USA > Michigan > Bay County > Bay City > The County of Bay and Bay City, Mich., embracing a brief sketch of their organization, pioneer history, growth & development, from 1857 to 1876 > Part 3
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BAY COUNTY.
nection with the township school organizations, the sys- . tem throughout the county being in a most excellent con- dition of advancement. In nearly all of the villages named, are to be found church organizations, several of them boasting comfortable and commodious houses of worship.
MICH ENCEGO
Munger Block.
The agricultural interests of the county, are each year being more fully developed, giving promise in the future of placing Bay county in an enviable position in competi- tion with the hitherto more highly esteemed agricultura] counties of the State, the quality of her soil being dem_ onstrated already, as above the average. In fact, as the agricultural interests are yearly developing, it becomes a matter of no small surprise, even to the old citizens of the county, to find that Bay County is susceptible, with comparatively little effort, of taking a forward position as a producing section, and each year is adding to its development.
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BAY COUNTY.
COUNTY FARM.
In the year 1866, the Board of Supervisors pur- chase i a tract of Prairie land on the east side of the Saginaw River, near the Bay, comprising about 120 acres, upon which, suitable buildings have been erected, including a hospital, and retreat for mild cases of in- sanity, and the grounds have been thoroughly ditched, drained, and cultivated to a point relieving the county of a large proportion of the expense attending the care of the few paupers, who make claim as charges upon the County. The present value of the County farm property is about $7,500.
PIONEERS OF THE COUNTY.
The first saw mill was erected in Bay County in the years 1836-7 by Judge Albert Miller, B. R. Hall and Cromwell Barney, at Portsmouth, now 7th Ward of the city. This was soon followed by mills erected by James Fraser, Hopkins and Pomeroy, Henry Raymond and James Watson, Elijah Stanton, Judge Albert Miller, B. F. Partridge and John C. Baughman, Thomas Whitney & Co., John Drake and Moon &, Vose, in the order named. Since the erection of these pioneer establishments, others have succeeded so rapidly, that the number is too great for specification in detail, within the limits of this work.
The first mercantile establishment was opened by Benjamin F. Pierce in 1840, he finding a competitor soon after in Frederick W. Backus.
The first known white settler of the county was Jacob Graverot, a German from Albany, N. Y., who married the daughter of Kish-kau-ko, the chief of the Saginaw band of Chippewa Indians.
The first white child born within the present limits of the county, was Elizabeth, daughter of Cromwell Barney.
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BAY COUNTY.
The lady still resides in the city, and is the wife of our respected fellow-citizen Albert G. Sinclair.
THE BOOMS.
At the mouth of the Kawkawlin, Rifle and Au Gres rivers, booms have been constructed by stock companies, who assume the care and charge of all timber and logs, cut upon the lands contiguous to such streams, sorting out the timber according to marks placed upon each piece by the owners thereof, and delivering the same in rafts to the steam tugs employed to tow the same across the lake to the river mills, where the timber is to be manufactured. The capital invested in these booms ag- gregates probably $75,000.
NAGI
BLOCK
Cranage Block.
BRIDGES.
Previous to 1866, the only means of transit across the Saginaw River was by row boats or rope ferry, until the latter was, in 1863, superseded by a steam flat boat,
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BAY COUNTY.
which was in time superseded, in 1866, by the bridge between the foot of Third street, Bay City, and Midland street in Wenona, elsewhere mentioned as recently re- built of iron. In 1876 a second bridge was constructed from the foot of Twenty-third street to Salzburg, and in 1873 the Michigan Central R. R. Co. erected a solid frame bridge across the river at a point about fifteen hundred feet above the Third street bridge. This latter is used exclusively for railroad purposes, the former for general travel.
BAY COUNTY OFFICIALS IN 1876.
The present representatives of the interests of Bay County are as follows :
Member of Congress-Nathan B. Bradley.
State Senator-Townsend North, of Vassar.
Representative-Andrew Walton.
Judge of Circuit Court-Sandford M. Green.
County Clerk-Henry A. Braddock.
County Treasurer-Will H. Fennell.
County Register-Harvey M. Hemstreet.
Prosecuting Attorney-Græme M. Wilson.
Judge of Probate-John W. McMath.
Sheriff-Martin W . Brock.
The townships and city are represented upon the Board of Supervisors, as follows :
Arenac-William H. Fleming.
Au Gres-Elbridge W. Oakes.
Bangor-Frederick W. Bradfield.
Bay City-1st Ward, Robert J. Campbell.
66 2nd 66 Leman L. Culver.
66 3rd Christopher McDowell.
66 4th 66 Thomas Carney, Jr.
66 5th Richard Padley.
66 6th Leondras M. Miller.
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7th 66 Ansel W. Watrous.
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BAY COUNTY.
Recorder-Isaac G. Worden.
Controller-Patrick J. Perrott.
Treasurer-Charles S. Braddock. City Attorney -- Winsor Scofield. Beaver- John Farquharson. Clayton-Anthony Jackson. Deep River-John Bullock. Hampton-Nathan' Knight. Kawkawlin-Jeremiah McCuddy. Merritt-Belthasar Shoevel. 2
Monitor-William Gaffney.
Pinconning-Edward B. Knight,
Portsmouth-Benjamin F. Partridge.
Standish-Peter M. Angus. Williams-Ira Swart.
Mason-Henry M. Smith.
Moffatt-Alvin N. Culver.
Frazer-William Mitchie.
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BAY CITY.
BAY CITY.
ITS LOCATION AND ADVANTAGES .- A SKETCH OF ITS RISE AND PROGRESS.
AY CITY, located at the mouth of the Sagi- naw river, five miles from the Bay of the same name, was incorporated a village in the year 1859, by act of the legislature of that year.
The territory comprising the village, was situated in the township of Hampton. Its advantages as a com- mercial point, were embraced in the excellent adapt- ation for the manufacture of lumber, in which Bay County and its surrounding neighborhood did, and still do most richly abound. This adaptation consisted of a river front suitable for the erection of saw mills, and booms for hold- ing the stock to be sawn, while at the same time conve- nient for receiving the logs floated from the streams tribu- tary to the Saginaw river, the navigable waters of the river enabling the shipment of the manufactured product, to all points watered by the great lakes. At the date of the incorporation of the village, several saw mills had already been established on the river, within, and 'contiguous to the territory comprised within its limits.
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BAY CITY.
The population of the village, at the date of its in- corporation was about 700 souls. the United States cen- sus of 1860, showing a population in the entire of Bay County of ouly 1,519, This population was engaged principally in lumbering, and fishing, this latter industry comprising a no mean proportion of the ex- ports from the village, while the excellent adaptation of the soil of the County to agricultural purposes, had not yet attracted very general attention or interest. In this year, the attention of capitalists and the com- munity in general, was called to the existence of vast reservoirs of salt in the vicinity, and a salt well was put down within the limits of the new village, as an ex- periment, the unbounded success of which, speedily led to the development of inte. ests which in 1876, have led to the production within the limits of Bay City, of not far from 400,000 barrels of salt per year. The lum- ber and salt interests of the village in their rapid development, called for a growth and increase in wealth and population, which may be set down as almost unprecedented in the annals of the nation. The first election under the village charter, occurred on the 2nd day of May, A. D., 1859, at Birney hall on Water street, Calvin C. C. Chillson, and Doctor Lewis Fuchsius, be- ing judges of the polls, with Albert Wedthoff, clerk of the Board. At this election, one hundred and fifty- five votes were cast for the office of President, Curtis Munger being elected by 92 votes, against 63 cast for George Lord, and J. S. Barclay. Charles Atwood was elected to fill the office of Recorder, John F. Cot- trell, as Treasurer, Albert Miller, James J. McCor- mick, Henry W. Jennison, Israel Catlin, Henry M. Bradley, and Harmon A. Chamberlain, Trustees. The first meeting of the Council was held in a room over
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BAY CITY.
the store of Jennison Brothers, at the foot of 5th street on May 6th, 1859. At a meeting of the Board on the 23rd of May, John A. Weed was appointed Village Marshall, Henry M. Bradley, Street Commissioner, and Algernon S. Munger, and William Daglish, As- sessors. Among the first acts of the village trustees, was the ordering of sidewalks on Washington street, from Ist to 10th street, and the opening of Jefferson and Madison Streets, north of Center street. At a meeting held May 30th, both of the gentlemen who had been appointed village Assessors having declined to act, A. G. Sinclair, and Charles D. Fisher, were appointed; Mr. Sinclair declining, Mr, Henry Raymond was appointed in his place June 6th. At a meeting June 3rd, the salary of the village Attorney, was fixed at $75.00 per year, and James Birney was appointed as the legal adviser of the Board. On June 27th, a general tax for village purposes of $1,047.00, and a highway tax of one-half of one per cent. was certified to the assessors. On December 19th. 1859, a com- mittee on Fire Department was instituted, consisting of Israel Catlin, H. M. Bradley, and H. A. Chamber- lain. who on January 4th, 1860,' were instructed "to rent a sufficient amount of leather hose to use until spring, and to procure a triangle for the use of the hose house." This seems to have been the germ whence sprang our present efficient fire department, a small hand fire engine, named " Tiger." afterwards " Penin- sula," (John McEwan being captain of the company) and which still remains the property of the city, con- stituting the entire of the equipment. In April 1861, it was thought that more efficiency was requisite, and W. L. Fay was duly commissioned to procure an efficient engine, and purchased a third-class machine
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BAY CITY.
at Chicago, This engine was known as " Red Rover," and H. M. Bradley was appointed Chief Engineer of the Fire Department, and organized the department in an efficient manner. There was but little use for the fire department, until the 12th of July 1863, when a fire broke out on the south side of Centre street, between Water and Saginaw streets, sweeping both sides of Water street for two blocks, involving in its destruc- tive course the "Red Rover" engine and its engine house, leaving the village not only in ashes and in mourning, but as well, in danger of greater conflagra- tiens. An attempt was now made, by Councilman Louis Bloedon, to establish fire limits, but without success. On August 10th the bonds of the village, to the extent of $6,000, were ordered by the Council, for the procur- ing of more apparatus, and a "sufficient amount" was ordered to be expended in a steam fire engine (which, however, was not done for several years), with not to exceed $500, to repair or rebuild the "Red Rover" engine; and, at the same meeting, the President and Re- corder were instructed to procure a site for an engine house. This committee' purchased a lot on Saginaw street, at the price of $475.00. An endeavor was made to organize a hook and ladder company, but failed, as have all similar efforts to this date. In October of this year the Council purchased two hand engines from the city of Rochester, N. Y., with hose carts and other ap- paratus. These engines were designated as "Red Rover" No. 1 and "Protection" No. 2. These engines cost the village $1,500, and were subsequently sold by the city, for nearly the same price. On the 14th of December, 1864, an ordinance was adopted granting a charter to the Bay City and Portsmouth Street Railway Company, the track of which, from Third street in Bay City to south Centre street in Portsmouth, was laid during the following year. In February, 1865, the village board
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BAY CITY.
granted a charter to the Bay City Gas Light Com- pany, which soon entered upon the erection and comple- tion of its works.
A CHARTERED CITY.
The next point of public interest in the history of Bay City, centers in its organization by act of the Legislature as a chartered city, which was ac- complished in the spring of 1865, the city being divided into three wards. A charter election was held on the first Monday of April, and the following officers elected. Mayor, Nathan B. Bradley (Mr. Bradley was elected as Representative to Congress in 1872, serving two terms , or until the election of 1876 shall terminate his term of. office); Recorder, William T. Kennedy Jr .; Treasurer, Ernest Frank. The board of aldermen consisted of the following named citizens : 1st ward, George W. Hotch- kiss and Jerome B. Sweet; 2nd ward, Alexander M. Johnson and Jeffrey R. Thomas; 3rd ward, James Wat- son and Herschel H. Hatch. On April 11th the bonds of the Treasurer were fixed at $3,000. Thomas Carney, Sr., was elected Street Commissioner, Theophilus C. Grier was elected City Attorney, C. Feige, City Mar- shall, Andrew Huggins, City Surveyor. The new Coun- cil now rapidly got themselves into. working order, but no event of moment is found on the records, until Sept. 12th, when, in accordance with the decision of the citi- zens expressed at a special election, a Silsby steam fire engine was ordered to be purchased, which was done- the steamer being accepted by resolution, adopted Nov. 18th, 1865. On Sept. 30th the Council determined that the sum of $4,997.47 would be needed for city purposes for the ensuing year. The valuation of city property on the assessment roll of this, the first year of the city organization, was $633,000.
The question of sewerage, about this time, was warm- ly agitated, resulting two years later, in the laying of a
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box sewer on Centre street, from Washington to Johnson, and from Washington to Fifth, and thence to the river. In this year fences were constructed around the parks of the city, and several hundred dollars expended for trees, grading, etc.
Fraser House.
During this year the Fraser House, being the third brick building in the city, was erected on the corner of Water and Centre streets, and the city began to assume a metropolitan aspect. The first brick building had been erected by Thomas Watkins, in 1862, on the corner of Washington and Centre streets ; the second by James Fraser, on Water street, between Third and Fourth streets. The receipts of the city during its first fiscal year from all sources were $27,081.97 ; the expenditures, $26,867.65 ; leaving a balance on hand at the end of the
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BAY CITY.
year of $214.72. During this season strong efforts were put forth in the Council to establish fire limits, but with- out success, until in the month of October, a large fire having swept both sides of Water street from Centre to Fifth streets, the Council established fire limits, and from that time the city has grown with rapidity, and in a sub- stantial manner. Provisions for the suppression of vice and disorder were early adopted by the Council, the good effects of which remain to this day.
In May, 1867, the Council decided upon a system of paving, and Water street, from Third to Sixth street, and Centre street, from Water to Saginaw street, com- prising the business portion of the city, were laid with Nicholson pavement ; at a later date the work on Centre street has been continued with the Wyckoff system of wooden blocks, to Johnson street. Fifth street has been paved to Jefferson, Third street to Johnson, and Saginaw street from First to Sixth street, with the same blocks, making fully three miles of paving now in use in the city. The city has also purchased the right to use the Wyckoff device during the life time of the patent. In 1868 permission was given to the East Saginaw & Bay City Railway Company to lay its track through the city in the center of Jefferson street, and from the completion and operation of said railroad, giving conveniences of communication with the outside world, may be said to date the growth and importance of the city. In 1870-1 the line of the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw Railroad was extended to a point opposite the city, and the bene- fits and advantages thereby accruing to the city speedily became manifest. In this year the census of the United States showed the population of the city to be 7,064; while the assessed valuation of taxable property was $1,166,475.
In the year 1871 it became evident that with the rapid growth of the city, a system of water works must be speedily inaugurated. A Board of Water Commission-
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BAY CITY ..
ers was provided for, on August 28th, to carry out the intention of the citizens as expressed at a special election, July 14th, at which time $118,000 was voted as the be- ginning of a fund for the purpose of supplying the city with water from the Saginaw Bay. The first members of the Board of Water Commissioners were : James Shearer (President), Michael Daley, William Westover, John McDowell and Henry M. Bradley. Erastus L. Dunbar was appointed superintendent and engineer of construction, and the work was soon got under way. The
C
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Campbell House.
Board of Water Commissioners decided to adopt the Holly system of direct pumping through the mains to the consumer. A factory having been put in operation in the city for the manufacture of wooden water pipe, there has been laid to this date 78,703 feet of the same, together with 16,377 feet of iron pipe ; making a total of 18 miles and forty feet, with 253 stop valves and 127 double discharge hydrants, connected with the street mains. The water supply is brought from Saginaw bay, at a point four and a half miles from the pumping ma- chinery, by means of a wooden stave conduit of 30 inches diameter. The total construction account of the entire
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BAY CITY.
system to this date has been $351,088.22, the money for which has been raised upon the bonds of the city, having from fifteen to forty years to run from their date, with interest at 8 per cent. per annum. These bonds have been readily negotiated, and in the expenditure of the money it is worthy of note, that no suspicion has ever been ex- cited, that a single penny of the money. has been misap- propriated or used improperly. Several fires which have in their inception promised to be fruitful of disaster, have been speedily checked, and the general sentiment of the citizens is congratulatory, upon the completion and successful management of the work.
Industrial Works. GENERAL INTERESTS.
The medical fraternity of the city is well represented by practitioners of all schools, but the fact that the in- creased demand for cemetery lots has not been at all com- mensurate with the growth of the population, warrants us in saying that but few localities can boast a greater immunity from disease than can the denizens of this favored city.
The bridge which connects Bay City with the village of Wenona, on the opposite bank of the river, was a wooden structure, built in 1865 6, at a cost of $28,000. The
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BAY CITY.
bridge has been rebuilt during the past winter and spring, a handsome iron structure upon pile foundations, replacing the original structure.
THE ORIGINAL VILLAGE PLAT.
The village of Bay City was laid out in 1837 by the Saginaw Bay Co., and was called the village of Lower Saginaw. Its boundaries were the Prairie road (now Woodside avenue) on the north ; a line 400 feet south of Tenth street on the south ; Van Buren street on the east, and the Saginaw River on the west. The original boundaries have been enlarged, so that the city compri- ses at this time over six times more territory, and .ex- tends along the river bank for a length of six miles, with a depth easterly averaging one and a half miles. The original Saginaw Bay Co. was composed of Governor Stephen T. Mason, Frederick H. Stevens, A. McRey- nolds. Henry Hallock, John Hulbert, Henry R. Sawyer, Electus Backus, Henry R. Schoolcraft, James Fraser, and Phineas Davis. Doct. D. H. Fitzhugh, who is still at times seen upon our streets, at an early day became by purchase, the possessor of a large portion of the plats, some of which he still retains, each year adding more than the original cost of the whole, to the balance still remaining in his hands. . The original stock of the com- pany was divided into 240 shares, representing the num- ber of acres embraced in the village plat, one acre to each share.
TRAVELING FACILITIES.
The city is connected with the outside world by the Flint and Pere Marquette R. R. to Detroit, built in 1867, as also by the Detroit and Bay City branch of the Michi- gan Central R. R., which went into operation in 1871. By means of the Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw branch of the Michigan Central, built in 1869-70, communica- tion is had with the State capital, Jackson and the south,
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BAY CITY.
and with Chicago in the west, while the same road to the north is opening up a tributary country to the trade of the county, and, ere many years, or when completed to the Straits of Mackinaw, the government park on the island of Mackinaw, and the immense trade of the Lake Superior mineral productions, by means of the Mackinaw and Marquette R. R., recently placed under contract by the State, will be almost at the threshhold of the city, contributing to her wealth and advancement.
Steamboat routes are maintained daily as follows : With East Saginaw by two boats, making three trips each. With the north-west shore to the towns of Tawas, Au Sable and Alpena, by a daily line of boats each way. With Goderich, Canada, Cleveland and Toledo by two lines of propellers carrying passengers and freight. With Sebawaing and the east shore of the bay by two lines of small propellors, and with Pine and Rifle River on the west shore, by a line of small propellers.
RELIGIOUS INTERESTS.
The spiritual interests of Bay City are watched over by seventeen churches of the following denominations, organized in the order named :
1st Methodist Episcopal, 2nd ward, organized 1845.
St. Joseph's R. C. (French) 2nd ward, organized 1852.
German Bethel, Lutheran. (Mich. Synod) 4th ward, organized 1852.
1st Presbyterian, 3rd ward, organized 1856.
Protestant Episcopal, 3rd ward, organized 1854.
Methodist Episcopal, 6th ward, organized 1858.
Baptist, 6th ward, organized 1858.
1st Baptist, 3rd ward, organized 1860.
Universalist, 3rd ward, organized 1864.
St.James' R. C. (English) 4th ward, organized 1868.
Presbyterian, Memorial Chapel, 6th ward, organized 1871.
Anshei Chesed (Hebrew congregation) 2nd ward, organized 1872.
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BAY CITY.
Sisters of Charity, R. C., (Educational) 4th ward, organized 1873.
First Baptist Church.
St. Stanislaus Kots-ka, R. C., (Polish) 5th ward, orga- nized 1874. .
Congregational, 3rd ward, organized 1875.
St. Bonifazius, R. C., (German) 3rd ward, organized 1875.
Each of these congregations (except the Hebrews) has a comfortable and commodions church building, some of which may properly be called elegant, the Baptist church on Centre street [see cut] being a brick structure costing $80,000. Each of the denominations maintain Sabbath
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BAY CITY.
schools, with excellent libraries, and each society is in a flourishing condition. The total value of church pro- perty in the city is not far from $250,000.
CEMETERIES.
The city cannot at this date boast of any thing elab- orate, in the way of providing appropriate grounds for the reception of the mortal remains of its citizens, when life's fitful fever shall be over-past. The first Cemetery of the older settlers was situated in what is now the 4th ward, between 11th and 12th streets. on Saginaw and Washington streets; this was abandoned finally in 1860, and an enclosure of about five acres, situated in the 4th ward, at the east end of 12th street, belonging to James Birney, Esq., and known as " Pine Ridge Cemetery," has been principally used since that time. Each year evidences more care in its adorn- ment, and it will, no doubt in time, assume that beauty which should ever mark the last resting place of the loved ones gone before; although the time cannot be far distant, when a more extensive plat, will be required commensurate with the growth and extent of the rapid- ly increasing city.
On the opposite side of the road, now known as the Tuscola Plank Road, Mr. E. Eicker- meyer an enterprising German citizen, has laid out a plat of about the same size, which is slowly growing in public favor, and ere many years will be at least the equal, if not the superior of Pine Ridge in beauty of adornment. The Hebrews of the city, have a small Cemetery plat to the east of, and adjoining Pine Ridge, which will no doubt, in time become a portion of the same enclosure. The St. Patricks (Catholic) Cemetery comprising five acres of ground, lies a quarter of a mile east of this place, and is now well fenced, and taste- fully arranged. These grounds which but a few years since were more than a mile removed from the city limits, are now nearly all within the limits of the city,
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