Local: Sault Ste. Marie History - Early Industrialization
The completion of the American canal in 1855 opened a world of possibilities for the settlements on both sides of the St. Mary's River.
In 1858 the Sault became part of the Judicial District of Algoma. The
steamship Chicora tried bringing troops to the Red River uprising
in 1870, but were denied passage by the Americans, prompting the construction of an all-Canadian
water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the head of Lake Superior, which was
finally completed in 1895. In 1887, the town was incorporated and a
spur line was built connecting Sault Ste Marie with the main SPR line at Sudbury.
The International Rail Bridge was constructed, connecting Canadian & US railway lines
in this part of the continent and making the Sault accessible year-round, not just when river navigation was
possible. In 1889, the first telephone and electricity was put in the following year.
American industrialist Frances Clergue arrived looking to invest in 1894. With his arrival he realized the river offered power generation for domestic as well as industrial consumption.
He created or influenced new pulp and paper mills, hydro-electric plants, rail and marine transportation, mines and a steel
plant, thereby increasing the physical size and population of the community. In 1902 the first steel
made in Ontario was blown at the Sault Steel Plant. Frances Clerque would later be knighted.
More history of Sault Ste. Marie
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