St. Ignace, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| City of Saint Ignace[1] | |
 Downtown St. Ignace alongBL I-75 in 2011 | |
| Motto: Gateway to Michigan's Upper Peninsula[2] | |
 Location withinMackinac County | |
  St. Ignace Location within the state of Michigan Show map of Michigan St. Ignace Location within the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:45°52′27″N84°43′33″W / 45.87417°N 84.72583°W /45.87417; -84.72583 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Mackinac |
| Settled | 1671 (St. Ignace Mission) |
| Incorporated | 1882 (village) 1883 (city) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.65 sq mi (6.86 km2) |
| • Land | 2.64 sq mi (6.83 km2) |
| • Water | 0.012 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 682 ft (208 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,306 |
| • Density | 874.3/sq mi (337.56/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | 49781 |
| Area code | 906 |
| FIPS code | 26-70840[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1627027[1] |
| Website | Official website |
St. Ignace (/ˈɪɡnəs/IG-nəss) is a city in the U.S. state ofMichigan and thecounty seat ofMackinac County.[6] The city had a population of 2,306 at the2020 census.[4]St. Ignace Township is located just to the north of the city; the two are administered separately.
St. Ignace is located alongLake Huron in theUpper Peninsula on the northern side of theStraits of Mackinac. The city serves as a gateway to the state's Upper Peninsula for travelers coming from theLower Peninsula, as the city is at the north end of theMackinac Bridge, oppositeMackinaw City. It has one of two ports which provide ferry service to nearbyMackinac Island.
St. Ignace's history dates back to 1671 when FrenchJesuit priests founded theSt. Ignace Mission, which makes it one of the oldest European settlements in the state afterSault Ste. Marie. The area was previously inhabited by theWyandot people, as well as theOjibwe andOttawa tribes of Native Americans. St. Ignace soon became the center offur trading with the French. It was incorporated as a village in 1882 and a city in 1883. TheMackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians is headquartered at St. Ignace, and the city continues to have a high population of Native Americans.
St. Ignace is the second-oldest city founded byEuropeans in Michigan. Various cultures ofNative Americans had inhabited the area for thousands of years before the first exploration here by French colonists. Early historic peoples of the area in the 17th century were predominantly theIroquoian-speakingWendat, whom the French called theHuron.
By the early 18th century, theAnishinaabeOjibwe, who spoke one of theAlgonquian languages, became prominent in the region. Another related Anishinaabe people were theOttawa orOdawa in their language. The third member of theCouncil of Three Fires, a loose confederacy of these tribes, was thePotawatomi people. All three peoples have descendants who are members of various federally recognized tribes in northern Michigan.
French explorer and priestJacques Marquette founded theSt. Ignace Mission on this site in 1671 and was buried here after his death.[7] He named it forSt. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of theJesuit religious order, whose priests were active as missionaries across North America. (Ignace is theFrench version of Ignatius.) Jesuits served at missions to convertFirst Nations/Native Americans toCatholicism and to share French culture. In 1673, Marquette joined the expedition ofLouis Jolliet, a French-Canadian explorer, and departed from St. Ignace on May 17, with two canoes and fivevoyageurs of French-Indian ancestry (Métis) on a voyage to find theMississippi River. They were successful and descended downriver as far as Arkansas.
While separately exploring the Great Lakes region on the shipLe Griffon withLouis Hennepin,Sieur de La Salle reached St. Ignace on August 27, 1679.Louis de La Porte, Sieur de Louvigny foundedFort de Buade here in 1681 as afur trading post. It was later directed byAntoine Cadillac. It was closed by the French in 1697.[8] The Jesuits abandoned their mission in 1705.
The Ojibwe, who came to dominate most of the Native American territory of present-day Michigan in the 18th century, were allies of the French in theSeven Years' War against the British. After the British victory in the Seven Years' War, in 1763 they took over the territory of France in North America, including this part of the formerNew France. After the victory of rebellious colonists in theAmerican Revolutionary War, in 1783 the village was included within the new United States, as part of what became called itsNorthwest Territory.
An importantfur trading site for both the French and the British, St. Ignace declined in importance by the early 19th century. The Ojibwe had allied with Great Britain in theWar of 1812, based on their long trading and a hope they would expel American colonists. The fur trade declined at St. Ignace largely because the United States prohibited British Canadian traders from operating across the border after the end of the war. At the same time European demand for North American furs was declining as tastes changed, and other parts of the economy grew.
Both British-Canadians and later Americans operated a larger trading center atSault Ste. Marie, which developed on both sides of the Canadian-US border, until the decline of the fur trade in the 1830s. The fur trade also suffered before and during the hostilities of theWar of 1812, as the United States first imposed a boycott on all trade with England, including traders in Canada. Many local people kept businesses going by smuggling, but postwar prohibitions on the fur trade were more difficult to avoid. prohibited British traders from operating across the border, as had been their earlier practice. The Ojibwe had allied with the British, their longtime trading partners, during the War of 1812,
In 1882, construction of theDetroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad, which connected the straits area to the major city ofDetroit, provided an economic boost to the village. Farmers and the lumber industry could more easily get products to a major market. St. Ignace was incorporated as a village on February 23, 1882, and as a city in 1883.[7]
In the late 19th century, a new sector of its economy developed, as it began to attract tourists as a popular summer resort and for its connection toMackinac Island.
Since the late 20th century, the city has become a rural destination forheritage tourism and is part of a regional area popular for summer tourism. A variety of water sports and activities are available.
TheMackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians, a state-recognized tribe, is based in St. Ignace. It also has bands in several other counties in the region. With an enrolled membership of 4,000 in this area and state recognition, it has been seeking federal recognition since 1998. The larger federally recognizedSault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, based in the city of that name and the region of northern Michigan, owns and operates a gaming casino in St. Ignace on land it controls in the city, in addition to land and casinos in four other cities in the state.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.65 square miles (6.86 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) are water.[3] Point St. Ignace, which separates theStraits of Mackinac fromLake Huron, occupies the southern half of the city. The city is laid out along the west shore of Lake Huron, with the southern edge of the city facing the Straits.Straits State Park is in the southern part of the city.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 934 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,704 | 189.5% | |
| 1900 | 2,271 | −16.0% | |
| 1910 | 2,118 | −6.7% | |
| 1920 | 1,852 | −12.6% | |
| 1930 | 2,109 | 13.9% | |
| 1940 | 2,669 | 26.6% | |
| 1950 | 2,946 | 10.4% | |
| 1960 | 3,334 | 13.2% | |
| 1970 | 2,892 | −13.3% | |
| 1980 | 2,632 | −9.0% | |
| 1990 | 2,568 | −2.4% | |
| 2000 | 2,678 | 4.3% | |
| 2010 | 2,452 | −8.4% | |
| 2020 | 2,306 | −6.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
As of thecensus[10] of 2010, there were 2,452 people, 1,064 households, and 633 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 914.9 inhabitants per square mile (353.2/km2). There were 1,299 housing units at an average density of 484.7 per square mile (187.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 63.4%White, 1.0%African American, 27.8%Native American, 0.3%Asian, 0.2% fromother races, and 7.3% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents of any race were 1.1% of the population.
There were 1,064 households, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% weremarried couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.5% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.84.
The median age in the city was 44.5 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.6% were from 25 to 44; 31.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.
| Largest ancestries (2000)[11] | Percent |
|---|---|
| Ojibwe | 23% |
| German | 18% |
| Irish | 11% |
| French | 10% |
| English | 8% |
| Polish | 7% |
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 2,678 people, 1,085 households, and 675 families residing in the city. The population density was 990.7 inhabitants per square mile (382.5/km2). There were 1,232 housing units at an average density of 455.8 per square mile (176.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 71.81%White, 19.42%Native American, 0.56%Asian, 0.30%African American, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 0.19% fromother races, and 7.69% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents of any race were 0.90% of the population.
There were 1,085 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% weremarried couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city, 23.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.6% was from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,447, and the median income for a family was $45,893. Males had a median income of $29,813 versus $23,017 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $17,340. About 6.0% of families and 9.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
St. Ignace Area Schools is the local school district.[12]
Kewadin Casino of St. Ignace, is a significant tourist attraction and local employer.Straits State Park is located at the south end of the city.Wawatam Lighthouse is located in the city's harbor. The harbor also is a port for Coast Guardice breakers,e.g., the tugKatmai Bay[A] and heavy duty breakerMackinaw.[B][15][16][17][18][19][20]
St. Anthony's Rock, a free-access geologicallimestonestack, is located in the center of the town.Castle Rock, a similar but taller stack for which admission is charged, is located three miles (4.8 km) north overlookingLake Huron.Rabbit's Back, a prominent promontory that also overlooks Lake Huron, is four miles (6.4 km) north.Chain Lake, one mile (1.6 km) inland, features inland fishing opportunities.
I-75 crosses over theMackinac Bridge and through St. Ignace. Southbound I-75 takes drivers to theLower Peninsula; northbound the freeway heads towardSault Ste. Marie andCanada.
BL I-75 follows the route of old US 2.
US 2 ends in St. Ignace at I-75. Westbound, US 2 traverses a scenic stretch along Lake Michigan, towardManistique andEscanaba.
H-63 (Mackinac Trail) is a north–south route traveling along the former route of US 2 from just north of St. Ignace to Sault Ste. Marie.Two ferry companies (Shepler's Ferry and theArnold Transit Company) operate out of Saint Ignace, connecting tourists and commuters toMackinac Island.
The nearest airports with scheduled passenger service are inChippewa County International Airport inKinross (northeast of St. Ignace, adjacent to I-75) andPellston Regional Airport in theLower Peninsula.[21]
Indian Trails provides daily intercity bus service between St. Ignace andEast Lansing, Michigan,[22] between St. Ignace andBay City, Michigan,[23] and between St. Ignace andIronwood, Michigan.[24]
Municipalities and communities ofMackinac County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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