St. Joseph, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,789. It lies on the shore of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River
St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)
The St. Joseph River is a river, approximately long, in southern Michigan and northern Indiana in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming area in the watershed of Lake Michigan...
, about 60 miles (96.6 km) east-northeast of Chicago. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Berrien County
Berrien County, Michigan
Berrien County is a county located in the extreme southwest of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 156,813. The county seat is St. Joseph....
. St. Joseph was the site of the Venetian Festival
Venetian Festival
Venetian festivals are held in cities in Europe and North America. They are based on carnival, or carnevale, the period just before Lent, as celebrated in the 17th century in Venice, Italy. Venetian festivals re-create the fantasy of the earlier events with food, costumes, masks, music, theater,...
through 2010, an event that drew thousands annually to its shores. It is also home of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers , was founded in 1907 and is based in St. Joseph, Michigan. It is an international engineering society with about 9000 members in over 100 countries...
.
St. Joseph and Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
are locally known as the "Twin Cities".
History
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Both the Miami
Miami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
and Potawatomi
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
used this route and would use the area as a camp. The St. Joseph River also allowed for connection with the Sauk Trail
Sauk Trail
Sauk Trail began as a Native American trail running through Illinois, Indiana and Michigan in the United States. From west to east, the trail ran from Rock Island on the Mississippi River to the Illinois River near modern Peru then along the north bank of that river to Joliet, and on to Valparaiso,...
, which was the major land trail through Michigan. In 1669, the mouth of the river was discovered by European explorers. French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, or Robert de LaSalle was a French explorer. He explored the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico...
built Fort Miami
Fort Miami (Michigan)
Fort Miami was a fort on the bank of the St. Joseph River at the site of the present-day city of St. Joseph, Michigan, in the United States.It was established in November 1679 by a band of French explorers led by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle on the banks of what was then called the River...
on the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. In 1679, he waited for the ship Le Griffon
Le Griffon
Le Griffon was a 17th century sailing ship built by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in his quest to find the Northwest Passage to China and Japan....
which never returned. Once the ship was deemed lost, LaSalle and his men made the first land crossing of the lower peninsula by Europeans.
The next permanent white settler in St. Joseph was William Burnett, who around 1780 started a trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
at the mouth of the St. Joseph River. The post traded food, furs and goods with places including Detroit, Mackinac and Chicago. In 1829, Calvin Britain
Calvin Britain
Calvin Britain was a politician from the U. S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Britain was born in Jefferson County, New York. He came to Michigan in 1827 and was the first settler in the town of St. Joseph. He laid out the village of St. Joseph, first known as Newburyport...
, who had come from Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 116,229. It is named after Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America, and president at the time the county was created in 1805...
, and had taught at the Carey Mission
Carey Mission
The Carey Mission was established by Baptist missionary Isaac McCoy among the Potawatomi tribe of American Indians on the St. Joseph River near Niles, Michigan, USA in December, 1822. It was named for William Carey, a noted English Baptist missionary...
at Niles
Niles, Michigan
Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near South Bend, Indiana. The population was 11,600 at the 2010 census. It is the greater populated of two principal cities of and included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
for two years, came to the site of St. Joseph. Shortly thereafter, he laid out the plat of the village, then known as Newburyport, named after a coastal city in Massachusetts
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
. Britain was influential in attracting other settlers to the area. Lots sold rapidly and the village flourished.
The St. Joseph river mouth was straightened through a channel and piers were added later. The first lighthouse in St. Joseph battles Chicago's original lighthouse as the first to be built on Lake Michigan. Newburyport changed its name to St. Joseph when it was incorporated in 1834.
The first water route across Lake Michigan between St. Joseph and Chicago began as a mail route in 1825, but service was sporadic until 1842 when Samuel and Eber Ward began a permanent service. That lasted eleven years. Before the rise of large ship companies on Lake Michigan, service was done primarily by owner-operated boats. With the rise in shipping in Benton Harbor and the rise in tourism in St. Joseph, permanent and larger operations began operating out of the ports.
After a bitterly fought political contest, St. Joseph was named the seat of Berrien County in 1894, when Berrien Springs
Berrien Springs, Michigan
Berrien Springs is a village in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,862 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Oronoko Charter Township. Berrien Springs is best known for its Seventh-day Adventist community and Andrews University...
relinquished that status. The three largest towns in the county, Benton Harbor, St. Joseph and Niles
Niles, Michigan
Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near South Bend, Indiana. The population was 11,600 at the 2010 census. It is the greater populated of two principal cities of and included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
, each wanted to be the county seat, but none had a majority vote. Once St. Joseph and Benton Harbor voters combined their votes, St. Joseph had enough to win.
On October 11, 1898, Augustus Moore Herring
Augustus Moore Herring
Augustus Moore Herring was an American aviation pioneer, who flew a compressed-air powered aircraft in 1898, five years before the Wright Brothers made their own powered flight. It has been claimed that he was the first aviator of a motorized heavier-than-air aircraft.-Biography:Herring was born...
took one of his gliders
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
, fitted with a motor, to Silver Beach
Silver Beach Amusement Park
Silver Beach Amusement Park was located in St. Joseph, Michigan. The small amusement park operated between 1891 and 1971.-History:Silver Beach opened as a resort in 1891 when local businessmen in boat building Logan Drake and Louis D. Wallace built vacation cottages as Silver Beach Amusement and...
in St. Joseph. Herring’s machine lifted ever so slightly off the ground and actually flew for seven seconds. Eleven days later, the inventor made another flight of ten seconds. While Herring had a powered heavier-than-air craft, he did not have a way to control it. It was left to the Wright brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
to perfect controlled flight five years later,
and give themselves and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Kitty Hawk is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,000 at the 2000 census. It was established in the early 18th century as Chickahawk....
, a place in history that might have ended up belonging to Herring and St. Joseph.
Transportation history
Two major shipping companies operated between St. Joseph and Chicago during the last half of the 19th century, the Goodrich Transportation company and the local firm of Graham and Morton. They dominated the traffic at St. Joseph for more than 100 years, although other smaller companies did operate during this time.Starting in 1874, Henry Graham and J. Stanley Morton began operating a steam line out of St. Joseph. Their collaboration would become the Graham and Morton Transportation Company. Through vigorous competition, they won the war to become the major carrier out of St. Joseph. Goodrich stopped service to the Twin Cities in 1880. The company grew fast and over the fifty plus years of its existence became the second largest line on Lake Michigan behind only Goodrich.
In 1924 G & M merged with Goodrich. Like most other ports along Lake Michigan, St. Joseph saw a huge drop in traffic during the early years of the twentieth century and this was exacerbated by the Great Depression. The route between Chicago and St. Joseph did survive until the 1950s.
On January 29, 1870, the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad
Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad
The Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in Michigan between 1869 and 1878, and as the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad until 1881....
extended a rail line from New Buffalo
New Buffalo, Michigan
New Buffalo is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,200 at the 2000 census. This city is within New Buffalo Township, but is politically autonomous.-Geography:...
to St. Joseph. This railroad connected St. Joseph to Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, Muskegon
Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
, Detroit and Chicago. (Prior to this, the only connection St. Joseph had to these other cities was by water.) The line was reorganized as the Chicago and West Michigan Railway
Chicago and West Michigan Railway
The Chicago and West Michigan Railway is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan between 1881 and 1899. It was one of the three companies which merged to become the Pere Marquette Railway....
and then was incorporated into the Pere Marquette Railroad.
Business and industry history
In 1911, Louis, Emory, and Frederick Upton began a business that produced household washing machineWashing machine
A washing machine is a machine designed to wash laundry, such as clothing, towels and sheets...
s. The business soon became a boom and has continued to grow to this day. In 1929, Upton Machine Company merged with Nineteen Hundred Corp., taking the latter name. The company began marketing a line of appliances known as the "Whirlpool" brand in 1948. Within the next decade, Nineteen Hundred changed its name to Whirlpool. Today, Whirlpool Corporation is the largest manufacturer of major home appliances and maintains a large presence in St. Joseph and nearby Benton Harbor
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
. Whirlpool has its world headquarters outside Benton Harbor.
In 1891 the Silver Beach Amusement Park
Silver Beach Amusement Park
Silver Beach Amusement Park was located in St. Joseph, Michigan. The small amusement park operated between 1891 and 1971.-History:Silver Beach opened as a resort in 1891 when local businessmen in boat building Logan Drake and Louis D. Wallace built vacation cottages as Silver Beach Amusement and...
was opened on land between the lake and mouth of the river in St. Joseph. Logan Drake and Louis Wallace bought the land from the Pere Marquette Railroad and added cottages to lure tourists to the lake front. As the park aged and grew in popularity, the pair added many attractions, including concessions, games, pool, a boardwalk and different rides. The first roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
was built in 1904 and was called the Chase Through the Clouds which was replaced by the Velvet roller coaster (renamed the Comet). Among the most popular attractions were the carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
and the Shadowland Ballroom, built in 1927. During the 1960s and 1970s, the buildings decayed and the crowds decreased. Finally, crime in the park caused it to be shut down by police in 1970.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6 square miles (15.5 km²). 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²) of it is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of it (42.64%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,789 people, 4,117 households, and 2,058 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,561.3 per square mile (989.3/km²). There were 4,594 housing units at an average density of 1,338.8 per square mile (517.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.31% White, 5.11% African American, 0.41% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other racesRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.29% of the population.
There were 4,117 households out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.0% were non-families. 44.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.0% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,032, and the median income for a family was $51,328. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $26,395 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,949. About 4.3% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
In addition to the Venetian Festival, St. Joseph is cohost of the annual Blossomtime Festival with Benton Harbor.The Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff is held in Lake Bluff Park every year on the weekend after the July 4 weekend.
Government
City government is organized as a council-manager governmentCouncil-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
. There is a city commission with five members, who are elected at large. City elections are held in November of even-numbered years; at each election, three commission seats become open. The two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes receive four-year terms, while the candidate receiving the third-greatest number of votes receives a two-year term. At the first meeting following each election, the commission selects from its own number a mayor and mayor pro tem for the following two years. The city commission is a part-time body, typically meeting twice each month to act as a legislative body and set general policies. Day to day operations are delegated to a contracted city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
by the name of Frank Walsh.
Major city facilities include the City Hall and Police Station at 700 Broad Street; the Department of Public Services at 1160 Broad Street; the Fire Department at 915 Broad Street; the Maud Preston Palenske Public Library at 500 Market Street; the John and Dede Howard Ice Arena at 2414 Willa Drive; the Water Treatment Plant at 1701 Lions Park Drive; and Riverview Cemetery at 2525 Niles Road.
The city Water Treatment Plant provides drinking water to the communities of the Lake Michigan Shoreline Water and Sewage Treatment Authority, which serves Lincoln Charter Township
Lincoln Charter Township, Michigan
Lincoln Charter Township is a charter township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 13,952 at the 2000 census....
, Royalton Township
Royalton Township, Michigan
Royalton Township is a civil township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan, a few miles southeast of the city of St. Joseph. The population was 3,888 at the 2000 census. There are no incorporated municipalities in the township, but portions are considered to be part of the Benton...
, St. Joseph Charter Township
St. Joseph Charter Township, Michigan
St. Joseph Charter Township is a charter township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,042 at the 2000 census. The township is on the shores of Lake Michigan in the west central portion of the county, south of and adjacent to the City of St. Joseph. The Village of...
, west of the St. Joseph River, and the villages of Shoreham
Shoreham, Michigan
Shoreham is a village in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 860 at the 2000 census. The village is located within St. Joseph Charter Township on the shore of Lake Michigan, just south of the City of St...
and Stevensville
Stevensville, Michigan
Stevensville is a village in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The village lies within Lincoln Township. The population was 1,191 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. Wastewater treatment is provided through the Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is jointly owned by the cities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, and which also serves the LMSWSTA communities, Benton Charter Township
Benton Charter Township, Michigan
Benton Charter Township is a charter township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census, the township population was 16,404.-Communities:...
and portions of Sodus Township
Sodus Township, Michigan
Sodus Township is a civil township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,139 at the 2000 census. There are no incorporated municipalities in the township. The unincorporated community of Sodus in the northwest of the township is its main settlement; the portion of...
.
| Name | Title | Year First Elected |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Judd | Mayor | 1997 |
| Michael Garey | Mayor pro tem | 1999 |
| Jeffery Richards | 1984 | |
| Mary Goff | 1986 (a) | |
| Fran Chickering | 2007 (b) |
Education
- St. Joseph High SchoolSt. Joseph High School (St. Joseph, Michigan)St. Joseph High School is a public high school located in Saint Joseph, Michigan. It is the only public high school in the . The school's mascot is the Bear and its primary athletic rival is Lakeshore High School.School Motto:...
(Bears) - Lake Michigan Catholic (Lakers)
- Lake Michigan CollegeLake Michigan CollegeLake Michigan College is a regional two-year community college located in Berrien County, Michigan. The main campus is located in Benton Township, Michigan, on US-31/Napier Avenue, and regional campuses are located in Benton Harbor, Bertrand Crossing , and South Haven. The main campus is bordered...
- Trinity Lutheran School (Kingsmen)
- Michigan Lutheran High School (Titans)
- Grace Lutheran School (Hornets)
Media
St. Joseph is served by The Herald-PalladiumThe Herald-Palladium
The Herald-Palladium is a newspaper distributed in the Southwest Michigan region serving all or part of Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, and Allegan Counties.-History:...
newspaper, whose offices are in nearby St. Joseph Township
St. Joseph Charter Township, Michigan
St. Joseph Charter Township is a charter township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,042 at the 2000 census. The township is on the shores of Lake Michigan in the west central portion of the county, south of and adjacent to the City of St. Joseph. The Village of...
, is part of the South Bend/Elkhart television market, and is served by sister radio stations WCSY, WCSY-FM, WCXT
WCXT
WCXT is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format, serving the southwestern Michigan area. WCXT is licensed to Hartford, Michigan and focuses on the cities of St. Joseph, Benton Harbor and South Haven...
, WIRX
WIRX
WIRX is a radio station owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting located in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The station's city of license is St...
, WSJM
WSJM (AM)
WSJM is a radio station broadcasting a news-talk format. Licensed to St. Joseph, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1956....
, WSJM-FM
WSJM-FM
WSJM-FM is a radio station broadcasting a simulcast of WSJM 1400 AM, a News-Talk-Sports station. Licensed to Benton Harbor, Michigan.-History:...
, and WYTZ
WYTZ
WYTZ is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Bridgman, Michigan, it first began broadcasting under the WCSE call sign....
as well as some in the South Bend market.
Transportation
I-94Interstate 94Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
I-94 Business Loop.
I-196 begins just northeast of Benton Harbor/St. Joseph
US 31U.S. Route 31U.S. Route 31 is a long north–south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with its northern terminus at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City, Michigan, and southern terminus at the combined U.S. Route 90 & U.S. Route 98 at Spanish Fort, Alabama...
M-63M-63 (Michigan highway)M-63 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs from M-139 at Scottdale through the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph to Interstate 196/US Highway 31 at exit 7 just outside Hagar Shores. The trunkline runs through residential areas south of St. Joseph and through...
M-139M-139 (Michigan highway)M-139 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan, entirely within Berrien County. It was formed originally as a bypass of the Benton Harbor and St...
- The St. Joseph railway stationSt. Joseph (Amtrak station)The St. Joseph Amtrak station also known as the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Amtrak Station is a train station in St. Joseph, Michigan, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system.Of the 22 Michigan stations served by Amtrak, St...
is serviced daily by AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Pere Marquette passenger trainPere Marquette (passenger train)Pere Marquette is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services. The 176-mile line connects Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. Pere Marquette is funded in part by the Michigan Department of Transportation...
.
- Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority (TCATA) provides public transit throughout St. Joseph-Benton Harbor area. It was originally a dial-a-ride system. More recently, it launched three fixed routes. Only one of those routes, the Red Route, passes through St. Joseph – the other routes are limited to Benton Harbor and it's vicinity.
- The St. Joseph Harbor is a commercial port that receives bulk goods from lake freighterLake freighterLake freighters, or Lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that ply the Great Lakes. The best known was the , the most recent and largest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. In the mid-20th century, 300 lakers worked the...
s. St. Joseph has two docks within city limits and another dock is located in Benton Harbor. Due to limitations on the depth of the port and lack of dredging funding, the harbor is experiencing a down trend in the amount of tonnage. The 2007 numbers for the port are:
| Shipper | Good | Number of Vessels | Tonnage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumers | Limestone, sand and slag | 27 | 277,106 |
| Dock 63 | Limestone, stone and sand | 13 | 171,187 |
| Lafarge Lafarge Lafarge is a French industrial company specialising in four major products: cement, construction aggregates, concrete and gypsum wallboard. In 2010 the company was the world's second-largest cement manufacturer by mass shipped behind Holcim.-History:... |
Bulk Cement | 27 | 185,250 |
| Total | 67 | 633,543 |
Previous year tonnage includes:
| Year | Vessels | Tonnage |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 69 | 770,189 |
| 2001 | 87 | 1,118,964 |
| 2002 | 82 | 665,917 |
| 2003 | 90 | 794,572 |
| 2004 | 85 | 767,975 |
Notable people
- Michael Joseph GreenMichael Joseph GreenMichael Joseph Green was a 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Reno in the state of Nevada from 1967-1974.-Biography:...
, Roman Catholic bishop - Benjamin Franklin King, Jr.Benjamin Franklin King, Jr.Benjamin Franklin King, Jr. was an American humorist and poet whose work published under the names Ben King or the pseudonym Bow Hackley achieved notability in his lifetime and afterwards.-Biography:...
humorist and writer - Amy RobachAmy RobachAmy Joanne Robach is a national correspondent for NBC's Today, as well as the co-anchor of their Saturday edition.-Biography:...
, NBC Today Show co-host - Fred UptonFred UptonFrederick Stephen Upton is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Republican Party and Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The district, based in Kalamazoo, stretches along the Michigan-Indiana border in the southwestern part of the state.-Early life,...
, politician (U.S. House of Representatives) - Frederick UptonFrederick and Louis UptonLouis Upton , Emory Upton, and venture capitalist Lowell Bassford founded the Upton Machine Company on November 11, 1911 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The firm's first products were wringer washing machines powered by primitive electric motors. Louis Upton's younger brother Frederick Upton then...
, co-founder of Whirlpool Corporation - Louis UptonFrederick and Louis UptonLouis Upton , Emory Upton, and venture capitalist Lowell Bassford founded the Upton Machine Company on November 11, 1911 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The firm's first products were wringer washing machines powered by primitive electric motors. Louis Upton's younger brother Frederick Upton then...
, co-founder of Whirlpool Corporation - Karen ZiembaKaren ZiembaKaren Ziemba is an American actress, singer and dancer, best known for her work in musical theatre.-Biography:Ziemba was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, and went on to attend the University of Akron , where she studied dance and joined the Ohio Ballet in her sophomore year.Her Broadway debut was in...
, actress, singer, and dancer - Kate UptonKate UptonKate Upton is an American model known for her appearance in the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, for which she was named Rookie of the Year.-Early life:...
, Super model
St. Joseph in popular culture
The book The Other Side of the River by Alex KotlowitzAlex Kotlowitz
-Biography:Kotlowitz received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and is an alumnus of the Ragdale Foundation. He currently lives with his family just outside Chicago in the suburb of Oak Park.-Writing:...
(ISBN 0-385-47721-X) documents the death of an African American teenage boy through the eyes of locals in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. The book delves into race relations between the two cities.
The controversial book A Million Little Pieces
A Million Little Pieces
A Million Little Pieces is a semi-fictional memoir by James Frey. It tells the story of a 23-year-old alcoholic and drug abuser and how he copes with rehabilitation in a Twelve steps-oriented treatment center...
takes place in part in and around the city of St. Joseph. Many of the disputed parts took place in the area. James Frey went to St. Joseph High School. Some members of the area including local police helped to show that the book was not a complete factual recount but partly a fictional retelling of events.
Stephen Christian
Stephen Christian
Stephen Christian is the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band Anberlin and his side-project Anchor & Braille. He and his bandmates started Anberlin in 2002, after the demise of their previous group, known as SaGoh 24/7...
, singer of the band Anberlin
Anberlin
Anberlin is an American rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young.Members of Anberlin originally formed...
spent part of his childhood in St. Joseph, and in the song (*fin) mentions "The house on Ridge Road", which he says is in St. Joseph.
Government
Schools
- St. Joseph Public Schools
- St. Joseph High SchoolSt. Joseph High School (St. Joseph, Michigan)St. Joseph High School is a public high school located in Saint Joseph, Michigan. It is the only public high school in the . The school's mascot is the Bear and its primary athletic rival is Lakeshore High School.School Motto:...
- LMCLake Michigan Catholic High SchoolLake Michigan Catholic High School is a parochial, Roman Catholic high school in St. Joseph, Michigan. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo....
- Trinity Lutheran School
Churches
- First United Methodist Church
- The Chapel (An E-Free Church)
- Lakeshore Christian Church
- Niles Avenue Baptist Church
- Oakridge Baptist Church
- Overflow Church
- Peace Lutheran Church ELCA
- Pilgrim Congregational Church
- Saint Joseph Baptist Church
- Saint Joseph Catholic Church
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church
- Saron Lutheran Church ELCA
- Trinity Lutheran