 |
 |
 Sault
Ste. Marie has been a
natural stopping place for travelers for
centuries because of the St. Mary's Rapids, which
form a natural barrier to navigation between Lake
Superior and the rest of the Great Lakes. Today,
it is best known for the Soo Locks, which allow
ships and boats to bypass those rapids. |
 Antoine
de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac
founded Fort Pontchartrain on the site of what is
now Detroit in 1701. His monopoly on trade in the
area, combined with abuses in his transactions
with the Indians, led to his being recalled to
France in 1710. |
| Facts and
Figures Origin
of Name based on the Chippewa
word "meicigama," meaning "great
water," referring to the Great Lakes. Total
Area 96,810 sq mi. Population
9,938,444. Capital Lansing. Admitted
to Union January 26, 1837. |
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