Fort Brady Fort Brady was a frontier fort established in Sault Sainte Marie , Michigan to guard against British incursions from Canada . The original location of the fort , known as Old Fort Brady , was along the Saint Mary ' s River . Fort Brady was located at this site from 1822 until 1893 , when it was moved to a new location on higher ground , known as New Fort Brady . The fort was located at the new site from 1893 until its close in 1944 . The site of Old Fort Brady was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1956 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 ; New Fort Brady was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1970 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 . Establishment of Fort Brady . To enhance actual American control of the northwestern frontier against these incursions , especially in the wake of the War of 1812 against the British , the War Department decided to establish several forts along the Great Lakes . Despite several treaties with the British clearly establishing American sovereignty over Michigan Territory , British forces made occasional to frequent incursions from Canada . In 1820 , Lewis Cass , governor of Michigan Territory , negotiated the cession of sixteen square miles along the Saint Mary ' s River ( connecting Lake Superior with Lake Huron ) from the Chippewa Nation . In July 1822 , Colonel Hugh Brady , with Headquarters and Companies A , B , D , I and K of the 2nd Infantry Regiment , traveled to the Sault to re - assert American authority over the region and establish a garrison there . By the end of the year , Brady had established a fort on a ten - acre site overlooking St . Marys River . The garrison at the fort protected exclusive American sovereignty over the northern frontier . " Old " Fort Brady . This original fort consisted of a rectangular stockade of cedar posts , with two blockhouses placed at opposite corners . Log buildings were constructed inside along three sides ; these included barracks an officer ' s quarters . Stables and barns servicing the fort were located on the bank of the river , and a garden , garrison field , and cemetery were all located outside the stockade . The entire site covered 26 acres . Intermission . The American military presence at Fort Brady counteracted the influence of the British over the region , and their incursions ceased . The success of Colonel Hugh Brady at this mission earned him a promotion to brigadier general . No further armed conflict against the British occurred in the region , and the importance of Fort Brady was reduced . During the 1846 - 48 Mexican – American War , the Army withdrew troops and the fort was manned by Michigan volunteers . After the conclusion of the war , the volunteers left , and the fort was unoccupied until mid - 1849 , when US troops returned . The army again abandoned the fort in 1857 , when , in response to potential hostilities , the troops were transferred to Fort Snelling in Minnesota . However , realizing the locks were ripe for sabotage , the Army reoccupied Fort Brady in 1866 , with the protection of state locks and canals as the center of the garrison ' s mission . By this time the buildings and stockade of the original fort were badly dilapidated , and the entire fort was em ; arged and rebuilt , with only two structures , the officer ' s quarters ( changed to a hospital ) and guardhouse ( changed to a bakery ) , remaining . In about 1870 , the fort consisted of Transition . In the late 1800s , the shipping canal at Sault Ste . Marie was widened , and the original site of Fort Brady was no longer deemed adequate . General Philip Sheridan selected a more strategic site nearby , on higher ground , and in 1886 work began on constructing a new fort . The new fort , known as " New Fort Brady , " was completed in 1893 . The old fort grounds were platted by Assistant Quartermaster George S . Hoyt , and in 1894 sections were auctioned off . In 1909 - 1910 a post office was built on the site . There is now no visible trace remaining of the original fort . However , archaeologists have found evidence of three walls in the area , and a small re - creation of the stockade wall marks the original location of the fort . In 1970 the site of Old Fort Brady was declared surplus by the US government . " New " Fort Brady . The original site of New Fort Brady consisted on 64 buildings sited on 73 acres . Fourteen of these buildings still exist . They are : Later history . The primary responsibility of the post at New Fort Brady was to protect the canal . Troops from the fort assisted during civil unrest in 1894 , and during the Spanish - American War of 1898 , two thousand troops passed through the fort for training . During World War II , 15 , 000 troops lived at Fort Brady , necessitating various temporary and not - so - temporary construction of habitations and facilities . The 2nd Infantry Division conducted cold - weather training at the fort to determine what equipment would be necessary . However , in 1944 , even before the end of World War II , however , the Army decided to close the fort as surplus . In 1946 , the Army gave the fort to the Michigan College of Mining and Technology ( now Michigan Technological University ) , who established a branch campus at the site . After renovation , the fort was sold to Lake Superior State College ( now Lake Superior State University ) . Many of the original buildings have been replaced , but the major buildings of New Fort Brady have been well - maintained and form the heart of the campus . These buildings are now row houses , the Administration building , Fletcher Center , Brady Hall , South Hall , Brown Hall , East Hall and the Child Care Center .