At the falls or rapids of Ste. Marie. First built as a Jesuit mission by Père Marquette 1668. Owing to war with the Iroquois the fortified mission was abandoned in 1689. A French fort was soon after built on the north side of the rapids. In 1750, Jonquière, the Governor, granted to Chevalier de Repentigny six leagues for erection of a fort. This was on the south shore and was called Fort Sauvage (see map No. 10) and was also known as fort Sault Ste. Marie. It was located at the Mission of Ste. Marie, just west of St. George's island. The palisade surrounding the fort extended 110 feet each way and enclosed several houses and a redoubt. It is included in Bougainville's list of 1757. The American fort Brady was afterwards constructed on the site of this French fort and mission, see map No. 15. This fort was surrendered to the British 1760-1. It was visited by A. Henry in 1762, was captured and partly burned by Pontiac in 1763. The garrison had been withdrawn to Michilimackinac before Pontiac's attack, and on Mitchell's map of 1755 (No. 111) this fort and mission are marked "abandoned". After the war of American independence, this fort together with the peninsula of Michigan was held by the British forces until 1796. The second French fort on the north shore was reconstructed some time after the American revolution and became the base for operations of the North West Co. and later the Hudson's Bay Co. Bellin's map 1744 (No. 15) shows the location of the mission on the south shore. Arrowsmith maps No. 101 and 100 show a Hudson's Bay Co. fort on the north shore. Sault Ste. Marie under the French became the centre of the fur trade in that region and was the central mart for the whole north-west. It was regarded by the Ottawas as their preserve in 1650. The North West Co. was early established here. In 1792 they were said to have several houses and stores. They built a road around the portage and in 1797-98 constructed the first Sault canal on the Canadian shore, half-a-mile long with one lock 58 ft. long, 8 ft. 9 ins. wide, with a lift of 9 feet for the passage of freight canoes. They had also a good wharf and storehouse as described by Harmon. A tow path along the shore enabled oxen to track the canoes and bateaux through the upper part of the rapids. This lock was destroyed in July 1813 by American troops from Mackinac Island, and the fort and establishment pillaged and burned. After union of the two companies in 1821, trade of Sault Ste. Marie began to decline as the Hudson's Bay Co. used the Albany route to York Factory. McLean speaks of Sault Ste. Marie as a large depot in 1833 and the Hudson's Bay Co. fort is shown on Arrowsmith map 1857 (No. 8). About 1850 a tramway operated by horses was built at the old portage succeeding the single horse and cart used before. Map of Upper Canada 1800 (No. 121) shows two forts on the south side of the strait at east end of rapids opposite the "New Portage", which was constructed when the British forces retired to Canadian side of strait in 1796. Presumably one of these forts was constructed by the Americans after retirement of the British forces.