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Category Archives: History

History Tidbits- Peter D. Grondin

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St. Ignace, Michigan Peter David Grondin living in St. Ignace for his whole life. He was the child of Peter and Theresa Sharbineau Grondin. Indeed, the Grondin family had resided here for many generations. Mr. Grondin married Louise Truckey over … Continue reading History Tidbits- Peter D. Grondin

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History Tidbits- St. Ignace Cinema

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St. Ignace, Michigan An ad in the March 15, 1979 issue of the St. Ignace News announced that the St. Ignace Cinema would play Disney’s Pinocchio for the next three days at 7:00 PM. Coming attractions were: Watership Down, Superman, … Continue reading History Tidbits- St. Ignace Cinema

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History Tidbits- Vigeant Enterprises

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St. Ignace, Michigan S.R. Vigeant arrived in St. Ignace from his native country, Canada, via Saginaw, Michigan in 1888. He procured land and built a two-story building, with family living quarter above. He was a merchant offering Singer sewing machines, … Continue reading History Tidbits- Vigeant Enterprises

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History Tidbits- Ice Float Fiasco with Mailboat

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St. Ignace, Michigan During a blizzard in early February, 1914, the mailboat arrived near the shore of Mackinac Island. The mail was deposited in the custody of mail carrier W.K. Chambers and his assistant, Gerald McCarty, along with passengers W.P. … Continue reading History Tidbits- Ice Float Fiasco with Mailboat

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History Tidbits- St. Ignace House Trailer Taxation

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St. Ignace, Michigan At a City Council meeting in October 1954, City Sanitarian Sam Stephenson reported that 70 trailers in St. Ignace will soon be subject to taxation. The tax basis was $0.75 monthly for the school district, $0.50 for … Continue reading History Tidbits- St. Ignace House Trailer Taxation

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History Tidbits- St. Ignace Schools in 1895

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St. Ignace, Michigan In 1895, St. Ignace was the home to three schools. On the north side of town was the Third Ward school. With four schoolrooms in two stories, it had 76 scholars. On the south side of town … Continue reading History Tidbits- St. Ignace Schools in 1895

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History Tidbits- John Chambers

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St. Ignace, Michigan John Chambers (1846-1892) was born in County Mayo, Ireland and came to Mackinac Island, with his family, as a young man. By 1870, he was in St. Ignace, opening a small grocery. This soon expanded to include … Continue reading History Tidbits- John Chambers

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History Tidbits- Edward J. Chatelle

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St. Ignace, Michigan Edward J. Chatelle was born in Manistee, Michigan on October 15, 1880 and he came to St. Ignace with his parents in 1892. He worked at Jamieson’s sawmill and then became an apprentice printer at the St. … Continue reading History Tidbits- Edward J. Chatelle

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History Tidbits- Dr. David Steinman

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St. Ignace, Michigan In an early interview, Dr. David Steinman, designer of the Mackinac Bridge, was asked what would happen if a fully-loaded ore boat were to crash into the bridge’s foundation. He promptly replied, “The boat would sink with … Continue reading History Tidbits- Dr. David Steinman

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History Tidbits- M-122/Ferry Lane

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St. Ignace, Michigan In 1929, M-122 became part of the Michigan State Highway System and was initially used as a connector between US-31 and Straits State Park. In 1936, US-2 was routed into St. Ignace and US-31 was scaled back … Continue reading History Tidbits- M-122/Ferry Lane

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