USA > Michigan > Bay County > History of Bay County, Michigan, and representative citizens > Part 13
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The influx of German immigrants is also noticeable in the vote on Governor, Croswell, R., receiving but 2,405 votes, to Webber, D., 2,859! In 1878, Governor Crosswell received 1,387 votes to Barnes, D., 1,592. In 1880, General James A. Garfield's popularity here carried the county by 2,404, to 2,068 for Gen- eral Hancock, D., while Jerome, the Republi- can candidate for Governor, lost it by 2,367, to Holloway, D., 2,438, and Governor Jerome fared even worse in 1882, with 2, 156, to 3,318 for Begole, Fusionist (who was elected that year), and 818 for May, National.
This was the first election the writer wit- nessed in this country. Although but 10 years old, I noticed that my father, with most of the German residents, was a stalwart Democrat, and that the French, Polish and other residents of foreign birth voted the Democratic ticket straight. Let me say in passing, that our be- loved mother disagreed with father, being a stalwart though silenced Republican, loving the memory of the martyr Presidents-Lincoln and Garfield-and her influence was para- mount with her children, for her two sons cast their first vote in after, years for the political faith of "MOTHER," and her two daughters in their voteless way have ever been ardent mis- sionaries for the "G. O. P." Often in the years that followed, with the gradual change in the political complexion of Bay County, have I wondered if in other homes other mothers were exerting that same influence in the same direc- tion. For it is certain that few of the old stal- warts have changed their political faith or tenets, and that the change has been almost en- tirely brought about by the "First Voters," the rising generation in Bay. This is particularly true of the native children, and the sons of German and Polish settlers. It is less notice- able in the voting districts where the French and Irish vote is largely represented.
II6
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY
But to resume : In 1884, Grover Cleveland carried Bay 4,963 votes, to James G. Blaine, 2,916, and St. John, Prohi., 161. It should be noted that Cleveland received 3,436 Democrat votes, and 1,534 Greenback and Anti-Monop- oly votes. Gen. Russell A. Alger, now United States Senator from Michigan, in 1884 re- ceived but 2,930 votes in Bay, to 4,683 for Begole, Fus. In 1886, Cyrus G. Luce received 2,957 votes for Governor, to Yaple, Fus., 4,305. In 1888, Gen. Benjamin Harrison fared a little better, getting 4,378 votes, to Cleveland, D., 5,714, and Fiske, Prohi., 127.
In 1888, Governor Luce secured 4,364 votes to W. R. Burt, Fus., 5,422. Governor Luce, one of Michigan's sterling sons, and a public man of the old school, died at his home, Coldwater, Michigan, March 18, 1905, of heart failure, aged 80 years. He was a rugged representative of the common people, and an honest defender of the public interests. With him the Republican party went out of power for one term, for in 1890 E. B. Winans, D., was elected Governor, Bay giving him 5,152 votes, to Turner, R., 3,216. In 1892, General Harrison received 4,587 votes; Grover Cleve- land, D., 5,714; Bidwell, Prohi., 187. That year John T. Rich redeemed Michigan for the Republicans, Bay giving him 4,652 votes for Governor, to Morse, D., 5,783.
In 1894 Bay County had the honor of nam- ing the Democratic candidate for Governor of Michigan, Hon. Spencer O. Fisher, formerly Mayor of West Bay City and Congressman from the 10th Congressional District, being selected to contest the second term of Governor Rich, the sage farmer and statesman, who in 1905 is still in the public service as collector of customs for Eastern Michigan. This guber- natorial contest, in which Bay County sup- ported a favorite son, was made remarkable by caustic recriminations within the Democratic party itself. Congressman Fisher owned a fine
white horse, which for years has been and in 1905 is still in demand, for use in public pa- rades and on public occasions. This horse led an Orangemen's celebration parade on Orange- men's Day, the owner permitting ALL celebra- tions to use that horse, but even this horse was made a campaign issue, and as "Fisher's White Horse" is still a fixture in Michigan folk-lore and local political annals. Bay gave 4.933 votes to Hon. Spencer O. Fisher, and 4.365 to Governor Rich.
The campaign of 1896 went down in local political history as the hardest fought campaign and while the vote eventually showed but a narrow margin for the silver-tongued Bryan of the Platte, yet for a time it looked like a landslide. The Greenbackers, Fusionists and Democrat all rallied to his standard, and many stalwart Republicans wandered from the fold, and only prodigious work saved a stampede locally. Thousands were on the streets of Bay City on the night of that memorable election. The advocates of "Free Silver" had their in- ning when the vote of Bay was announced as giving William Jennings Bryan 6,296, the late lamented President William Mckinley, 6,037, General Palmer, Gold Democrat, 151, and Lev- ering, Prohi., 63. Later in the night, as the returns from the State and country at large came in, the local minority partisans started a celebration in honor of the national victory of their standard-bearer. This same campaign brought out another of Michigan's foremost sons, in Hazen S. Pingree, the famous shoe- maker and philanthropist of Detroit, who in his race for the office of Governor carried Bay by 6,307 votes, to Sligh, Fus., 6,030. Then came the war with Spain, and with it the turn- ing of the political tide in Bay County, for in 1898 the late Governor Pingree received 5.617 votes to 3,899 for Whiting, D., 76 for Cheever, Prohi., and 24 for Hasseler, Scc. Labor. As secretary of the Republican County Committee,
II7
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
the writer was in the thick of this friendly but spirited fray. Bay sent almost the entire Re- publican county ticket into office, and for the first time in many years the judge of pro- bate, county treasurer, county clerk, circuit court commissioner, Representatives and Sena- tor were of that faith.
The election of 1900 was chiefly remarka- ble in demonstrating that the change of senti- ment in Bay was permanent, for President William McKinley carried the county by 6,462 votes, to 5,081 for Bryan, D., and 233 for John G. Woolley, Prohi., and 23 for Eugene Debs, Soc. Lab. Gov. Aaron T. Bliss, of Saginaw, received 5.896 votes, to 5,907 for Maybury, D., in 1900; and in 1902 he received 3,824 to 4,223 for L. T. Durand, D. The old rivalry between the cities of the Saginaw Valley had brought Bay County into the 1900 convention at Grand Rapids for Justus S. Stearns, of Ludington, and undoubtedly contributed to the adverse vote for the up-river resident at both these elections. It may be interesting to future gen- erations to know the political division in the several townships and wards of Bay County, as shown in this table giving the vote for Gover- nor in the election of 1900, and the population for the different civil divisions, according to the U. S. Census of that year :
Population 1900.
Aaron T. Bliss, Republican.
Lorenzo T. Durand, Democrat.
Bangor township
1,195
I33
83
Beaver township
1,539
136
I02
Frankenlust township
1,395
78
135
Fraser township
1,656
I80
99
Garfield township
555
106
20
Gibson township
761
92
34.
Hampton township
. 3,319
261
344
Kawkawlin township
,864
163
140
Merritt township
1,562
I2I
I22
Monitor township
2,150
145
193
Mount Forest township
350
65
33
Pinconning township
2,104
196
147
Portsmouth township
1,363
129
85
Williams township
1,818
193
143
.27,628
2,522
3,067
Ist Ward
. 3,213
280
412
2d Ward
1,304
223
184
3d Ward
1,265
159
125
4th Ward
3,529
350
362
5th Ward
2,533
224
298
6th Ward
1,943
I60
217
7th Ward
1,318
172
129
8th Ward
.6,492
280
728
9th Ward
1,458
227
144
Ioth Ward
1,933
129
265
IIth Ward
. 2,640
318
203
West Bay City
13,119
1,376
1,160
Ist
Ward
. 2,025
19I
212
2d Ward
.3,396
283
337
3d Ward
1,475
176
159
4th Ward
2,477
287
190
5th Ward
2,008
216
143
6th Ward
1,738
223
119
TOTAL FOR COUNTY . 62,378
5,896
5.907
The Prohibition, Socialist and Socialist La- bor parties polled 264, 13 and 49 votes, respect- ively, making the total vote of the county 12,129.
In the general election of November, 1904. record-breaking in its results, President Theo- dore Roosevelt carried the county by the largest majority in its history, receiving 7,615 votes to 3,095 for Parker, D. The Prohibitionists polled 245 ; Socialists, 76; Social Labor party, 53; and People's party, 23. The Republican candidate for Governor, Fred M. Warner, polled 5,777 votes to 4,939 cast for Wood- bridge N. Ferris, D .; 220 for James M. Shack- leton, Phohi .; 63 for Clayton J. Lamb, Soc. ; and 37 for Meeko Meyer, Soc. Labor. The other candidates for State offices on the Repub- lican ticket ran far ahead of Governor Warner, in most cases receiving twice as many votes as their Democratic opponents.
18th Judicial Circuit .- One of the hottest fought elections for judicial honors was fought out on April 3, 1899, with the following re- sults : Judge Theodore F. Shepard, R., 4,571 ; Hon. Archibald McDonell, D., 3,315; Ex-
Bay City
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HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY
Judge Andrew Maxwell, Independent, 1,751. The term of office is for six years. At the April election, 1905, Chester L. Collins, R., and Edward E. Anneke, D., are the contestants.
Bay County has for years taken a promi- nent part in the councils of the State. From the very organization of the county to this day, some of our ablest citizens have given freely of their time and experience to the service of the State, while still others have served in the halls of state at Lansing.
On March 31, 1871, Hon. James Shearer was appointed one of the three building commissioners who planned and superin- tended the construction of the magnifi- cent Capitol of Michigan at Lansing. Hon. James Birney represented Bay County at the constitutional convention at Lan- sing, May 15 to August 22, 1867, and Hon. Herschel H. Hatch attended a similar conven- tion, representing Bay County, August 27 to October 16, 1873. William A. Bryce of Bay was Secretary of the State Senate, 1863-4.
The State Senators from Bay have been : James Birney, 1859; Nathan B. Bradley, 1867; Harrison H. Wheeler, 1871-73; John D. Lewis, 1874; Charles Frost Gibson, 1881-82; Daniel Campbell, 1883; Columbus V. Tyler, 1878-79 and 1889; Mendel J. Bialy, 1895; Frank L. Westover, 1901-04; A. O. Heine, 1905.
The representatives from Bay have been : Henry Raymond, 1859; Theophilus C. Grier, 1867; Luther Westover, 1869; Isaac Marston, 1872 ; George Lewis, 1873-74; Nathan Knight, 1877-79; Andrew Walton, 1879; Gen. B. F. Partridge, 1881-83 ; George P. Cobb, 1881-82; James A. VanKleeck, 1883; Hamilton M. Wright, 1883-85; Martin W. Brock, 1887; James A. Green, 1887; John Briske, 1889; Alexander Zagelmeyer, 1889; Birdsey Knight, 1891 and 1894; Christopher Mohr, 1893 ; John
H. Holmes, 1893; Sam. K. Bradford, 1895; John Donovan, 1895-99. (Mr. Donovan was "THE ONLY DEMOCRAT" in the Legislature of 1897, and was known far and wide as "Dono- van of Bay," and "Mr. Donovan, the Demo- cratic Party in the Legislature." He voted often with the opposition, making meritorious legislation unanimous, but as often fought stoutly, solitary and alone, for the things he deemed right. He was the nominee of his par- ty for Secretary of State in 1902, and received a flattering vote from his neighbors in Bay County. ) George L. Lusk, 1897-1900; John Washer, 1897-98 and 1903; G. W. Willis 1901 ; Michael Riegel, 1901 ; John E. Bonser, 1901; Clarence L. Sheldon, 1903-04; J. E. Brockway, 1905; Adam Walker, 1905. New- comb Clark, 1883-86, was Speaker of the House, 1885-86.
The following State appointees have hailed from Bay : Commissioner of insurance,-Col. Henry S. Raymond, 1885-91, and William E. Magill, 1891-93 ; State salt inspector, Jabez B. Caswell, 1897-01 ; deputy State game warden, Theo. Trudell, 1900-06; deputy State labor commissioner, Richard H. Fletcher, 1905-08.
The following residents of Bay have been elected or appointed to high official positions in Michigan : Lieutenant-Governor, Hon. James Birney, 1861 ; Auditor Generals,-Emil Anneke, 1863-66, and Henry H. Aplin, 1887- 91 ; State land commissioner, Gen. Benjamin F. Partridge, 1877-78; Attorney-General, Isaac Marston, 1874; regent of the University of Michigan, James Shearer, 1880; brigade commander, Michigan National Guard, Gen. Charles R. Hawley, 1894-96; Members of State boards from 1902 to 1904: State Med- ical Board, Dr. Henry B. Landon; State Den- tal Board, Dr. Frank O. Gilbert; State Agri- cultural College, Thomas Frank Marston; In- dustrial Home for Girls, Mrs. May Stocking
119
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
Knaggs; Michigan Home for Feeble Minded, Dr. N. R. Gilbert; Michigan State Agricultur- al Society, Eugene Fifield (president 1904- 05) and W. E. Boyden ; Michigan Department Commandery, G. A. R., 1901, James Van- Kleeck; aide-de-camp, 1903-04, Maj. L. G. Willcox; State Homeopathic Society, Dr. James H. Ball (general secretary 1903-05) ; State Teachers' Association, E. D. Palmer (secretary, 1903-05) ; Michigan Woman's Press Association, Mrs. Martha S. Root (vice- president, 1902-03), (deceased 1903) ; Republi- can State Central Committee, Dr. N. R. Gil- bert, 1904, and Devere Hall, 1905; Democratic State Central Committee, John E. Kinnane, 1904-05; Prohibitionist State Central Com- mittee, Lewis R. Russell, 1904-05.
The following residents of Bay County have been honored as presidential electors : Seth McLean, 1884; Harry P. Merrill, 1888; Worthy L. Churchill, 1892; Major Lyman G. Willcox, 1900 (elector-at-large) ; Maj. E. B. Nugent, 1900; Homer E. Buck (elector-at- large) 1904; Edgar B. Foss (messenger to de- liver. the electoral vote of Michigan to Presi- dent Roosevelt at Washington), 1904-05.
The following residents of Bay County have been elected Representatives in Congress : Hon. Nathan B. Bradley, 1875-77; Hon. Her- schel H. Hatch, 1883-84; Hon. Spencer O. Fisher, 1885-88; Hon. Frank W. Wheeler, 1889-90; Hon. Thomas A. E. Weadock, 1891- 94; Hon. Rousseau O. Crump, 1895-1902 (de- ceased May I, 1901) ; Hon. Henry H. Aplin, 1901-02. For the first time since the organ- ization of the roth Congressional District, as now constituted, Bay County has not the hon- or of having the Representative, Hon. George A. Loud, 1903-06, hailing from Au Sable, Iosco County.
Bay County has two prosperous building
and loan associations. The Mutual Building and Loan Association of Bay County was in- corporated in 1890, with a capital of $2,000,- 000; the following are the officers : President, Henry H. Norrington; secretary, Thomas E. Webster; treasurer, Charles R. Hawley. The Savings, Building and Loan Association of Bay County was incorporated in 1887, with a capital of $1,000,000. The officers are : Presi- dent, Henry B. Smith; secretary, Allen G. Plum; treasurer, M. M. Andrews.
Every township in Bay County is now reached by rural free delivery, the fine road system and well-distributed population mak- ing the laying out of routes easy for the Fed- eral officials. The post offices of the townships are being continued as heretofore, only five be- ing discontinued when the rural service went into effect. The post offices are: Arn, Au- burn, Bay Side, Bentley, Bertie, Crump, Cum- mings, Duel, Essexville, Garfield, Glover, Ham- blen, Kawkawlin, Laredo, Lengsville, Lin- wood, Loehne, Michie, Monitor, Mount For- est, Munger, North Williams, Pinconning, Te- bo, Upsala and Willard.
The roster of county officials since the or- ganization is as follows :
Judges of Probate .- Sydney S. Campbell, 1858-66; Herschel H. Hatch, 1867-70; J. W. McMath, 1871-74; John Hyde, 1875-78; Thomas E. Webster, 1879-87; Hamilton M. Wright, 1888-99; Griffith H. Francis, 1900-05.
Sheriffs .- William Simon, 1858; B. F. Par- tridge, 1858; Nathaniel Whittemore, 1859; Jonathan S. Barclay, 1860-61; R. H. Weid- man, 1862-63; Patrick J. Perrott, 1864-65; John G. Sweeney, 1866-67; Patrick J. Perrott, 1868-69; Myron Bunnell, 1870-73; Martin W. Brock, 1874-77; George Washington, 1878- 81 ; Charles F. Marsac, 1882-84; Martin Bren- nan, 1885; Benson Conklin, 1886-89; Henry
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HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY
Gunterman, 1890-93; Alexander Sutherland, 1894-95; Henry Gunterman, 1896-99; Henry Kinney, 1900-03; John Hartley, 1904-05.
County Treasurers .- James Watson, 1858- 61 ; Algernon S. Munger, 1862-67; Curtis Munger, 1868-71 ; Charles Supe, 1872-73; W. H. Fennell, 1874-75; Jacob Knoblauch, 1876- 77; James A. McKnight, 1878-79; Charles Babe, 1880-81; William E. Magill, 1882-83; Charles Babe, 1884-85; William E. Magill, 1886-89; W. V. Prybeski, 1890-93; Michael Riegel, 1894-97 ; Charles J. Smith, 1898-1901 ; Alexander Zagelmeyer, 1902-05.
County Clerks .- Elijah Catlin, 1858; Thomas W. Lyon, 1859; Scott W. Sayles, 1860-61; Nathaniel Whittemore, 1862-65; Harrison H. Wheeler, 1866-67; H. A. Braddock, 1868-75; William M. Kelley, 1876- 83 ; Wiliam Gaffney, 1884-89; George Reilley, 1890-93; Frank L. Westover, 1894-97; Lud- wig Daniels, 1898-1901; John G. Buchanan, 1902-03; Warren D. Richardson, 1904-05.
Registers of Deeds .- Thomas M. Bligh, 1858-59 ; F. A. Martin, 1860-61 ; August Kai- ser, 1862-63; Bernard Wittauer, 1864-67; T. A. Delzell, 1868-71 ; H. M. Hemstreet, 1872- 77; William G. Beard, 1878-79; William G. McMath, 1880-81; William G. Beard, 1882- 83; John Savage, Jr., 1884-87; W. A. Petta- piece. 1888-91 ; Henry Fenton, 1892-93 ; Lewis Anders, 1894-97; John Boston, 1898-99; George E. Wedthoff, 1900-05.
Prosecuting Attorneys .- Chester H. Free- man, 1858-59; Theophilus C. Grier, 1860-61 ; Luther Beckwith, 1862-65; Isaac Marston, 1866-69; C. H. Dennison, 1870-71 ; Theron F. Shepard, 1872-73; G. M. Wilson, 1874-77; Alfred P. Lyon, 1878-81 ; Henry Lindner, 1882-83: John E. Simonson, 1884-85; James A. VanKleeck, 1886-87; Curtis E. Pierce, 1888- 91 ; Lee E. Joslyn, 1892-93; I. A. Gilbert,
1894-97; Edward E. Anneke, 1898-1903; Brakie J. Orr, 1904-05.
The county officers for 1905 are as follows : Circuit judge, Theodore F. Shepard; judge of probate, Griffith H. Francis; sheriff, John Hartley ; county clerk, Warren D. Richardson; county treasurer, Alexander Zagelmeyer ; reg- ister of deeds, George E. Wedthoff ; prosecut- ing attorney, Brakie J. Orr; circuit court com- missioners,-Wilkie A. Collins and George Roy Fox; coroners,-Fred C. Van Tuyl and Fred LaFrance; county school commissioner, John B. Laing ; county surveyor, G. Edwin Turner ; county agent, William Grandy; county road commissioners,-Fred A. Kaiser, Hugh Camp- bell, George L. Frank, William Houser, Frank Kusmierz and Gustav Hine; county poor su- pureintendents,-Charles Anderson, August Meisel and William Maxson; drain commis- sioner, John G. Weggel.
The Bay County Board of Supervisors for 1904 was constituted as follows :
Names. Townships and Wards.
Stewart M. Powrie
Bangor
William Peoples
Beaver
John J. De Young Frankenlust
Henry B. Lints
Fraser
William H. Reid
Garfield
Ezra Truax
Gibson
Birdsey Knight Hampton
Peter Bressette Kawkawlin
C. A. Howell Merritt
Henry Moeller Monitor
John Anderson Mount Forest
George Hartingh
Pinconning
William Wagner Portsmouth
Linus W. Oviatt
Williams
BAY CITY.
John C. Bacon First Ward
Lorenz Weber Second Ward
Daniel M. Pierce Third Ward
Franklin M. Olmstead
Fourth Ward
John Combs Fifth Ward
Frank Hewitt Sixth Ward
Charles Schuessler
Seventh Ward
I2I
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
Anthony Wyrybske Eighth Ward
Louis C. Garrison Ninth Ward
Warren Curley
Tenth Ward
Henry Fehrenbach
Eleventh Ward
Frank T. Woodworth Mayor, Bay City
Thomas W. Moore Comptroller, Bay City
Brakie J. Orr City Attorney, Bay City
WEST BAY CITY.
Patrick Lourim
First Ward
J. H. Little Second Ward
Frank H. Davis Third Ward
Joseph E. Logan Fourth Ward
August Jonas Fifth Ward
S. R. Birchard Sixth Ward
George M. Staudacher. Comptroller, West Bay City
William E. Magill Treasurer, West Bay City
John M. Roy City Clerk, West Bay City
John R. Cotter President, Essexville
Edward Jennings President, Pinconning
:
CHAPTER VI.
CREATION AND GROWTH OF THE CITIES, TOWNSHIPS AND VILLAGES OF THE COUNTY
INCORPORATION AND GROWTH OF THE VILLAGE OF BAY CITY, THE SUCCESSOR OF LOWER SAGINAW AND PORTSMOUTH VILLAGE-CHARTERED AS A CITY-ROSTER OF CITY OF- FICIALS-HISTORY OF THE VILLAGES OF BANKS, SALZBURG AND WENONA AND OF THEIR SUCCESSOR, WEST BAY CITY-ROSTER OF VILLAGE AND CITY OFFICIALS-THE TOWNSHIPS OF THE COUNTY WITH HISTORICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL AND CENSUS DATA- THE VILLAGES OF ESSEXVILLE, KAWKAWLIN, PINCONNING, AUBURN AND "ICEBURG, U. S. A."
Having brought the available data of Bay County down to the present day, we must turn back to the pages of time, and review the in- ward development of the units comprising the county,-the townships, with their thriving little villages, and, above all, the twin cities, which until this year of grace, 1905, have been compelled by circumstances to live together in constant social intercourse, in joint business pursuits and transactions, one community of interests save that of political unity. It is well in this first year of the united cities, in the year which will ever be commemorated and blessed as the birth-year of Greater Bay City, to review the creation, growth and organization of the little hamlets and frontier cities, which first formed the nucleus of the metropolis of North- ern Michigan.
BAY CITY.
The new life and energy and impetus given the river bottom settlements by the securing of
the new county seat, in 1858, brought with it rosy visions of a mighty city, and the residents of Bay City at once planned to incorporate their village. The disappointed ones from Saginaw and Midland counties had their hammers out for Bay, and the anvil chorus was working overtime. But at the winter session of the Legislature, in 1859, Bay City was duly incor- porated. In the 46 years since that incorpora- tion the growth and development of that ambi- tious little village, on the border of an almost unknown wilderness in 1859, have surpassed the fondest hopes and expectations of its incor- porators. Years after, when the new City Hall with its imposing high tower was being con- structed, that veteran pioneer, Judge Sydney S. Campbell was taken to its cupola, and shown the beautiful panorama of the now beautiful city. The sight seemed to bewilder the sage pioneer. All he could say was: "Wonderful, wonderful," and "Who would have thought it !" When the village of Bay City was incor-
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
porated, it had probably 700 inhabitants. It was still a crude, booming, frontier lumber manufacturing settlement. The river front for some miles on the east shore was cleared of timber, the clearing extending back as far as Washington avenue. Most of the homes of the settlers stood in these clearings, with stumps all about, and the village could lay no claim to pastoral beauty. The place had ample school accommodations for the rising generation, Judge Birney, Dr. Fitzhugh, James Fraser and Judge Miller of the neighboring town of Ports- mouth doing much for the settlers' education. The spiritual welfare of the pioneers was not neglected, and even the Indians had their own place of worship at this time on the banks of the Kawkawlin. The lumber industry fur- nished employment to the community, and offered ever greater opportunities for the owners and operators of sawmills. The seem- ingly inexhaustible supply of pine and other timber, and the constantly increasing demand for manufactured lumber brought new saw- mills at ever shortening intervals. The fishing industry also furnished employment to many hardy fishermen, and fish formed one of the most important exports of the village. So busy were the pioneers with the cutting down and sawing of the pine trees, and the catching of the finny tribes in Saginaw bay and river, that farming was attempted only in isolated cases, and the fertile soil had to wait for future gen- erations to reap the bounteous harvests which bless this valley, season after season. There was easy and ready money in lumber, and pine could be secured for a song. It was only after the pine trees had fallen under the axes of the picturesque backwoodsmen, and been devoured by the insatiable maw of many saws, that the virgin soil received the attention it merited. But for all that the village was highly prosper-
ous. Wages were high, and living commodi- ties were still simple and reasonable.
The boundaries of the new village, as it was incorporated, included all of the original plat of Bay City, and the territory originally in Portsmouth, extending from Columbus ave- nue to Lafayette avenue, which formed the section line. This was an error, for the lines of Portsmouth were then drawn along 24th street, and this block was for a time without both the municipal lines. At a later session of the Legislature this error was corrected by making the southern line of the village of Bay City extend to 24th street.
The first village election was held in the Birney Hall on Water street, May 2, 1859. Calvin C. C. Chilson and Dr. Louis Fuchsius were judges at the polls, and Albert Wedhoff was clerk. There were cast at this election 155 votes, of which Curtis Munger, merchant, re- ceived 92 votes for the office of president, against 63 cast for George Lord and Jonathan S. Barclay. Charles Atwood was elected re- corder, John F. Cottrell was elected treasurer, while the trustees chosen were Albert Miller, James J. McCormick, Henry W. Jennison, Israel Catlin, Henry M. Bradley and Harmon A. Chamberlin.
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