March 30, 1977, marked a turning point for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. On this day, the U.S. Air Force announced that Kincheloe Air Force Base near Sault Ste. Marie would be closing, transferring its personnel and equipment elsewhere. For Chippewa, Mackinac, and Luce counties, this was more than just a military decision—it was an economic gut punch. With an annual payroll of $36 million, the base had long been the lifeblood of the region. Local officials, including Governor Bill Milliken, scrambled to reverse the decision, but the Pentagon had made up its mind.
How it Began
Kincheloe’s story began in 1941, when the federal government hurriedly built Kinross Air Force Base to protect the Soo Locks—an essential gateway connecting Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Over the decades, the base played a pivotal role in national defense, particularly during the Cold War. It even became part of an enduring mystery when, in 1953, a fighter jet from Kinross disappeared over Lake Superior while pursuing an unidentified flying object.
By the late 1950s, the base was nearly shuttered, but Cold War tensions kept it open. In 1959, it was renamed in honor of Capt. Iven C. Kincheloe, a Michigan-born test pilot. During the Vietnam War, it housed B-52s and served as a critical refueling station for the Strategic Air Command. However, by the mid-1970s, the Pentagon saw Kincheloe as expendable, and despite community efforts, the closure announcement came in 1976. Many residents refused to believe it—after all, they had fought off closure threats before. But this time, it was real.
Like a Bomb Went Off
The base’s closure in 1978 hit the region hard. Local businesses shuttered, teachers were laid off, and the population plummeted. “It was like a neutron bomb had hit,” recalled one local leader. The military was gone, but the buildings and infrastructure remained, eerily intact yet empty.
Yet, out of the ashes, Kincheloe found a second life. With aggressive local leadership and state and federal support, the base slowly transformed into something new. While early hopes of creating a manufacturing hub never fully materialized, the site became home to five correctional facilities, employing over 1,200 workers. A handful of small industries and service businesses have also taken root, giving the area a new, albeit very different, economic foundation.
Kincheloe Air Force Base’s story is one of resilience and reinvention. While the closure was a devastating blow, the region adapted and found a way forward. Today, Kincheloe stands as a testament to the power of communities to rebuild, even in the face of immense challenges.
