SAULT STE. MARIE MUSEUM
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Museum Musings

Bully Town: The Pim Hill Bullies and Bullets

22/7/2025

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Sault Ste. Marie has always had a close connection to the good ol' hockey game. The first Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds team was formed in 1919. The history of the Greyhounds during their early years is well known and documented - but do you know about these two local hockey teams that took to the rink during the 1930s?

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A Hatful of Fun

10/7/2025

 
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In decades past, an outfit was not complete without a hat. Milliners, artisans who specialized in creating unique hats, thrived in Sault Ste. Marie from the turn of the century to the mid 1960s. Milliners constructed pillbox hats, bonnets, fascinators, tilts, sun hats, cloches and berets. Hats were worn for nearly every occasion, and it was commonplace for women to have a hat made to match their dresses, suits and coats. 

No hats, however, were quite like the hats made for Hadassah’s Hatful of Fun events from 1959 - 1964.

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Francis H. Clergue and the End of Imperial Russia

25/6/2025

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By Mitchell Harris
It is a peculiar and little-known fact that the first president of the Consolidated Lake Superior Company may have played a minor role in the downfall of the Russian Empire during World War One. His life, as one biographer put it, was "stranger than one would dare to put in a novel.” (1)


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The Kids Are Alright: Mod Subculture and the Teen Centre, 1966

29/5/2025

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On Friday, June 25th 1966, the new Teen Centre opened at 79 Pim Street. The owner of the club, Joe Bumbacco, modelled the club after ones he saw in New York and Winnipeg. Half dance hall, half restaurant - a place where teens could go four days a week from 9:30 PM until 1 AM. Food and beverages were served in the seating area, while the dance floor and stage were located on the other side of the room. 

The opening night was described as “packed, even though there were two other dances in town.” Three bands played to a crowd of 200 that night: The Rogues, More or Less and the Odds and Ends. 

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Fishman's Menswear

27/5/2025

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Fishman's Men's Wear, 1960. From the collection of the Sault Ste. Marie Museum.
Fishman's Men's Wear was a clothing outfitter for men and boys, owned and operated by Alec, Jacob (Jack) and Albert Fishman. Opened during the Second World War and maintaining a presence on Gore Street for over three decades, Fishman's was one of many successful locally owned  retail businesses in Sault Ste. Marie.

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Downtown: The Heartbeat of the Community

17/4/2025

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Many of the people of Sault Ste. Marie were shocked at the City’s decision to shutter a longstanding organization this month - The Sault Downtown Association. Shaping the downtown for 49 years, the DTA was responsible for many of the yearly events that have become staples in the community, including Moonlight Magic and the vibrant downtown street parties and sidewalk sales held every summer. They made their mark through community events, but also as a unified voice for those who live and work downtown. ​​

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Pointe Des Chenes

29/3/2025

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Sault Ste. Marie is fortunate to be situated in a beautiful and naturally diverse location - a feature that has drawn people to this area for over a century. The city maintains 74 park locations - including the beloved public beach at Pointe Des Chenes.

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Virene's: A Square Deal Always.

19/2/2025

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Andrew Lars Virene in front of the original Virene's store on Gore Street. Photo from the Sault Museum Collection.
Andrew Lars Virene was born in Sweden in 1855. He immigrated to Cadillac, Michigan, with his wife Elna in 1883. He and his family moved to Sault Ste. Marie in 1902 and became naturalized citizens of Canada in 1910. Upon his arrival in the Sault, he worked as an interpreter for the sizeable local Scandinavian population and then at a local clothing store - Pratt Limited. 

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Finding Accurate Historical Information in the Digital Age

26/11/2024

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Ashmun Street 1890s, from the Superior View Archive Collection
Have you seen this image captioned as Queen Street 1890s circulating social media? While this image is technically Sault Ste. Marie, it is not on this side of the border! The image pictured shows Ashumn St. in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. 

There are many reasons as to why this image was misidentified and how the incorrect information spread.  As one of the few locations in Sault Ste. Marie that houses a research library and an extensive archive, we at the Museum figured that it was time to make a post for the community about where to find the best resources for historical information and what the different types of sources are.

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Jules Paivio - a Sault Ste. Marie Architect and the Spanish Civil War

15/10/2024

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Many would be surprised to know that there is a common link between the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), and Sault Ste. Marie. That link was architect Jules Paivio. 

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    What is this blog about?

    This blog is dedicated to the curious folks, history junkies, and community lovers in Sault Ste. Marie. Posts are researched and written by Museum staff on an ongoing basis.  
    Dedicated to preserving our local history and displaying it for our community. 

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  • Home
  • Visit
    • Hours & Admission
    • Membership
    • Exhibits
    • Accessibility
    • School Tours
    • Meet the Team
  • Discover
    • Blog
    • Podcast: The Stories of Northern Life
    • Story Maps & Timelines
    • Virtual Exhibits
    • On This Spot
  • Programs and Events
    • Queenstown Golden Jubilee
    • United Way Time Capsule
    • Ghost Walk
    • Poppy Project
    • REVERB + REWIND
    • Residencies >
      • Isabelle Michaud
      • Ray Fox
      • Dawn Roe
  • Services
    • Digitization Services
    • Research Requests
    • Venue Rental
    • Birthday Parties
    • Paint Night Fundraisers
  • Research
    • Community Stories: Our Neighbourhoods
    • The Queer Project
    • Collecting COVID-19 History
    • Francophone History
    • Haunted Histories
  • Support
    • Make A Donation
    • Volunteer
  • Gift Shop