now automobile traffic whizzes by. The commercial structure, now much a]-tered,-a t-I.-the southeast corner of Portage Avenue and Ferris Street is ther,oldes:t-remaihing building a,lon-g this stretch of Portage Avenue. In 1887, Otto Supe built-this sturdy brick'building with a fashionable Italianate facade crowned with decorative finials to house his retail grocery and jewelry store. A series of tragic lake disasters in 1868-69 prompted the federal government to establish a system of meteorological observation and telegraph stations in 1870. By 1874, this Weather Bu'reau, nic. knamed ''Old Probabilities", had become an institution of great value to ships venturing into the unpredictable Great 49 Lakes. At the turn of the century, Alex Burns, the U.S. Weather Bureau r official stationed here, moved into his handsome new residence and headquarters. That structure.now houses the Marine Library which provides passing ships' crews with books and magazines, the only*institution of its type on the Great Lakes. WATER STREET John Johnston, fur trader and the settlement's leading citizen throughout the first quarter of the l9th Century, laid out several hundred yards of the east end of Water Street as early as 1816. The remainder of the street follows the approximate course of the old-portage path. PF In 1839, the American Fur Company constructed a primitive, strap railroad down the center of the street. Cargo was unloaded at a,warehouse located just west of the Johnston House and portaged around the rapids on cars, drawn by oxen, horses and mules. Around 1846, McKnight Brothers and Tinker acquired the railroad, improved it and operated a lucrative-enterprise until the opening of the canal in 1855 put them out of business. The major--business district-of the town grew up along two blocks of Water Street roughly between River Street and the west entrance to Brady Park. By the 1850's, rows of tightly packed wooden frame buildings housed hotels, grocery stores, druggists, barbers, an Indian curio store, and scores of saloons; some featuring billiards and bowling alleys. On the north side of the street stood docks, warehouses, and more stores and saloons, some built over the water on pilings.where the Indians tied their canoes. Sault Ste. Marie was a roaring frontier river town catering to crowds of sailors, laborers, Indians, and tourists looking for exciting times, and cheap liquor flowed like water. Then in August of 1886, following a hot, dry spell, fire broke out in a pile of wood chips next to a bakery and quickly spread through the wooden structures. so When the conflagration was finally put out, most of Water Street lay in charred ruins. Merchants rebuilt, though some relocated to Portage and Ashmun Streets. Exactly a decade later, in August 1896, a gasoline stove in a restaurant blew up. Within hours, the flames, fanned by gale force winds, raced down Water Str eet consuming nearly every structure on the south side, over- half the businesses in town. That finished Water Street-as the City's commercial center and the businesses moved to Portage and Ashmun Streets. At this.point, a narrow thoroughfare known as Plank Alley fo-rmerly ran south to Portage Avenue. Lined with saloons and paved with two i-nch planks, sixteen feet long, it comprised the main route to Water Street in the,early days. In 1822, troops fr@m the incipient Fort Brady cut a road to the ridge south of the city to obtain timbers for block houses and buildings within the enclosure. The greater portion of that route is now Ashmun St reeV.- the City's principal business district. The street takes it name, albeit a spelling error, from a prominent local family named Ashman, most notably, Samuel Ashman (1799-1866) who had moved to the Sault as a fur trader with the American Fur Company in 1823 and later became a justice of the peace, judge, and state representative. ELIJAH ALLEN HOUSE This structure now extensively altered.was originally constructed ca. 1823. Elijah B. Allen, an American Fur Company-storekeeper, is the ea"rliest known owner. In 1826, here reputed ly- was held the organiz ational meeting of Chippewa County and Saint Marys Township and the following year the first court. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft and his new bride, Jane Johnston first set up houskeeping here following their marriage in 1823- They.moved out returning to' the Johnston house,' March 13, 1827, grief stricken over the death of their two year old son. When Abel Bingham arrived in 1828,, a missionary sent by the American Baptist Missionary Society, he held services and lived here prior td the construction of a permanent 51 mission building at the site of the present Chippewa County Court House in 1829. Gabriel Franchere, the American Fur Company agent in the 1830's, lived and maintained a store here prior to the construction of a new wood frame dwelling in 1836. He described the Allen house as "a store built one story stone, one story wood". About 1846,,this store and the other properties of the American Fur Company passed into the hands of McKnight Brothers & Tinker, who improved the earlier strap railroad constructed by the American Fur Company in 183.9 and operated the Chippewa Portage Company until the opening of the locks in 1855 put them out of business. The house has served as a private residence since then. At this approximate site, stood a gate to a fence.ma@king-the old Fort.Brady Military Reservation. BRADY PARK RIDGE Few sites.rival this hilltop in historic importance. For over three centuries, it witnessed the flow of some of.Michigan's most famous personalities and colorful ev ents. Formerly the river lapped-at its base; the area to the north-was'f-illed in within the last century. In 1668, Father Jacques Marquette established a mission near this site, the first permanent Christian church in Michigan. Because the Sault was the first place where the Indians of the upper country were encountered and was the rendezvous of those who brought furs to the French, the Jesuits designated the Sault as the headquarters of the Ottawa mission. Father Claude Dablon replaced Marquette in 1669.* The Fathers@constructed a wooden chapel and dwelling house within a pal,isaded enclosure twelve feet high. They planted gardens, cleared land for wheat and administered to the native Chippewa and a number of resident French traders. The Fathers reported a severe epidemic among the Indians in-1670, to which only those who heeded their teachings seemed immune. In June 1671, a 52 fire destroyed the mission buildings but they soon rebuilt a new chapel, larger and more ornate. An unfortunate i'nc:ident occured,-in the Spring of 1674, which severely curtailed .the usefulness of the mission. A party of ten Sioux a-rr-ived. in the Sault seeking,, to establish peace. The...,Chippewa greeted them favorably, but some visiting Cree remained ho stile. Fearing trouble, the Jesu-it Fathers gave the.-Sioux refuge in the miss'lon house but a Cree warrior started' a" f ight., which erupted into a massacre with forty Chippewa.46d Cree killed or wounded, the ten Iroquois killed, and the mission house burned. Again, the mission house was rebuilt and for the next two decades, the Jesuits continued their endeavors under Father Dablon, aged Father Dreuillettes, and from 1688-95 Father Henri Nouvel. As a result of the new French emphasis to the south and [email protected] of Detorit under Cadillac, the Jesuits,abandoned their mission at -the Sault ca. 1700... Under the rule of Louis XIV which began in 1661,. France entered a golden age of prestige and power. In New France Intendant Jean Talon pursued a,.,..course of enthusiastic imperialism. By 1670, explorers he had sent in search of-the fabled copper mines had traversed much.of the northern Great Lakes-region. To consolidate these discoveries and take legal title to the new found property for France, Sieur de Saint Lusson, a French n ol lem6n,,,was d,ispatched as a special envoy of the King of France. He chose Sault-.-Ste. Marie, the most strategic spot in this new territory, a s the site of a ceremony to formally announce French possession and to impress the nat-ives with the power and importance of the French. Saint Lusson and retinue left Quebec in,1670, wintered en route at the Manitoulin Island, and arrived at the Sault.in.May 1671. Prior to this--arrival, Nicolas Perrot, veteran explorer-and-Interpreter, had summed representatives from fourteen tribes from a radius-of several hundred m-il-es,-tQ-.at.tend the ceremony. On June 14, 1671, a colo'rful procession emerged from the nearby mission-house. The Jesuit Fathers Dab)on, Allouez, Andre, and Dreuillettes led the way chanting 53 in Latin and holding aloft their crucifixes, followed by a band of French traders and coureurs de bois. Lastly strode Saint Lusson, sword unsheathed, garbed in the colorful uniform of a French officer. They proceeded to the top of a small hill, quite probably this very site,.where a large cross of cedar lay before a hole dug to receive it. The delegation raised the cross, secured a metalic plate engraved with the Royal Arms of France to a nearby cedar post, and shouted th,ree times that they took possession.of the entire area, bounded by the Northern,-, Western, and.Southern Seas, discovered an d yet to be discovered. A large bonfire closed the ceremony that evening. The metal plate disappeared soon after the French departed but the cross stood for years and became a part of local Chippewa tradition. In the summer of 16-83, Indians murdered two French traders near Keeweenaw. In October, Daniel Greysolon, Sieur Du Luth, famed for his courage and strength, then stationed at Mackinac@, learned of the murder and that. a Menominee suspected of the crime was at Sault Ste. Marie. With a handful of men, he immediately journeyed to the Sault and seized the suspect. Jean Pere, a trader, also captur-,iA another suspect at Keeweenaw and brought him and his four sons to the Sault. On November 16, Du Luth staged, in the presence of hundreds of assembled Indians; the first recorded white court held in the northwest. Testimony failed to conclusively establish guilt, but Du Luth feel ing that an example had to be made, convicted the two most likely suspects to de ath. An hour later, before more than 400 assembled Indians, and,quite probably at this very site, Du Luth "had their heads broken". On June 15, 1820, a flotilla of canoes proudly flying, American flags arrived at the Sault. This expedition headed by Lewis Cass, Michigan's territorial' governor consisted of Canadian voyageurs, Indian hunters and interpreters, and a team of officials and scientists including Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. They had come on a threefold mission: to reassert American claims to the region, negotiate a 54 treaty with the Chippewa for a proposed fort at the Sault, and conduct geological explorations to the west. They set up camp on a wide green extending along the river several hundred yards to the east. The Chippewa camp lay on "a high plateau" to the west. The next day, Cass summoned a conference and the chiefs gathered und er an open tent. The Indians were reluctant to acknowledge American claims but Cass adamently told them a fort would be established with or without their approval. Sassaba, a young chief,.'.'Vengeful over a brother killed by,the Americans in the Battle of the Thames, angrily exho rted his tribesmen,.kicked aside a pile of tobacco intended as presents, and the meeting broke up. Returning to the village, he hoisted a British flag before his lodge. Cass, notoriously anti-British, singlehandedly marched up the hill,,,yanked the flag down, some say trampled it under his feet, entered Sassaba's lodge and told him that the tribe would be 'crushed" if the insult'were,.repeated, and calmly returned to his camp. After he had gotten over his stunned amazement at Cass' daring, Sassaba soon incited his tribesmen to attack the American camp. However, George Johnston, son of John Johnston, absent at the time, arranged a council and largely due to the influence of Mrs. John Johnston, herself a great chief's daughter, convinced them that-such a course would be foolhardy, and they cooled down. George Johnston assembled the chiefs in his off-ice,, Cass@:fs reopened'. negotiations, the chiefs apologized for the flag incideq_t-,-,.and the.treaty of June 16, 1820 was con'sumated. The Chippewa ceded an area:of four.square miles, reserving the right t6-1T'sh in the rapi.-ds in perpetuity and as a result received a quantity of trade goods. In 1839, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft published AZgic Researches a collection of Indian creation myths and lodge stories gathered for the most part white he resided as Indian agent at the Sault (1822-33). His wife Jane and his mother-in- law, Mrs. John Johnston, Chippewa daughter of WaW.Ojeeg, "the greatest storyteller of his tribe", provided invaluable assistance in collecting and interpreting these 15 5 tales. The volume was not a popular success, but Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha and many other popular Indian tales were derived almost entirely from Schoolcraft's work. The Hiawatha fountain erected in 037, commemorates the nation's cultural debt to the Sault area Chippewa. The north country echoed with the grandest celebration in its history on August 2nd and 3rd, 1905, when the U.S. Congress and the Michigan Legislature financed a gigantic semi-centennial commemoration of the opening of the first lock. 40,000. excited visitors thronged Brady Park, a huge parade marched down banner-draped Portage Avenue, a naval parade ascended the river through the locks, blowing whistles drowned by the cheering crowd, and Indians danced in front of wigwams. Charles Harvey, who built the lock in 1853-55, Vice President Fairbanks, and Michigan Governor Warner delivered orations, and Canada lit the evening sky with fireworks, highlighted by a gigantic gold, blue,' and red likeness of King Edward VII. When the shouting died down and the visitors went home, they left behind a forty-four foot high granite obelisk, quarried in Connecticut and designed by the famous New York architectural firm, McKim, Meade and White. Bronze plaques on i ts s i des tel I the h i story -of the Aocks -up to 1905. Bingham Avenue draws its name from Reverend Abel Bingham, 'Who established a Baptist mission and school at the Sault in 1828 which he operated until his retirement in 1855. The street appeared on early plats as Church Street it is believed because of Father Marquette's mission site located at its foot and because many of the City's early protestant churches were built along it farther to the south. FORT BRADY The Indian treaty Lewis Cass accomplished in 1820, cleared the way for the U.S. Army to install a post at'the Sault. Consequently, Secretary of War John C. Calhoun ordered a battalion of the 2nd U.S. Infantry composed of 250 men and 56 17 off icers and commanded by Colonel Hugh Brady to establish a fort at the Sault rapids. In the summer of 1822, they left their comfortable quarters at Sacketts Harbor and in company with their families journeyed via the'steamer Superior to the north country. As the Superior was unable to pass beyond the Neebish Rapids, they ascended the St. Marys in large canoes and arrived at the Sault on July 6.- John Johnston,,-patriarch of,.the Sault, extended his hospitality, the Chippewa, finally accepting the enevitable, greeted th&'arrival with enthusiasm, and the troops smartly marched to the nearby open field where they pitched tents. Colonel Brady decided to erect this first U.S. Army post in the Upper Peninsula on land formerly the property of the Northwest Company and then owned by Charles Oakes Ermati'nger., a resident of the Canadian Sault. Almost immediately, the troops proceeded to construct a fort, cutting a road to the hill a mile to the southto secure timbers, and by the summer of 1823 Fort Brady stood complete. A rectangular stockade of twelve foot high cedar posts, running approximately 200 feet east' and west and-300 felet.north and south to the river's,edge, protected the log buildings including barracks, separate quarters for officers, a bakery jail, hospital, and other structures. Log blockhouses with stone founda-tions comprised the northeast and southwest corners of the enclosure, the site of the latter now approximately marked by a boulder monument to the southwest of the Federal Building. The site of the west one-third of the.de Repentigny Fort lay inside the stockade. U.S. troops, occupied Fort Brady! unti I they were wi-thdrawn for field service during the Mexican War, replaced by a company of the Ist Michigan Infantry, who stayed until April IS48. The fort was vacant until the return of U.S. troops in June 1849. As a result of Indian troubles in Minnesota, the post was evacuated and the troops dispatched to Fort Snelling in 1857. Fort Brady was left in charge of an Ordinance Sergeant until May 1866, when it was again garrisoned by Company D, 4th U.S. Infantry. Because of its dilapidated condition, the stockade was 57 IF removed, most of the buildings completely rebuilt and the garrison grounds were enlarged. In 1886', as a result of the growth of the surrounding village, the Secretary of War was authorized to sell the old Fort Brady reservation and establish a new site. Legend has it that Philip Sheridan, then General-in-Chief of the Army, selected the location, and in 1893, the garrison occupied New Fort Brady situated on top of the same hill where the troops in 1822 obtained timbers for the original fort. Most of,the old reservation was sold in 1894 with the exception of land now comprising Brady Park and the block to the south. In 1908, Congress appropriated $150,000 to construct a Federal Building on the site. Two years later, a magnificent classical structure of Vermont granite and Bedford limestone, designed by architect John Taylor Knox, stood amidst extensive formal landscaping, as the pride of Sault Ste. Marie. REPENTIGNY FORT Following the abandonment of the Jesuit mission at the Sault, a half century long period of darkness settled over the history of the area. Undoubtedly, fur traders continued to-operate but no documentation has survived. Then, in 1750, the Governor of New France conferred on Louis de Bonne, his nephew, and Sieur de Repentigny, a young army officer, a feudal seigniory, 18 miles square at the rapids. With it went fur trading priviledge and the responsibility to improve the land and secure tenants. French strategy was to afford a safe retreat for voyageurs and to block this route which allowed the Indian fur traders to circumvent Mackinac and gain access to the British. While de Bonne apparently never visited his joint seigniory, by the summer of 1751, de Repentigny had constructed at this approximate site, a palisaded fort 110 feet square containin g three log houses. De Repentigny secured a tenant, who probably already resided here as a fur trader, Jean Baptiste Cadot-te and his 58 Indian wife. Cadotte soon planted corn, his seignior secured livestock from Mackinac, and the seigniory stood complete. In 1755, the century long struggle between the French and British for.control of the continent erupted into its final conflict, and for five years, the bloody French and Indian War raged. De Repentigny served his cause with distinction but brutality-.W'hen he repeatedly.led bands of northern Indians to ravage the Bri"tish'settlements with tomahawk 6hd �-ca-lping knife. 'The French surrendered in 1760, de Bonne died in the Battle of S illey that. same.year, and de Repentigny unwilling to live among his conquerors, moved to France in 1764. Following the French surrender, Fort de Repentigny was abandoned. In 1762, British Lieutenant John Jamet with a small-contingent occupied the post,.but the entire fort burned on'December 10th of that year. Jean Baptiste Cadotte remained as a prosperous fur trader, unt ir'l his"death in 1803. His over half century of residence gained him the title "first citizen of the Sault". JOHN JOHNSTON HOUSE For almost four decades, John Johnston was the Sault's leading citizen. Born in 1762 in Ireland, of Scotch-Irish parentage, Johnston emigrated to Montreal in 1790 to seek his fortune. There he met Andrew Todd w ho offered him a job managing a fur trading post at Chequamegon Bay_ Once there, his assistants took most of the suppl ies and deserted him, and Johnston spent a desparate winter. However, he won the friendsh.i:p-, '-,bf the powerful Chippewa chief Waub Ojeeb and also the hand of his beautiful-daughter. He brought his bride whom he renamed Susan to Sault Ste. Marie in 1793'-wkere he developed a successful trading business. He resided in a substantial dwelling of squared logs covered with hand sawn clapboards- Prior to the War of 1812,'@Johnston served as collector of the post for the U.S-;,-Government. 4owever, in 1814, when Colonel McDonnal requested his assistance 59 in the defense against the American attack on Fort Mackinac he led a party of 100 local warriors who contributed to the disasterous defeat of Colonel Croghan. While Johnston was en route to Mackinac, a detachment under Major Holmes was sent to intercept him. They missed Johnston but pillaged and burned all his property at the tault. At the war's end in 1815, Johnston rebuilt his home on a grander scale, and in 1822, when Colonel Brady's detachment arrived it was noted as, the only residence of consequence. .Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, who arr-ived w.ith. that party to begin his new position as Indian agent, moved in with the Johnston family. An addition to the structure was built in 1822, just in time-to accommodate the weddinq of Schoolcraft and Johnston's daughter, Jane, beautiful,.educated and famous as the "northern Pocahontas". John Johnston was an educated man-and a great traveler. His home, furnished with a choice library, so,lid silver service brought from Ireland, paintings, and souvenirs from his travels became widely known as an oasis of culture on the frontier. The oldest portion of.-the home, which was rebuilt after Holmes' men had' burned it, stood on the west and was removed in 1912. The surviving structure dates from 1822. ELMWOOD Henry Rowe Schoolcraft was born in a sma'll village west of Albany, New York in 1793. Even as a young man, he gained attention as a scholar. He in itially chose his father's profession as a glass manufacturer but the influx of cheap British glass after the War of 1812 forced him out of business. In 1817, Schoolcraft took a trip to the western frontier where he visited the lead mine.s of Missouri. A scient-ific account of his observations published in 1819 attracted the attention of Secretary of War Calhoun who invited him to Washington. A year later, he was offered the position of mineralogist-on the Cass expedition 60 of 1820. The expedition proved a turning point in his career, his subsequent reports brought-further recommendations from Calhoun and others and he began a lifelong friendship with Lewis Cass. In 1822, Schoolcraft accepted the newly created position of Indian agent for the Upper Great Lakes at the Sault. Up to this point, he remained ignorant of Indian life, but Cass, himself a pionee.r1student of.Indian culture, sparked a similar interest in Schoolcraft and upon his arrival:,at the Sault he engaged in the study of a field that would make him famous. Fortunately, he was befriended by the John Johnston family, living with them and marrying Jane Johnston in 1823, and their influence proved invaluable in his Indian research. Throughout the remainder of his life, Schoolcraft remained a prolific author of travel narratives and Indian studies highlighted by his monumental six volume compilation published by Congress in 1851-57,11istoricaZ and Statistical Information Respecting the History, Conditions, and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States. In 1826-27, Obed Wait, who had previously designed Michigan's territorial capitol at Detroit, directed construction of an Indian Agency Building located one-quarter mile east of its present site. Wait adopted a formal-federal-style architecture, then considered appropriate for government buildings, to produce a central two story structure flanked by two symmetrically,placed wings. Schoolcraft had lived with the Johnstons and in the Elijah Allen house and now in October 1827, he moved into hi s new residence. In his memoirs, Schoolcraft recorded that "The building was ample, containing,fifteen rooms, including the 'With its office, and was executed in all respects, in the best modern style". beautiful view of the broad St. Marys and set in a grove of stately-elms and other vegetation, the home came to be called "Elmwood". Schoolcraft resided there until 1833 when he moved.to Mackinac where the Indian agency h eadquarters had been relocated. 61 Schoolcraft left his subagent, Francis Audrain in charge of the structure. Audrain was succeeded from 1837-50 by James Ord, reputedly the illegitimate son of King George IV of England. George Harvey lived in.E.Imwood in 1853-55 while he supervised the construction of.the first state locks. During the Civil War, the,structure served as government offices. It passed into private hands in 1874 through purchase at government auction and during the last quarter of the 1.9,th Century was substantially modified from its original architecture. The period 1899-1.922 saw the now rambling mansion used by the power company as an office. Following that time, it was devoted to storage, stood vacant, and briefly used as a museum. Because of vandalism, the structure was moved to this site I.: by barge, where it is now in the process of restoration to its original federal appearance. MARINER'S PARK In the 1790's, John Johnston platted his homestead on land now comprising Mariner's Park. In 1816, he laid out the first section of Water Street to the south of his dwelling. Here in 1818 the soil of Chippewa County first tasted the iron plow. George Kemp was born in Sault Ste. Marie in 1847. In 1874, he opened a 11general commission and forw arding business" with a dock bordering this site to the east. The Kemp Coal Office-encompassed a portion of his business activities. Kemp became a widely respected resident of the city, and by 1888, he held the offices of County Treasurer and President of the Sault Savings Bank. Upon his death in the early 1920's, Kemp bequeathed this valuable tract of land to his beloved city. In 1919, the Great Lakes Towing Company constructed the Favorite, reputedly the largest steam tug ever to ply the Great Lakes. She is 173 feet long, 40 feet wide, weighs 786,000 pounds. Her steam engine was capable of producing 1,400 62 horsepower. After nearly half a century of faithful service, the Favorite was retired in the 1960's to a well earned berth in the Marine Museum. The St. Mary's, a two story wood framed house resting on a steel barge, 100 feet long and 30 feet wide, was constructed in 1917 and used by the United States Corps of Engineers to quartf@'r, employees at., isolated work sites. She was retired in 1972-,af-t-er spending her entire career stationed at-Sault Ste. Marie. BARAGA HOUSE AND S.S. VALLEYZAMP Frederick Baraga was born in Austria-.in 1797 and ordained as a priest in 1823. By 1830, he had decided to dedicate his life to preaching to the Indians and that year he embarked for America. He first appeared in Michigan at Harbor Springs the following year, two years later found him establishing a chapel at Grand Rapids and in 1835, he was dispatched to the Lake Superior region. He spent the remainder of h-is life in this land he grew to love. Bishop Baraga served at various locations in the Upper Peninsula including a brief period at the Sault in-1846. Upon his appointment as the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of the Upper Peninsula-.in 1857, Bishop Baraga returned to the Sault. He resided in his comfortable two story frame structure until the episcopal seat was moved to Marquette in 1865. Bishop Baraga led an amazing]-y productive life replete with strenuous travels in the northern wilderness, four trips to Europe soliciting money for his parishione-rs-,-.,-and scholarly literary activity including a Chippewa catechism and a history of the@_ @Indian Bible. He died at Marquette in 1868, "unlversa'l)y@--respected by those he served and loved'by those who knew him". The American Shipbuilding Corporation of Lorain, Ohio, constructed this Great Lakes ore carrier in 1917. Originally named the Louis W. HiZZ after the Northern Pacific Railroad magnate, in 1955 she was renamed the S.S. Valzey Camp. During a half century long career in which she was successively owned by the Hanna Mining Company, Wilson Marine Transit Company, an.d Republic Steel Corporation, 63 the vessel traveled over three million miles and conveyed 16.5 million 'tons of cargo. She is 550 feet long, 50 feet wide, has a gross carrying capacity of 7,030 tons. Her steam engine capable of developing 1,800 horsepower propelled her at an average-speed of 10 knots per hour. POWER PLANT AND CANAL At Sault Ste. Marie' . the St. Marys River drops approximately 20-feet in two miles and with Lake Superior, potentially the world's greatest millpond to draw on, to cal entrepreneurs long dreamed of efficiently harnessing this power. As early as.1822-23, soldiers from Fort Brady dug a millrace-.and constructed a sawmill-near the present site of the Ojibway Hotel. In 1885, citizens organized the-St. Marys Falls Water Power Company and began constructing a large scale canal, but within two years, the project was bankrupt. The city purchased the rights to the unfinished canal and later sold them to the Michigan Lake Superior Power Company, established in 1894 by Frances Clergue. Clergue, a motive force in developing the entire region's economic potential, directed most of his- efforts to-his--native Canadian side but in 1898, he turned his attention'to a renewed effort at.f.inishi!ng the Mi.chigan power canal. Four years later,-at a cost of $4 million, the Herculean project stood completed. The downtown area of Sault Ste. Marie had been rendered an island by a canalover two miles long through which Lake Superior water coursed at four and one-half miles per hour. The first section of the canal, 2,900 feet long and 950 feet wide at the intake narrowing to 250 feet after about 1,000 feet, had been blasted out of solid red sandstone. A second segment runs straight east for 3,000 feet. Originally, the entire course was to continue in a straight line but when excavators struck quicksand, the canal was diverted at an angle to the north. The final segment consists of a forebay leading to the powerhouse. 64 The last three sections were dug through clay, sand and gravel and to prevent erosion, the canal walls and bottom were floored with heavy deck planking. The crowning achievement of the project i s the massive powerhouse, the. wo rld's largest building devoted to power purposes. 1,400 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 75 feet high, it was constructed of sandstone blocks excavated from the first section of the canal. Local masons also utilized broken fragments from those excavations to construct the walls of many lcica-1--buildings. Sault Ste. Marie Canal rubble comprises a strikinglybeautiful and unique form of vernacular architecture. On October 12, 1902, Frances Clergue lavished $50,000 on a grand opening celebration and invited the entire city to a'ttend a huge banquet laid out along the entire length of the powerhouse. In 1903, Union Carbide moved into the upper story of the powerhouse engaging in the manufacture of calcium carbide. They remained there and in an,adjacent factory to the east of the powerplant until 1963. 65 THE HERITAGE OF SAULT STE. MARIE BIBLIOGRAPHY Andreas, A. T., History.of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,-Chicago, 1883. Bald, F. Clever, The Sault Canal Through 100 Years, Ann Arbor, (1954). Bayliss, Joseph E. and Estelle L. and Quaife, Milo M., River of Destiny: The Saint Marys, Detroit, 1955. Capp, Edward H., The Story of Baw-a-ting, Sault Sainte Marie, Canada, 1907. Carter, James L. and Rankin, Ernest H., ed., North to Lake Superior: The Journal of Charles W. Penny 1840, Marquette, 1970. Chapman, C. H., "The Historic Johnston Family of the 'Soo'" in Michigan Pioneer and Historical CoZZections, Vol. 32, 1903. Daun, Gordon, Scrapbooks in Steer Room of the Bayliss Library. District Annual 1937 Fort Brady CCC District Sixth Corps Area. Dunbar, Willis F., Michigan, A History of the Wolverine State, Grand Rapids, (1965). Eckert, Kathryn and Ornoto, Sadayoski, An Architectural Survey of the Eastern Upper Peninsula, (Lansing), 1977. Fowle, Otto, Sault Ste. Marie and Its Great Waterway, N. Y. , 1925. Haller, J. P. , Souvenir Album of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Sault Ste. Marie, (ca 1,8,95 Hambl i n, Wm. Kenneth, The Cambrian Sandstones of - Northern Michigan, Lans i ng, 1959. Hamilton, Charlotte T. , "Historic Landmarks of the Sault in 1914" in Michigan History Magazine, Vol. 30, 1946. .Harvey, S.V.E. and Voorhis, A.E.H., Semi-CentenniaZ Reminiscences of the Sault CanaZ_, Cleveland, 1905. Hodge, Frederich Webb, ed., Handbook of the American Ind@ans North of Mexico, 2 vols. Washington, 1912. Hyde, Charles K., director, The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industria,Z.Sites, Washington, 1978. I Remember When: Old Times in the Sault, Sault News Printing Company, 1.023. Jameson, Anna, Winter Studies and Summer Rambles In Canada, ti. Y. 1839. Johnson, Ida Amanda, The Michigan Fur Trade, Lansing, 1919. Kenn, John M., "A Chronological History of Sault Ste. harie and Area". 66 Kinie1z, W. Vernon, The Indians of the Western Great Lakes 1615 - 1760, Ann Arbor, ig4o. La Portage ... A Walk Down Plater Street, Sault Ste. Marie, (1969). Mansfield, J. B., ed., History of the Great Lakes, 2 vols. Chicago, 1899. Mason, Philip P. ed., Schoolcraft. The Literary Voyager or Muzzeniegun., East Lansing, 1962. Michigan Writers Project, Michigan, A Guide to the Wolverine State, N. Y., (1941). Moore,.Charles, ed., The Saint Marys Falls Canal Detroit, 1907. Morgan, N. E., The Soo: Scenes In and About Chicago, (1"99). rJewton Stanley, The Story of Sault Ste. Marie and Chippewa County-, Sault Ste. Marie, 1923. On the Streets Where We Live, Sault Ste. Marie, (196S) Osborn, Chase S., The Iron Hunter, N. Y., 1915. Picturesque Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Photo-Gravures, Brooklyn, (ca 1900). Pitezel, John H., Lights and Shadows of Missionary Life., rev. ed. Cincinnati, 082. Quimby, George- Irving, Indian Life in the Upper Great Lakes 11,000 B.C. to A.D. 1800, Chicago, (1960). Sauer, Wm. C., Illustrated Atlas of the Twin Cities Sault Ste. Marie Michigan and Ontario U -Detroit, 1888. Sawyer, Alvah L., History of the Northern Peninsula and its People, 3 vols. Chicago, 1911. 1 Shea, John Gilmary, History of the Catholic Missions Among the Indian Tribes of the United States 1529 - 1854., Mew York, 1854. Soo Democrat, September 3, 1896. The Two Soos, Canadian and American, Grand Rapids, (ca 1902). Warner, Robert M., Chase SaZmon@Osborn 1860 - 1949, Ann Arbor, ig6o). Wa rren, Wi I I i am W. , History of the Ojibway Nation, repr i nt, M i nneapol i s, 1957. Williams, Mentor L., SchooZcraft's Indian Legends., East Lansing, 1956. Wi I I iams, Ralph D. , The Honorable Peter White, Cleveland, (1905). Your Passport to Sault Ste. Marie, Sault Ste. Marie, 11.170. .67 US Department of Commerce NOAA Coastal Services Library 4..@-M, South H cLarleston, SC NOAA COASTAL SERVICES CM LIBRARY 3 6668 14111529-7 Acm 10#0