Tower of History
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For an outstanding overview of the area, geographically and industrially, visit the weird but worthwhile Tower of History. This 21-story concrete towerwas built in a 1960s architectural style known as Brutalism, with strong forms of concrete. It was intended to be the bell tower for the monumental, never-built church planned by the parish priest to replace the existing church next door.
Visitors can see a 20-minute video on area history. Tower floors have exhibits about native peoples and Christian missionaries. The Tower of History project was to commemorate missionaries' role in settling the Upper Peninsula. To pay for the church, the priest expected to use admission fees to a huge museum about "The Mission of Man," telling the story of Christianity with an emphasis on the Roman Catholic Church. The museum would incorporate the tower and an underground space, culminating with a dramatic entrance up into the new church.
In 1967, after the $660,000 tower was finished, the governing Catholic bishop said enough already to the grandiose parish building project. In 1980 the parish sold the tower to the Sault Historic Sites for $1. The 1880s St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral is next door at 320 E. Portage, beautifully restored, thanks in part to a portion of Tower admissions.
3326 E. Portage, 3 blocks east (right) from Ashmun/Bus. I-75. (906) 632-3658. Open mid-May thru mid-Oct, 10-4 daily, July & Aus Mon-Sat to 5. Last tour 30 minutes before closing. Admission $6.50/ adult; $3.25 ages
6-17. The combo ticket with the Valley Camp is a better deal: $16/ adult, $7.75/child, also with River of History $22 and $10.50. Handicap access: 4 steps into the museum, 4 more to elevator to tower deck. Tight spaces in museum. Impossible for motorized chairs.
Return to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
POINTS OF INTEREST
Soo Brewing Company
Ray Bauer started out as an enthusiastic home brewer, inspired in part by his German background. Now he is the hard-working brewer and chief bartender at this innovative, affordable downtown
microbrewery (soobrew.com) with a family-like atmosphere. There are handmade tables, church pews for seating, and restaurant menus for takeout. Customers can bring in food. (Nearby Zorba's is a good choice.)
The space is perfect for showing off Ray's increasing line of beers—and one root beer. Soo Brew ("a flavorful ale made with two specialty malts and local water for a unique, mellow taste") and GoldiLocks Blonde Ale (a malty beer one step up from commercial brews) sell "as fast as we can make them," Ray says. He thanks fellow Upper Peninsula brewers for helping him get started: Lake Superior Brewing Company in Grand Marais, the Vierling in Marquette, Jasper Ridge in Ishpeming, and the Keweenaw Brewing Company in Houghton.
In summer, 2011, Ray was producing six beers. He hopes to get production up to fill all his ten taps. Some day he wants to make wine as well. Soo Brewing soon had 169 "Mug Club" members. Each pays $50 a year for a 25 oz. Scandinavian-style mug, which is filled for the price of 16 ounces of beer. On the second Monday of the month, members meet from 5 to 7 p.m. to taste the latest brews and vote on a beer for SBC to produce. 64 oz. growlers, purchased for $11, are refilled for $8.
Soo Locks Park & Visitor Center. This is the place to get really close-up views of giant freighters, plus see some interesting exhibits ... more
Soo Locks Boat Tour. This 2-hour excursion provides a dramatic look at the big locks, the quaint Canadian locks, and the Twin Soo's waterfronts. ... more
River of History Museum. Life-size dioramas bring to life scenes from Sault Ste. Marie's long history and prehistory. ... more
Riverfront walk along Water Street and Brady Park. See upbound boats waiting at the locks at beautiful Brady Park, site of the 19th c. fort. See interesting historic monuments from Sault Ste. Marie's aspiring years, including idiosyncratic Chase Osborn, the only U.P. governor. ... more
Bingham Avenue historic buildings. An avenue of grand 19th-century buildings, from a time when locals saw a grander future for the city than actually unfolded ... more
Tower of History. An oustanding view of the area from a 21-story tower. ... more
St. Mary's Pro-cathedral. This 1880s cathedral has a wonderful interior, with richly colored stained glass and striking wall accents ... more
Water Street Historic Block. Three of the earliest and most significant houses in Upper Peninsula history ... more
George Kemp Downtown Marina . A nice picnic area at a beautiful marina ... more
Museum Ship Valley Camp . A 1917 Great Lakes steamship is the vehicle for an interesting maritime museum ... more
St. Mary's River Lighthouse Cruise. A 4-hour journey past landmarks like the lighthouse at the entrance to the St. Marys River ... more
Edison Sault Power Plant & Alford Park. This 1902 quarter-mile-long landmark never attracted the industries it was built to serve, but still generates electricity ... more
Mission Point, Aune Osborn Park & Sugar Island Ferry. It's been called the #1 place anywhere to see Great Lakes freighters in motion ... more
Sugar Island. Once a favorite Chippewa sugaring spot, the island still has many maples and still is a popular stop for migrating birds ... more
New Fort Brady/Lake Superior State University. Begun in 1893 as an Army fort and barracks for 20,000 troops, this overlook now is the site of 3,300-student Lake Superior State University ... more
International Bridge. Connecting the 5,000-mile Trans-Canada Highway with 2,000-mile I-75 to Florida, this 1962 bridge does much more than connect the two Soos ... more
Hunt's Map Guide to the Upper Peninsula
• 13 detailed U.P. maps
• Full color, on sturdy, water-resistant paper
• Folds out to 12”x38”
• Only $6.95
To learn more & buy online, click here
