The River of History Museum in the Michigan side of Sault Ste. Marie is a history museum on the St. Mary’s River. It shows how Natives lived before European arrival and their interactions with Europeans in the centuries that followed.
Its interpretation of the violent history between the US and Canada is an excellent companion to visiting Fort St. Joseph on the Canadian side that stared at the Americans. Among the exhibits are also a trade map of the 17th to 19th century and the early history of how Michigan came to be what it is today. It then goes more into the specifics of the city, such as its first city council, sawmills, and first hydroelectric power plant.
I got used to seeing museum displays in English and French, so I mistakenly only read half of everything.
The Tower of History is affiliated with the River of History Museum, it is the only way for the public to see the American side of the Soo Locks. While the Canadian locks have been turned into a public park, armed guards patrol the American locks.
The 210-foot tower is probably the tallest structure between Toronto and Winnipeg. There isn’t much history up there, the biggest draw is an obstructed view of Lake Superior, the biggest lake on Earth.
