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Port Huron, Michigan

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File:BWBridge.jpg
A statue of Thomas Edison with the Blue Water Bridge in the background.

Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 32,338. It is the county seat of St. Clair County6. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township, but is politically independent. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia, Ontario in Canada. The city also lies at the southern end of Lake Huron. It is the easternmost point on land in Michigan.

Geography

Location of Port Huron, Michigan
Location of Port Huron, Michigan

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.7 km² (12.2 mi²). 20.9 km² (8.1 mi²) of it is land and 10.8 km² (4.2 mi²) of it (33.99%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 32,338 people, 12,961 households, and 8,048 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,545.3/km² (4,001.9/mi²). There were 14,003 housing units at an average density of 669.1/km² (1,732.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.69% White, 7.74% African American, 0.87% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.32% from other races, and 2.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.28% of the population. 23.9% were of German, 10.1% Irish, 9.4% English, 8.6% United States or American and 6.1% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 12,961 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,327, and the median income for a family was $39,869. Males had a median income of $32,053 versus $22,113 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,100. About 13.4% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

See also: Port Huron (Amtrak station)
Location of Port Huron, Michigan

Two major interstate highways serve the Port Huron area: Interstate 94, and Interstate 69. Both Interstates terminate at the Port Huron-to-Sarnia Blue Water Bridge.

The Blue Water Area Transit system, created in 1976, includes eight routes in the Port Huron area. The system also operates the Blue Water Trolley, which provides a one hour tour of various local points of interest.

Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail service on the Blue Water route from Chicago to Port Huron. Two class one freight railroads operate in Port Huron - Canadian National Railway (CN) and CSX Transportation (CSXT).

St. Clair County International Airport is a public airport located five miles (8 km) southwest of the central business district.

College

Parks

The City of Port Huron owns and operates 17 waterfront areas containing 102 acres and 3 1/2 miles of water frontage. This includes two public beaches and six parks with picnic facilities. The city also has nine scenic turnout sites containing over 250 parking spaces. Port Huron operates the largest municipal marina system in the state and has five separate locations for boat mooring.

Culture

Thomas Edison Depot Museum
  • The main branch of the St. Clair County Library is located in downtown Port Huron. The library contains more than 285,300 books, nearly 200 magazine subscriptions, and over 22,700 books on tape, books on compact disc, music compact discs, cassettes, and videos.

Historic Sites

The following historic sites have been recognized by the State of Michigan through its historic marker program.

  • Fort St. Joseph. The fort was built in 1686 by the French explorer Duluth. This fort was the second European settlement in lower Michigan. This post guarded the upper end of the vital waterway joining Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Designed to bar English traders from the upper lakes, the fort in 1687 was the mobilization center for a war party of French and Indians. In 1688 it was abandoned, but the site became part of Fort Gratiot in 1814. A park now rests where the fort once stood.
  • Fort Gratiot Light. The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse was was built in 1829 to replace a tower destroyed by a storm. In the 1860s workers extended the tower to its present height of 84 feet. The light, automated in 1933, continues to guide shipping on Lake Huron into the narrow and swift-flowing St. Clair River.
The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse
  • Grand Trunk Railroad Deport. The depot, which is now part of the Port Huron Museum, is where 12-year-old Tom Edison departed daily on the Port Huron - Detroit run. In 1859, the railroad's first year of operation, Tom persuaded the company to let him sell newspapers and confections on the daily trips. He became so successful the he soon placed two newsboys on other Grand Trunk runs to Detroit. He made enough money to support himself and to buy chemicals and other experimental materials.
  • Port Huron Public Library. In 1902 the city of Port Huron secured money from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to erect a municipal library. Two years later, the built a grand, Beaux-Arts-style building at a cost of $45,000. At its dedication in 1904, Melvil Dewey, creator of the book classification system that bears his name, delivered the opening address. The Port Huron Public Library served in its original capacity for over sixty years. In 1967 a larger public library was constructed. The following year the former library opened as the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History. A rear addition was constructed in 1988.
  • The Harrington Hotel. The Hotel opened in 1896. It is a blend of Romanesque, Classical and Queen Anne architecture. The hotel closed in 1986, but a group of investors bought the structure that same year to convert it into housing for senior citizens. The Harrington Hotel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
  • The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Tunnel. The tunnel was opened in 1891 and links Port Huron, Michigan with Canada. This international submarine railway tunnel was the first international tunnel in the world. The tunnel's total length is 11,725 feet, with 2,290 feet underwater. The tunnel operations were electrified in 1908 and completely diesalized in 1958. Tracks were lowered in 1949 to accommodate larger freight cars. During World War I, a plot to blast the tunnel was foiled. A new tunnel has since been opened.

Notable Residents

Local sports teams

The following professional teams play at McMorran Place:

See also

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