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Saginaw territory organized in 1824 and attached to Oakland County for judicial purposes.
Saginaw Township (including the entire county and adjacent land) was organized in 1830.
A January 28, 1835 act organized Saginaw County (which then included Bay County) as an official county.
Original Residents, Indian Tribes: Sauk and Chippewa
First Recorded European Contact:
First visitor - Father Henri Nouvel 1675, a Jesuit Priest from St. Ignace, first European visitor to Saginaw.
1675-1819 European fur trappers and traders.
First Permanent Settlement - Saginaw 1819
1819 Families begin to arrive in Saginaw and Treaty of Saginaw signed.
1822 Fort Saginaw established.
1823 Fort Saginaw abandoned by military. Commander states, 'Nothing but Indians, muskrats, and bull frogs could possibly subsist here.' Enough said.
1830 Alexis de Tocqueville visits Saginaw area on horseback. 'No sound was heard but the annoying hum of mosquitoes and the stamp of our horses' feet . . .' Not a garden spot yet . . .
1837 First School District organized. First school located on Court St., near courthouse.
1839 First County courthouse, on same location as present Courthouse. Plot permanently donated for public use only.
1845 German Lutherans from Franconia, of the Kingdom of Bavaria, come to settle. One mission becomes Frankenmuth. (Bronner's plastic Santa comes a little later).
1847 First shipment of Saginaw Pine sent to New York, triggers demand out East for the high quality timber.
1850 Norman Little builds a plank road from Flint to Saginaw. East Saginaw expands more rapidly than Saginaw City, on the west. There was still no bridge for easy river crossing.
Timber Boom:
Saginaw County Population
1850 Census: 2,609
1884 Census: 75,813
East Saginaw grew to incorporate other small villages:
1. Salina, once at Center Avenue and S. Washington.
2. South Saginaw, separated from East Saginaw by Hoyt Park and Webber Avenue.
3. The Village of Florence, South of Genesee Avenue, on the west side of the river.
1863 First high school - Central School located on Court Street.
1864 First bridge across Saginaw River - Genesee Bridge (toll bridge).
1869 Marie Dressler born in Saginaw (Dinner at Eight, Min & Bill).
Unofficial Local Epidemic:
'Lumberjack Smallpox'' - a disease caused by stomping the face of a downed opponent with your hobnailed boots.
1882 Peak year of Lumber Era: 1,001,274,905 boardfeet of timber cut in mills along the Saginaw River.
1885 Strike among workers in sawmills, demanding a 10 hour work day, organized by the Knights of Labor.
Eventually, the National Guard was called out to maintain peace. The strike dwindled away, with mill owners gaining control over workers. Salt production flourished during lumber boom. Waste from the sawmills was used to make salt from brine water. This was no longer profitable after the lumber industry declined.
1894 Riverside Park opens on Green Point. Merry-go-rounds, roller coasters, balloon ascensions, pavilion dancing - served by Union St. Railway. All vanished, without a trace.
~Brian~
Semper Fi
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