360 Queen Street is well known to the citizens of Sault Ste. Marie as the Barnes- Fawcett Block, the current home of Algoma Bicycle. However, in 1919 it was the birthplace of Himmel’s Ladies Wear, a mainstay of women’s fashion in Sault Ste. Marie during the first half of the 20th century, and the home of founder Nathan Himmel. 

By Mitchell Harris

Like many who grew up in the Soo, my first experiences of the museum were school field trips and summer camps as a child. I vividly remember making papier-mâché compositions in the art room on the third floor during a summer camp in 2005 or 2006, when I was 7 or 8 years old.

​I am now 26 years old and a doctoral student of political science at York University in Toronto, specializing in the history of political thought with a focus on French Marxism in the twentieth century. During the school year, September to May, I work as a teaching assistant in the department of social science, helping undergraduate students learn about social theory, political economy and human rights. While I love teaching, there is one serious downside: the gig only pays during the school year. For me, this means that I need a summer job to keep the books balanced. This is what brought me to apply to, and become the successful candidate for, the museum’s summer student position.

​Most Sault Ste. Marie residents know the H.K Porter engine #7443, No. 10, simply as Porter. Algoma Steel donated the WWII-era fireless engine to the City in 1967 for Canada’s Centennial year after it was retired from service. Porter was paraded through town as part of that year's Rotary celebration, then placed in Bellevue Park with the assistance of Cooper's Crane Rentals. 

No-one would argue that Sault Ste. Marie isn't in a rural part of North Ontario - you can look around the city and the surrounding ones and constantly be reminded of the wilderness around us. An area like that brings about certain industries, and one of those is the history of mining the Algoma District has had since back before it was even called the Algoma District.

The first sign of mining being a possibility in Algoma was found by Etienne Brule, one of the Europeans to explore Canada. On Michipicoten Island in Lake Superior he claimed to have found a copper mine built by the natives, bringing back an ingot as proof. While obviously small-scale and more for practical use, this was evidence there were precious metals in the area.

Written by Justin Brett

Algoma Central Railway is one of the most common sights in Northern Ontario and particularly Sault Ste. Marie. It's very difficult to take a trip within the province or even make your way around town without seeing some evidence of the railway line. Establishing such an omnipresent line took the work of quite a few men who are less recognizable, however, including one with the impressive name of Edgar Barnes Barber.
​
Mr. Barber spent much or all of his career working for the Central Railway, as his name first appeared in an executive context all the way back in 1913, when the original Hudson Bay Railway was still around and associated with Algoma Central. This was at a board meeting where he was elected assistant comptroller (a person in charge of supervising finances) for the company.

Written by Justin Brett

You wouldn't necessarily expect a small city like Sault Ste. Marie to produce many authors, and you might not expect a story about the city itself to be particularly engaging, either. But you would be wrong on both counts. Not only has it produced several authors, but one in particular, Morley Torgov, wrote a very entertaining book about the Soo.

Born in 1927, Mr. Torgov grew up in Sault Ste. Marie as part of its small Jewish community. Jewish culture is in fact a large part of his writing, which includes the book most relevant to us, A Fine Place to Come From. As the title implies, it talks about his time growing up here as a young Jewish boy, through a series of short stories.

Written by Justin Brett

Written by Justin Brett

What do you do these days if you decide you want to go visit Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan? Obviously, the answer is to head across the bridge and (unfortunately) head through customs, a simple enough process that probably won't take much time. But what if that bridge wasn't there? As discussed before on this blog, the International Bridge was only constructed by the early 1960s.
Well, if you had some business in Michigan before then your only option was to take the local ferry, which regularly moved people, vehicles and even some animals between the twin cities. The service in general was around for even longer than the bridge has been today, so it has quite a bit of history to it we can explore. And should, as it is far more fascinating than you might think a few boats can be.