 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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 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.
 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.  Porter on the Algoma Steel Rotary Parade float, 1967 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.
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. Written by: Justin Brett One landmark of old Sault Ste. Marie that is unfortunately no longer seen in the city is the International Hotel. It was constructed in 1888 by N.M Neald and J.C. Meagher, two local businessman, and as the title suggests it was an attempt to court the business of people traveling to or through Sault Ste. Marie. To that end it was well-equipped for its time, boasting 255 rooms, a dining room that could seat up to 400 people, and all the modern conveniences of the time, such as hot water for guests and electricity running throughout the building. It was even built directly facing the river and had its own dock for guests.
The International Hotel seems to have been very successful despite numerous competing hotels in the area, including the Algonquin Hotel which wasn't far away. It even held some banquets for major Canadian names, such as Francis Hector Clergue. All this would come to an end in 1916, however. |
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