St. Joseph, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

St. Joseph, Michigan

Clockwise from top: Silver Beach, Blossomland Bridge, North Pier Inner Lighthouse, and State Street in downtown St. Joseph

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Nickname(s):

St. Joe

Location within Berrien County

St. Joseph, Michigan

Location in Michigan

Country

United States

Incorporated

1834 (village)
1891 (city)

Government

• Type

Council–manager

Area

• Total

4.78 sq mi (12.38 km²)

• Land

3.20 sq mi (8.30 km²)

• Water

1.58 sq mi (4.08 km²)

Elevation

630 ft (192 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

7,856

• Density

2,452.70/sq mi (947.05/km²)

Time zone

UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))

• Summer (DST)

UTC-4 (EDT)

ZIP code(s)

49085

Area code(s)

269

FIPS code

26-70960

GNIS feature ID

0636762

St. Joseph, also known as St. Joe, is a city in Michigan. It is the main city, or county seat, of Berrien County. The city was first set up as a village in 1834. It officially became a city in 1891.

In 2020, about 7,856 people lived in St. Joseph. The city is located on the edge of Lake Michigan. It sits where the St. Joseph River flows into the lake. St. Joseph is about 90 miles (145 km) east of Chicago. It is also home to the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

History of St. Joseph

The area where the St. Joseph River meets Lake Michigan was very important long ago. Native American tribes, like the Miami and Potawatomi, used this spot. It was a key water path between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. They also used it as a camping area. The St. Joseph River connected to the Sauk Trail, a major land path through Michigan.

Early European Explorers

In 1669, European explorers first saw the mouth of the river. A French explorer named René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle built Fort Miami here in 1678. It was on a high bank overlooking Lake Michigan. La Salle waited for his ship, Le Griffon, but it never came back. After the ship was lost, La Salle and his men were the first Europeans to cross the lower Michigan area by land.

Settlement and Growth

Around 1780, William Burnett became the first permanent white settler in St. Joseph. He started a trading post where the St. Joseph River meets the lake. This post traded food, furs, and other goods with places like Detroit and Chicago.

In 1829, Calvin Britain arrived in the area. He had been a teacher nearby for two years. Soon after, he planned out the village, which was first called Newburyport. It was named after a city in Massachusetts. Britain helped bring many other settlers to the area. Land sold quickly, and the village grew.

The mouth of the St. Joseph River was later made straighter with a channel. Piers were also added. The first lighthouse in St. Joseph might be the first one ever built on Lake Michigan. Newburyport changed its name to St. Joseph when it became a village on March 7, 1834. It became a city on June 5, 1891.

Shipping and Transportation

The first water route across Lake Michigan between St. Joseph and Chicago started in 1825. It was for mail. Regular boat service began in 1842. Before big shipping companies, small boats run by their owners handled most of the travel. As shipping grew in nearby Benton Harbor and tourism in St. Joseph, larger boat services started.

Original St Joseph Lifesaving Service boathouse, around 1874.

The United States Lifesaving Service built a station in St. Joseph in 1876. Joseph Napier was the first person in charge. Today, the Coast Guard still has a station at this spot.

Downtown St. Joseph

Maritime Heritage Trail Park

In 1894, St. Joseph became the county seat of Berrien County. This happened after a big political competition. The three largest towns, Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, and Niles, all wanted to be the county seat. But none had enough votes alone. When St. Joseph and Benton Harbor voters combined their votes, St. Joseph won.

Early Flight History

On October 11, 1898, Augustus Moore Herring brought one of his gliders to Silver Beach in St. Joseph. This glider had a motor. Herring's machine lifted slightly off the ground and flew for seven seconds! Eleven days later, he flew for ten seconds. Herring had a powered flying machine, but he couldn't control it well. Five years later, the Wright brothers perfected controlled flight. This made them and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina famous, but St. Joseph almost had that honor.

Transportation Companies

Two main shipping companies sailed between St. Joseph and Chicago in the late 1800s. They were the Goodrich Transportation company and Graham and Morton. They were the most important carriers for over 100 years.

In 1874, Henry Graham and J. Stanley Morton started a steamship line from St. Joseph. Their company, Graham and Morton Transportation Company, became very successful. Goodrich stopped service to St. Joseph in 1880. Graham and Morton grew fast. It became the second largest shipping line on Lake Michigan.

By 1924, new roads along Lake Michigan meant fewer people used ships. Graham and Morton had to join with Goodrich. Like many other ports, St. Joseph saw much less ship traffic in the early 1900s. This got worse during the Great Depression. The ship route between Chicago and St. Joseph lasted until the 1950s.

Railroad Connections

On January 29, 1870, the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad built a rail line to St. Joseph. This connected St. Joseph to cities like Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Detroit, and Chicago. Before this, St. Joseph was only connected by water. This rail line later became part of the Pere Marquette Railroad. Today, it is known as the CSX Grand Rapids Subdivision. Amtrak also offers passenger train service called the "Pere Marquette." It runs daily between Chicago and Grand Rapids, stopping in St. Joseph.

Business and Industry Growth

In 1892, Truscott Boat Manufacturing Co. moved to St. Joseph. In the early 1900s, it was the biggest employer in the city. It had 700 workers and built 600 wooden boats each year. The company built boats for the government in World War I. It struggled during the Great Depression. It was sold in 1940 and built ships for the Navy in World War II. But it went out of business in 1948.

Whirlpool Corporation

In 1911, Louis, Emory, and Frederick Upton started a business. They made washing machines for homes. This business grew very quickly. In 1929, their company joined with Nineteen Hundred Corp. They started selling appliances under the "Whirlpool" brand in 1948. Soon after, the company changed its name to Whirlpool. Today, Whirlpool Corporation is the largest maker of major home appliances. It has a big presence in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. Whirlpool's world headquarters are in Benton Harbor.

Silver Beach Amusement Park

In 1891, the Silver Beach Amusement Park opened in St. Joseph. It was located between the lake and the river mouth. Logan Drake and Louis Wallace bought the land. They added small houses to attract tourists. As the park became more popular, they added many fun things. These included games, a pool, a boardwalk, and rides.

The first roller coaster was built in 1904. It was called the Chase Through the Clouds. Later, the Velvet roller coaster (renamed the Comet) replaced it. Two of the most popular attractions were the carousel and the Shadowland Ballroom, built in 1927. In the 1960s and 1970s, the park's buildings got old. Fewer people came. Finally, crime in the park caused the police to close it in 1970.

Geography

St. Joseph covers a total area of about 4.80 square miles (12.43 square kilometers). About 3.22 square miles (8.34 square kilometers) of this is land. The other 1.58 square miles (4.09 square kilometers) is water.

Population Information

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	2,603	—
1890	3,733	43.4%
1900	5,155	38.1%
1910	5,936	15.2%
1920	7,251	22.2%
1930	8,349	15.1%
1940	8,963	7.4%
1950	10,223	14.1%
1960	11,755	15.0%
1970	11,042	−6.1%
1980	9,622	−12.9%
1990	9,214	−4.2%
2000	8,789	−4.6%
2010	8,365	−4.8%
2020	7,856	−6.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 Census Details

In 2020, there were 7,856 people living in St. Joseph.

**St. Joseph city, Michigan – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	7,879	7,227	6,533	89.65%	86.40%	83.16%
Black or African American alone (NH)	448	444	272	5.10%	5.31%	3.46%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	33	24	20	0.38%	0.29%	0.25%
Asian alone (NH)	206	281	320	2.34%	3.36%	4.07%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	2	0	2	0.02%	0.00%	0.03%
Other race alone (NH)	5	17	36	0.06%	0.20%	0.46%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	103	137	337	1.17%	1.64%	4.29%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	113	235	336	1.29%	2.81%	4.28%
Total	8,789	8,365	7,856	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Culture and Events

St. Joseph and Benton Harbor together host the yearly Blossomtime Festival.

The Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff takes place every year. It is held in Lake Bluff Park. This happens on the weekend after the July 4th holiday.

The Concours d'Elegance of Southwest Michigan is a car show. It happens every year on the second Saturday in August. The first show was in 2005. About 75 owners of classic cars are invited to show their vehicles. The show is held in St. Joseph's downtown Lake Bluff Park.

Venetian Festival History

From 1979 to 2011, St. Joseph held the Venetian Festival. This festival had three main parts. These were the Blessing of the River, the Lighted Boat Parade, and a Classic Boat Parade. The festival's name came from how St. Joseph is similar to Venice, Italy.

In 1987, a US Navy ship, the USS Oliver Hazard Perry, visited the festival. Its commander let people tour the ship for free. This started a tradition. Navy ships would often come to the festival after that. Music was also a big part of the festival. Many local musicians played. Famous bands like the Beach Boys and Cheap Trick also performed.

A study in 1998 showed that about 63,000 people attended the 1997 festival. It brought about $1.7 million to the local economy.

Competitions were held along Silver Beach and the Saint Joseph River. These included volleyball, a river run and walk, and sand sculpting. The Lighted Boat Parade and Classic Boat Display were on the St. Joseph River. They were part of the festival since 1987. Fireworks and rides also attracted many visitors. A blessing of the river ceremony was held on July 30. This tradition still continues today.

City Infrastructure

St. Joseph has several important roads:

I-94
BL I-94
I-196 starts just northeast of Benton Harbor–St. Joseph
US 31
M-63
M-139

The St. Joseph railway station has daily train service. Amtrak's Pere Marquette passenger train stops here.

The Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority (TCATA) provides public transportation. It serves the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor area. It used to be a dial-a-ride system. Now, it has three fixed bus routes. Only one route, the Red Route, goes through St. Joseph.

The St. Joseph Harbor is a port for commercial ships. It receives large goods from lake freighters. St. Joseph has two docks. Another dock is in Benton Harbor. The harbor's depth limits how much it can handle. Because of this, the amount of goods shipped has gone down.

Education

St. Joseph has several schools:

St. Joseph High School (Bears)
Upton Middle School
Brown Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
E.P. Clarke Elementary
Lake Michigan Catholic (Lakers)
Lake Michigan College (Red Hawks)
Trinity Lutheran School (Kingsmen)
Michigan Lutheran High School (Titans)
Grace Lutheran School (Hornets)

Media

St. Joseph is served by The Herald-Palladium newspaper. Its offices are in nearby St. Joseph Township. The city is part of the South Bend/Elkhart television market. It also has local radio stations like WCSY-FM, WCXT, WIRX, WQYQ, WSJM-FM, and WYTZ.

Notable People from St. Joseph

Many interesting people have connections to St. Joseph:

Marc Bitzer, CEO at Whirlpool Corporation
Dave Carlock, music producer and songwriter
Robert J. Warren, President of LECO Corporation
Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014
James Frey, writer
Harry Gast, farmer and Michigan state legislator
Sean Giambrone, actor
Michael Joseph Green, Roman Catholic bishop
Rob Harbin, guitarist for Bliss 66
Doris Keane, actress
Jeff M. Fettig, former CEO of Whirlpool Corporation
Benjamin Franklin King Jr., humorist and writer
Amy Robach, former news anchor for ABC's Good Morning America
Rachel Renee Russell, author of the Dork Diaries book series
Roger Craig Smith, voice actor
Fred Upton, politician (U.S. House of Representatives)
Frederick Upton, Senior Vice President of Whirlpool Corporation
Louis Upton, Founder of Whirlpool Corporation
Kate Upton, model and actress
Karen Ziemba, actress, singer, and dancer
Reilly Opelka, tennis player

Images for kids

Downtown St. Joseph
Maritime Heritage Trail Park