Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Bay City Dragline at work in Everglades

http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/prints/edd095.jpg


Bay City has a long connection excavation and hoisting some of the heaviest loads known to man.  Here is a Bay City shovel working to make the Everglades what we see today.


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Friday, April 13, 2007

Congressman Loud to Dedicate Battery Park Cannon

Cass City Chronicle Article June 14,1907


Big G. A. R. Parade at Bay City.



Bay City, Mich., June l:2.--~Mayor Heine opened the G. A. R. state co,nvention
Tuesday morning with an address of welcome, which was responded to by Department Commander Griswold.The big campfire was heId last night in Washington theater. Commander-in-chief Robert Burns Brown.ZanesviIle, O., was the guest of honbr.
Senators Burrows and Smith were speakers at the campfire. The big parade
was at 1 o'clock Tuesday. After this the two big guns from Admiral Farragut's flagship, Hartford, secured for Bay City by Congressman Loud, were dedicated in Battery Park.
Congressman Loud Will deliver an address.


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Cannon in Pershing Park at Sage Library?


The Bay City Tribune - Friday, June 21, 1907.

GUNS FOR SAGE LIBRARY PARK
---------


Congressman Loud Gets Couple From Main Battery of Old U.S. Ship Portsmouth.
---------
Will be Brought to City and Placed in Position as Quickly as Possible.

from Bay-Journal


Not unmindful of the desires of his constituents, Congressman George A. Loud has secured for and will present to Sage Library park, on the westside, two of the main battery guns of the United States ship Portsmouth, one of the historic ships of the old navy.


These are eight-inch guns and possess historic value. When Mr. Loud secured the Hartford guns some years ago the people interested in the Sage Library put in a request for recognition and later when he obtained the Fort Sumter mortars the west side requested that one of them be placed in the Sage park, but the congressman had made the riffle for those guns for the express purpose of getting a battery of four historic guns for Battery Park, and he said he would obtain other guns for the library park. This he has done and they should and undoubtedly will be highly prized by west siders.



These guns for Pershing Park were not previously know to me.  Does anyone remember them?  They apparently came from the USS Portsmouth With the two Parrott Rifles in front of city hall from Fort Sumpter, two Mortars from Fort Sumpter as well, two columbiads from the USS Hartford in Battery Park, we have the eight guns the were removed in 1942. 


The remaining seige gun in Pine Ridge would have made nine guns in the city for almost forty years.  Only one remains now. 


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Cannon in Pershing Park at Sage Library?


The Bay City Tribune - Friday, June 21, 1907.

GUNS FOR SAGE LIBRARY PARK
---------


Congressman Loud Gets Couple From Main Battery of Old U.S. Ship Portsmouth.
---------
Will be Brought to City and Placed in Position as Quickly as Possible.

from Bay-Journal


Not unmindful of the desires of his constituents, Congressman George A. Loud has secured for and will present to Sage Library park, on the westside, two of the main battery guns of the United States ship Portsmouth, one of the historic ships of the old navy.


These are eight-inch guns and possess historic value. When Mr. Loud secured the Hartford guns some years ago the people interested in the Sage Library put in a request for recognition and later when he obtained the Fort Sumter mortars the west side requested that one of them be placed in the Sage park, but the congressman had made the riffle for those guns for the express purpose of getting a battery of four historic guns for Battery Park, and he said he would obtain other guns for the library park. This he has done and they should and undoubtedly will be highly prized by west siders.




These guns for Pershing Park were not previously know to me.  Does anyone remember them?  They apparently came from the USS Portsmouth With the two Parrott Rifles in front of city hall from Fort Sumpter, two Mortars from Fort Sumpter as well, two columbiads from the USS Hartford in Battery Park, we have the eight guns the were removed in 1942. 


The remaining seige gun in Pine Ridge would have made nine guns in the city for almost forty years.  Only one remains now. 




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Thursday, April 12, 2007

The Cost of Wheat in 1800-1860 (Bay City Settled in 1837)

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Link to Cost per Bushel Data


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The cost of wheat was very high at the time Bay City was settled.  While these prices are for England, the cost here would have probably been quite high compared to the $3.00 per bushel we are accostumed to now.

The Cost of Wheat in 1800-1860 (Bay City Settled in 1837)

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p3K4i63z7JJwDk8hS9XOcKA


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The cost of wheat was very high at the time Bay City was settled.  While these prices are for England, the cost here would have probably been quite high compared to the $3.00 per bushel we are accostumed to now.


Sunday, April 08, 2007

WHAT'S IN A NAME? Plenty, if you live in Bay City

"WHAT'S IN A NAME? Plenty, if you live in Bay City "

Tim Younkman talks about George McClellan. City planners spelled McClellan's name wrong so the street became and still is McLellan.

There are many other interesting changes in street names in Bay City. Come to the library at the Bay County Historical Museum to find out many more.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Washington Street


Click Link


The main streets of Bay City were often photographed in the late 1800s. Here, you can see the Washington Theater on the corner of Sixth and Washington. The Woods Opera House had been there previously but times had changed.

Farther north, where the old Kresge building now stands. That building was a very close match for the Shearer Brothers block located just east of it.

Then came the Rose building. on the corner of Fifth and Washington. That building has a steel frame that echos the structural elements of Chicago Skyscrapers being built at the same time.

Finally, we have the old Federal building looking very much like City Hall but gone from the scene for many years.

The Bay County Historical Museum has a library where layouts of all these buildings are given. That is one of the many items of interest there.




Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Pine Ridge Cemetery Cannon


Eight Inch Howitzer in Pine Ridge



 



For over one hundred years, Soldier's Rest in Pine Ridge Cemetery has been
guarded by a cannon from the Civil War Era.  The history of that gun,
where it was used, and how it came to be where it is, has been lost to time
until recently. 



 



Alan Flood, a tireless researcher, gave me a copy of an article from the
Bay City Tribune from Sunday, March 9, 1902.  I quote the
article:



 




          "During his second
term in Congress, the late Hon. R. O. Crump secured from the government a
cannon to be placed in "Soldier's Rest" in the Birney Cemetery, but death
ensued before he fully carried out his intentions.  The work has now been
performed and the following letter sent to the family of the Congressman:




                                                        Bay City, March 7, 1902



 



Shelley C. Crump



West Bay City



 



Dear Sir,



    



    The eight inch howitzer seige gun, belonging to your
father, the late Congressman R. O. Crump and presented to H. P. Merrill and U.
S. Grant Posts of the Grand Army of the Republic of Bay City has been placed
on the burial lot known as "Soldier's Rest" in the Birney Cemetery.



 



    Both posts passed votes of thanks to you at their last
meetings.  We wish to assure you that the vererans of the Civil War fully
appreciate your patriotic thoughtfullbness and will value this gun as a relic
and reminder of the struggle for national honor and existence in which we has
a part as Union Volunteer soldiers.



 



George
Turner,
Chairman.



M.M.
Andrews
Secretary



Joint Committee from the two posts.