Located in the northeast corner of the Sturgis Township in St. Joseph County, Michigan, is a small, six- and half-square-mile city that 11,000 people are proud to call home. For many years Sturgis has been the kickoff city for Michigan Week, a statewide, weeklong celebration of the state. The founders created the event for three reasons: to help the people of Michigan learn about and appreciate their state; it would tell the world about Michigan’s boon in education, business, industry, and recreation; and it would bring together the communities of the state, thus making it more habitable and attractive for people to live. The people here are so proud of where they live that in 2012, the community started holding Sturgis Fest, a local festival celebrating the city each year in the last week of June.
The area was first settled in 1827 by Judge John Sturgis. Folklore has it that the judge’s wife baked a pan of biscuits and sent them to a party surveying the land. One of whom ended up being Governor Lewis Cass. When the area officially became a city in 1896, Cass remembered the biscuits and named the city Sturgis. In 1909, the city approved the installation of a hydroelectric dam, which began operation in 1911. The city-owned electric company has been providing power to the community since its inception, earning the town the moniker of Electric City. In 2011 the town had a celebration for the dam’s centennial as a part of “Sturgis Dam Days.”
For a small town, Sturgis has several exciting attractions for locals and visitors to be entertained by. The Aqua Bound Canoe and Kayak Rental is located right on the St. Joseph River and allows for beautiful views while feeling more at one with nature. Another local favorite is the Sturgis Bowl, where people come to practice their bowling game, order some delicious food, and get lost in the bright colors and noise of the in-house arcade. You may see children enjoying a birthday party, and on occasion, a pro bowler or two have been seen tirelessly working on their craft.
In 1966, Sturgis and the city of Weisloch, Germany, decided to start a Sister City Program, which initially grew from President Dwight Eisenhower’s People-to-People program. This was a program intended to increase friendship and the cultural awareness of both cities. Shortly after the start of the Sister City program, each city sent its community choir to the other to put on performances for the locals. Soon this exchange expanded to students who would live with a foreign family for three-week periods. In 1989, teachers from Sturgis and Weisloch switched locations, and the teacher trade-off has taken place periodically ever since. The program has been very successful, with the 50th Anniversary taking place in 2016.
When the local pests invade people’s homes, you want to know that the professionals you call have the experience, tools, and knowledge to create a plan of attack to remove these intruders. You can rest easy knowing that Stratex Pest Control is the most-trusted exterminator in the city. Whether residential or commercial, preventative, or maintenance, our 15 years of experience in the field ensures we can handle any pest control needs you may have.