Bay City, Michigan History

Davidson Shipyard Office

2010-06-29T18:51:00.000-05:00

This is a copy of a picture of the Davidson Shipyard office made in the 1920's. It was cropped from a larger picture that showed more of the buildings on the lh side of the picture.

Trinity Gets a Facelift

2010-05-20T11:51:00.000-05:00

One of the most beautiful buildings in Bay City is having some work done to the bell tower. The louvers that had been in this tower are being taken out and ... probably being repaired and/or replaced. Since the building would suffer greatly from any major change, I imagine that the upgraded or similar louvers will be similiar louvers will be reinstalled.

Remembering the Bay City Unification

2010-04-17T21:24:00.000-05:00

This is how it looked five years ago when we remembered the unification of Bay City with its westside neighbor in 1905.

New Metal Signs in Pine Ridge

2010-04-15T10:41:00.000-05:00

The Friends of Pine Ridge Cemetery met yesterday at Tony's on Columbus Avenue to make plans for memorial day. After the lunch, I went out to see how the cemetery had survived the winter. A lot of work needs to be done to maintain the amazing progress that has been made there in the last few years. The picture shows one of the new signs that have been installed to repair the wooden ones

A New View of City Hall

2009-12-13T18:47:00.000-05:00

The recent demolition on Washington Avenue has given us the opportunity of seeing the south side of City Hall from a new perspective. This view has seldom been available since the building was built from 1894-7. The tower is shown on the Sanborn fire insurence maps to be 167 feet tall. Visitors can go about 2/3 the way up the tower where they can see the Zilwaukee Bridge on I-75. This is a

Making Local History

2009-07-02T09:58:00.003-05:00

Mary Lydia Doe was a key figure in the suffrage movement in Michigan from 1880 to 1900. She lived at 922 N. Monroe in Bay City close to May Stocking Knaggs, who had a house not more than a few blocks away. She, like May, was president of the Equal Suffrage Association. She was chosen at the founding meeting in Flint in 1884. She was a member of the Bay City School Board in 1890-91 when it

Toxic ash seepage discovered at Consumer’s Energy dump from Karn-Weadock plant.

2009-01-22T09:12:00.001-05:00

In Bay City, where the state’s largest electricity provider, Consumer’s Power, has its Karn-Weadock coal-fired plant, and where it has applied to build an additional coal power plant, seepage from an ash dump has contaminated the nearby Saginaw Bay.According to the Bay City Times, the pollution only became widely known in fall of 2008, when an environmental group researching Consumers Energy’s

James O'Roarke

2009-01-14T18:56:00.000-05:00

James J. O'Roarke was a hero of the South Pacific who was killed by friendly fire on Bougainville after winning a Silver Star on Guadalcanal. Part of his story is told in a book called Orchids in the Mud.

2008-12-19T20:01:00.002-05:00

Eric Jylha and the Bay County Historical SocietyEric has been publishing newsletters on historical topics and items of interest for the community for the last few months. I find them very useful for keeping me up to date on items of interest. I think you will find them useful too. Please click on the link to check the newsletters out.

Detroit News Article on Defoe Shipbuilding

2008-08-24T11:20:00.001-05:00

The Bay City boy who became a major shipbuilderBy Vivian M. Baulch / The Detroit News Online Harry J. Defoe was born in Bay City Sept. 2, 1875, son of a Great Lakes sailor, Joseph DeFoe, and nephew to a local boat builder, John DeFoe. As a boy Harry liked to whittle toy sail and tug boats and float them in the Saginaw River. As a teenager he built working steamboats from wood and scraps of

Trolley to Depart Bay City Scene

2008-08-21T11:09:00.001-05:00

It is very unfortunate that the difficult economic situation in public transportation has spilled over into Bay City's historical tours. Hundreds of people have learned about Bay City architecture and the achievements of residents from Anne Edison Taylor, who was the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel to William Clements, the donor of the Clements Library on the campus of the

CLEWS Your Home for Historic True Crime: Michigan and the Death Penalty—A Brief and Horrible Experience

2008-07-05T12:09:00.001-05:00

Between the Simmons and the Fitzpatrick cases, Michiganders developed a sour taste for the death penalty, and in 1847, Michigan became the first state in the Union--indeed, by some accounts, the first democracy in the English-speaking world--to abolish the death penalty.Simmons was not the last man hanged in Michigan, though the authorities would have had it that way. In 1938, the federal

Washington Theater Program for Oct.29, 1911

2008-06-24T19:29:00.002-05:00

This is a program from the Washington Theater located on Washington and Sixth Street in Bay City Michigan. It is for October 29, 1911. Picasa Web Albums - SayHiThere - Washington Th... - scan0004.jpg Picasa Web Albums - SayHiThere - Washington Th... - scan0005.jpg Picasa Web Albums - SayHiThere - Washington Th... - scan0006.jpg Picasa Web Albums - SayHiThere - Washington Th... -

Seaman's Cemetery looked like This

2008-06-24T10:16:00.001-05:00

Seaman's Cemetary in 2005The friends of Pine Ridge have been doing a great job of correcting situations like this that existed just three years ago in Pine Ridge Cemetery. Much of the brush has been cut and an effort has been made to find the lot lines and paths that marked the design of this part of the memorial at one time.

History of Fort Recovery

2008-06-18T19:16:00.001-05:00

History of Fort Recovery (Editor’s Note: The excerpt was taken from "The Battle on the Banks of the Wabash -- The Battle of Fort Recovery 1794" written by Fort Recovery’s elementary principal Nancy Knapke) Two very significant battles in American history took place in Fort Recovery: the first in 1791 on the banks of the Wabash when Arthur St. Clair suffered a disastrous defeat

Logs from the 1870's and 1880's on the Cass River

2008-06-16T10:29:00.000-05:00

Facebook | My Photos - Mobile UploadsThis is a typical log from Michigan's logging era that was recently found submerged in the Cass River near Vassar, Michigan. The Vassar Historical Society has built this shelter near their new museum on North Main Street where the log can be viewed at anytime. The logmarks on the ends of this log have yet to be identified but are clearly visible.

Shipwreck Explorers Discover HMS Ontario - 1780 British Warship in Lake Ontario - Shipwreck World

2008-06-15T08:08:00.002-05:00

Shipwreck Explorers Discover HMS Ontario - 1780 British Warship in Lake Ontario - Shipwreck WorldThe Lakes give up their ownThe HMS Ontario is the type of wreck that appears only in movies but this time we seem to have the real thing. The pictures are beautiful. It may be like stepping on that ship in 1780 on the day it left Fort Niagara.

1780 British warship found in Lake Ontario - Science- msnbc.com

2008-06-15T07:56:00.001-05:00

1780 British warship found in Lake Ontario Intact 80-foot sloop is oldest ever found in the Great Lakes This image shows the decoratively carved scroll bow stem of the sunken 228-year-old British warship HMS Ontario, a British warship built in1780 that has been discovered in deep water off the southern shore of Lake Ontario. 1780 British warship found in Lake Ontario - Science-

MHAL - Bay

2008-06-09T08:48:00.001-05:00

MHAL - Bay This list of the newspapers published in Bay City is extensive. Many papers are listed but no library source to read them is given. This makes the site a good place to start but with a very long journey ahead.

Saginaw Valley Logging

2008-03-31T19:03:00.000-05:00

Logs at Red KegThis is what twenty-five mill feet of logs looks like

Wenonah Park with a view of the Sage Mill

2008-03-31T18:58:00.000-05:00

This view from Wenonah Park to the West Side must come from after 1908. The Sage Mill buildings can still be seen in the background eventhough the mill had closed in 1892.

North American Comet Catastrophe 10,900 BC Part 1

2008-03-24T10:47:00.001-05:00

This may be the end of a view of the populating of the Americas. Now, the truth of this event from outer space has to be established and the truth of whether that was an end to the Clovis people now believed to have originated in Europe or whether they merged with the new arrivals from Asia to become Native Americans has to be discovered. Investigations of a buried layer at

Discovery Channel :: News - Archaeology :: Study: Comet Wiped Out First Americans

2008-03-24T09:26:00.002-05:00

May 30, 2007 — A large extraterrestrial object exploded over the heads of the first Americans about 13,000 years ago, wiping them out and making big mammals and other prehistoric creatures disappear, according to a new U.S. study. Presented last week at the American Geophysical Union meeting in Acapulco, Mexico, the controversial research proposes that the extraterrestrial blast

Mackinac in 1837

2008-03-07T11:42:00.002-05:00

Bay City Times Extra - MLive.com

2008-03-07T11:33:00.001-05:00

Bay City teen carries on Scottish tradition of bagpiping Bay City Times Extra - MLive.com

WENONAH FIRE REMEMBERED - Bay City Times Extra - MLive.com

2008-03-07T10:54:00.001-05:00

WENONAH FIRE REMEMBERED - Bay City Times Extra - MLive.com The Bay City Times did a special section on the fire. The audio portions of the report are especially useful. There are also some pictures that I have not seen before so I recommend visiting the site by clicking on the link above. Fred Welsh Technorati Tags: Wenonah Hotel,Fire,Bay City

BayCityHistory.blogspot.com

2008-03-05T14:04:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone, I posted a new episode to my podcast, Fredericks podcast. Click this link to check it out: Impressions of Mackinac Island 1837 - Frederick

Old Fort Niagara - a collage on Technorati

2008-02-23T18:51:00.001-05:00

Old Fort Niagara was one of my first historical site visits. I went there about 1953 when I was eight. It has always stuck with me even though I have never managed to get back. This fort was key to many events in the old French Fur Trade area of the continent. For those reasons, it relates to happenings in the Saginaw Valley. Events here reflect styles shown further west. Old Fort

Video Search michigan

2008-02-23T17:53:00.001-05:00

This would have been the station that many people from Bay City arrived at when they left from the Michigan Central Station in Bay City. Video Search Michigan Technorati Tags: Michigan Central Railroad,Bay City,Station,Detroit

David M. Donnelly, by Catherine McClintock, annotated

2008-02-11T13:23:00.001-05:00

Born in Michigan 1864 Contrary to a general1y accepted belief, Dave Donnelly was not born with a big cigar in his mouth and a ten-quart Stetson hat on his head, but came into this world in conventional style, garbed in a cloud like all good babies. He was probably noisier and more active than the average, but as the third son of James C. and Esther Norman Donnelly, and one of six children, he

History of the Great Lakes. Volume I

2008-01-21T08:37:00.001-05:00

If a history of the Great Lakes is your interest, this is a great place to start. We were lucky enough to find an online link to this resource. Take a look for yourself. History of the Great Lakes. Volume I Technorati Tags: Great Lakes,Chicago,Lake Erie,Lake Michigan,Detroit,thurlow weed

Center for Civil War Photography

2008-01-17T19:00:00.001-05:00

The CCWP is a non-profit organization devoted to one of the most exciting and compelling areas of Civil War scholarship and discovery. New photographic finds from our nation's greatest conflict are still being made on a regular basis. Nearly every Civil War soldier had his photograph taken by one of the more than 5,000 American photographers active at the time, and a select group of

Urban Legends Reference Pages: Year 1999 A.D.

2008-01-17T14:35:00.001-05:00

Urban Legends Reference Pages: Year 1999 A.D. Link 1999 This is much better than the usual prediction. Predictions do more to form the future by causing us to think about it than they do as predictions.

podOmatic - Podcast

2008-01-17T09:19:00.001-05:00

A Chippewa Story - from Mrs. Schoolcraft

Indian and Pioneer History of the ... - Google Book Search-Gerritt Smith in Bay City

2008-01-11T11:04:00.001-05:00

It is remembered also, that in this school house, a Temperance meeting was held, and an address delivered by Hon. Gerritt Smith, of Petersboro, N. Y., a name well known in the United States. Indian and Pioneer History of the ... - Google Book Search The schoolhouse mentioned was next to the James Shearer mill which I believe was later Pitts and Cranage. This is the

Autobiography of Rev. Charles H. Sage in Bay City Free Methodist Church in 1898

2008-01-11T10:52:00.001-05:00

In the fall of 1898 I went before the stationing committee to see if I would be permitted to remainat Marine City another year. I was told that I was just the man they wanted to see. They had a church and parsonage in Bay City that was in debt and all run down, and they said they would put a financial agent in the field to collect and pay the debt, and they wanted me to go and repair the property

Noam Chomsky on the militarization of science and space

2008-01-03T14:08:00.001-05:00

he militarization of science and spacefrom cvr.vodpod.com

Vodpod autopost test

2008-01-03T13:41:00.001-05:00

Hello from Vodpod!

Independents last home match - The Bay City Independents

2008-01-03T13:04:00.001-05:00

Bay City Baseball Bay City has had a long interest in Baseball. I found a local site that gives information on current games and activities and on the long history of the sport in the city. Independents last home match - The Bay City Independents Technorati Tags: bay City,bay city independents,baseball

James G. Birney Frees His Slaves

2008-01-03T11:15:00.001-05:00

About this book Read this bookJames G. Birney and His Times: The Genesis of the Republican Party with Some ... By William Birney I was never clear on when James G. Birney freed the slaves he inherited. This quote makes that crystal clear. Technorati Tags: James G. Birney,Bay City,Slavery,Abolutionists,Kentucky

James G. Birney's Family

2008-01-03T08:42:00.001-05:00

Two of Birney's sons, William Birney (1819-1907) and David Bell Birney (1825-1864), were prominent as officers on the Federal side during the Civil War in America. Father: James Gillespie Birney Mother: Martha Reed (d. 1795) Sister: Anna Maria Birney (b. 4-Jul-1793, d. 30-Mar-1859) Wife: Agatha McDowell (d. 1839) Son: James G. Birney (b. 7-Jun-1817, d. 1888) Son

James Birney - Ohio History Central - A product of the Ohio Historical Society

2008-01-03T08:06:00.001-05:00

James Birney - Ohio History Central - A product of the Ohio Historical Society James Birney was an abolitionist opponent of slavery in the years before the American Civil War. Birney was born on February 4, 1792, in Danville, Kentucky. His parents were wealthy slave owners, but like a number of other slaveholders in the Upper South, they believed that it was only a matter of time before

Typical Saginaw Valley House 2007

2007-12-22T11:59:00.000-05:00

This is my home today. The 1908 building is the right hand side of the structure shown in the 1908 picture. This home is about 2600 sq. feet due to the walkout basement on the left hand side of the picture. It is five minutes from the same Millington that was an hour away in 1908. Of course, it has television, added in 1953, radio added in the 1930's, indoor plumbing, 1952, hot water heat,

Rural Housing in the Saginaw Valley in 1908

2007-12-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

FlintHistory.com -

2007-12-13T10:04:00.001-05:00

Factories in the Mechanical Age FlintHistory.com - This is how so many in the Saginaw Valley made a living in the mid twentyth century. This video is from 1936 but the core of the method was the same when I entered an assembly plant in 1973. With each year, there was fewer people working and more automation. By the end of my time (2001) at least half of these people would be gone from

Flint's Great Sit-Down Strike and the Union Movement in the Saginaw Valley

2007-12-13T08:58:00.001-05:00

Flint History- This video represents the union movement in the Saginaw Valley. It also tells the story of women in the labor movement. Comments of the women who took part tell much about the lives of factory workers in the 1930's . Technorati Tags: Sit-down Strike,GM,Ruther,Flint,Michigan,Saginaw Valley,Women's Movement,Solidarity Forever

View in 2007 from the top of the Pere Marquette Tower

2007-12-07T11:29:00.000-05:00

This is a 360 degree view from the top of the Pere Marquette station on Fourth and Madison in Bay City, Michigan

Pere Marquette Depot Roof - Bay City

2007-12-07T11:22:00.000-05:00

This is history being made. In a few years, historians will spend time reviewing this file to see just what strange methods were used way back when. This building and its architectural details are a perfect symbol for the new purpose of downtown Bay City. Pere Marquette Depot Roof - Bay City

Directory of FREE Online Books and FREE e-books

2007-12-07T10:17:00.001-05:00

Directory of FREE Online Books and FREE e-books This source contains thousands of books..Many can be downloaded in a PDF format. This is the source of the book listing Great Lakes Captains.

Canals from Lake Erie to the sea

2007-12-07T08:58:00.001-05:00

Technorati Tags: Lake Erie,Great Lakes,Great Lakes Canals,Great Lakes Shipping http://ia310131.us.archive.org/2/items/dirctoryofnames00unknuoft/dirctoryofnames00unknuoft.pdf Screen clipping taken: 12/7/2007, 8:38 AM

Bay City Ship Captains in 1914

2007-12-07T08:55:00.001-05:00

NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF MEMBERS, SHIP MASTERS ASSOCIATION Pennant Lodge Name Address City 1241 2 Canartney, M. 715 Franklin Ave., Bay City, Mich. 252 3 Chron, Thos. 223 Adams, Bay City, Mich. 641 2 Harper, Geo. 1509 Marquette

Canals Between Lake Erie and the Sea

2007-12-07T08:52:00.001-05:00

This map is from the Ship Masters Book 1914

Free Books > Tags > History

2007-12-07T07:57:00.001-05:00

Bay City Ship Captains and their Vessels Free Books > Tags > History A directory of names, pennant numbers, and addresses of all numbers of the Ship Masters' Association of the Great Lakes. Also a list of vessels of the Great Lakes, American and Canadian, with names and addresses of owners. O37131043609817ther information of a miscellaneous nature of interest in shipping circles on the Great

Eighty Years And More; Reminiscences 1815-1897 by Elizabeth Cady Stanton - Full Text Free Book (Part 2/7)

2007-12-05T13:01:00.001-05:00

James G. Birney, the anti-slavery nominee for the presidency of the United States, joined us in New York, and was a fellow-passenger on the Montreal for England. He and my husband were delegates to the World's Anti-slavery Convention, and both interested themselves in my anti-slavery education. They gave me books to read, and, as we paced the deck day by day,

Ghosts and Legends Tour on Saturday, Oct.27

2007-10-30T07:43:00.000-05:00

Halloween Ghosts and Legends TourThe Bay County Historical Society sponsors trolley tours that leave the Antigue Center on Water Street every Saturday at 2pm in the warmer months. This last Saturday they had a Ghosts and Legends Tour that went to Pine Ridge Cemetery and to Elm Lawn. These cemeteries are the resting place for people like James Birney, son of the great abolitionist, Andrew Walton

USS Liberty - a reality snapshot

2007-10-19T09:59:00.001-05:00

This is one of the most revealing videos an American could ever see. It describes the actions of the federal government in dealing with the 34 deaths on the USS Liberty in 1967. It leaves me with the opinion that we will never be told for sure what happened that day. I find it very difficult to believe that the attack was an accident. As an ex-navy officer, I know that surveillance ships look

StumbleVideo - AssumeThePosition.mpg

2007-10-15T11:29:00.000-05:00

StumbleVideo - AssumeThePosition.mpgThis video is one of the best presentations I have seen. The presentor does and says things that I would never dare say but his methods including the graphics and ideas are unbeatable. He would get his point across.. He would also get a great rating.. Finally, he would have to have great energy, creativity and would earn the rating.

New Methods of Photography

2007-10-04T10:55:00.000-05:00

New system makes any digital camera take multibillion-pixel shots from PhysOrg.com Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, in collaboration with scientists at NASA’s Ames Research Center, have built a low-cost robotic device that enables any digital camera to produce breathtaking gigapixel (billions of pixels) panoramas, called GigaPans.[...]Gigapan cameras and Historical RecordsImagine a day

North American Trade Union

2007-09-14T10:25:00.001-05:00

Have you heard of the North American Union? How about the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America or SPP? If you have not, you are like me. Even though I read newspapers all the time and follow the national news, I hadn't heard of our federal government's work to combine this country with Canada and Mexico in several key areas. Border security would concentrate on Mexico's

Team finds possible mastodon carving on Lake Michigan rock

2007-09-05T10:55:00.001-05:00

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — They aren't certain, but underwater archaeologists say they may have discovered a boulder with a prehistoric carving in Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay. The granite rock has markings that resemble a mastodon — an elephant-like creature that once inhabited parts of North America — with what could be a spear in its side, say divers who have seen it.

Dolores Vallecita had performed at Luna Park in New York

2007-08-23T11:30:00.001-05:00

Luna featured a number of shows, some free and some not. China's Fairy Fountains featured magic acts, monkeys were the orchestra at the Monkey Hippodrome, and the Helkvist's, a brother and sister act, dove into a small tank of water set ablaze, Performing animal acts included Mademoiselle Berzac's dancing ponies and Mademoiselle Dolores Vallecita's ferocious leopards. linkPowered by Qumana

Death Comes to Leopard Trainer

2007-08-23T10:27:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Dolly Hill succumbs Monday Night to Injuries Received Friday(Bay City Times-Tribune Tuesday, January 13, 1925 page 1) After making a desperate struggle to cling to life since last Friday morning, death care to Mrs. Dolly Hill of new York City at Mercy hospital Monday evening at 11:55 as a result of injuriesreceived when she was attacked by a jungle loepard she was training in a downtiown

Centennial Book

2007-08-20T14:00:00.001-05:00

Inserted from:

Annie Edson Taylor

2007-08-19T17:12:00.001-05:00

Changing Culture

2007-08-19T10:13:00.001-05:00

I am amazed at the fidelity of the pictures that I now see when I watch a DVD on this computer. I recently viewed Merchant of Venice. The pictures were beautiful.

Saw Mill in Action

2007-08-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

Sash Saw at WorkThis mill is typical of thoses used in the very early days in Bay City approximately (1840-60). They would have been much too slow by the 1870's.

Life Ring May Be From Edmund Fitzgerald

2007-08-09T15:34:00.001-05:00

apple farmer and his family believe they've found a life ring from the Edmund Fitzgerald roughly 200 miles from where the famed ship sank in Lake Superior 32 years ago. "I saw it, photographed it and ... compared the two," said Tom Farnquist, executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. "It's identical in size and configuration. ... Is it possible?

EXPLOSION OF DYNAMITE KILLS TWO SWITCHMEN Car Containing' Powder and Shells Blows up in Railroad Yards inMichigan.

2007-08-08T09:20:00.001-05:00

BAY CITY, Mich.. Sept. 13.—Clarence D. Hopper and Roy Boucher, switchmen of the Michigan Central Railway, were killed to-day by an explosion of dynamite In a car In the yards at West Bay City. Robert Roblln, engineer, William Noble, fireman, and John C. Cradle, contractor, were Injured, the latter so severely that he may die. All of the trainmen were residents of this city. The

Sinking of the City of Venice

2007-08-08T08:53:00.001-05:00

Link to ArticleThe Library of Congress has put ten years output of its newpaper project online. This is the beginning of a new era in history research as you can see from this link. I did a search on the the terms 'bay city michigan' This article on the City of Venice came up. It was printed in the Suburban Citizen, a paper that researchers would never see locally. Tags: Bay City, City of

Bay City Theaters

2007-08-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

Bay City Theaters The Bay County Historical Society Museum Library has information on Bay City theaters. This video does a great job of putting some of that together. Tags: Theaters, Bay City, State Theater, Michigan

New Theory Claims Comet Killed Large Mammals in North America about 13000 Years Ago

2007-06-15T09:15:00.001-05:00

Abolitionists and Women's Rights

2007-06-07T07:44:00.000-05:00

Bay City was never more central to the national stage than when James Birney, its' most promenent citizen, ran for President as a third party candidate. Although, he was older than most of the participants of the early women's movement and the movement to free the slaves, he know many of them and influenced how these movements were conducted. The link above will give more information on some of

The First Ghosts up Close Walk

2007-06-07T07:10:00.001-05:00

You may not know that I work on the Bay County Historical Society's Trolley committee. We create and present different tours about various parts of the city: East Lumber Boom Town(2pm on scheduled Saturdays) goes through downtown Bay City and then gives riders the chance to see many

A Visit to my old friend, Amanda Lashbbrooks

2007-05-31T21:08:00.001-05:00

Today was very hot but I had been concerned about the state of Amanda Lashbbrooks.Amanda gives me pause to think from time to time. You see I only know her because of a message she leftSo long ago. Amanda is buried about thirty paces south south-west of the old cannon in Pine Ridge. I first found her there about four years ago. She has given me a reason to think about her life and my own

Newest Cemetery Memorial Gun

2007-05-02T14:42:00.000-05:00

Tags: WWII, Elm Lawn Cemetery, Bay City, Bay City Michigan, Artillery, Naval GunIn recent weeks, I have written about the eight pieces of artillery that have graced various parks, buildings and cemeteries in Bay City. We found out about the two naval guns from the USS Portsmouth that had been in Pershing(Sage) Park. We noted the two mortars form Fort Sumpter that were in Battery Park and the two

Finding a lost Bay City Mayor-George H. Van Etten

2007-05-02T09:06:00.001-05:00

Episcopal Report of 1893 mentions death of George H. Van Etten Land Records MayorsBay City MayorsGeorge H. Van Etten, who was very well know in Bay City for many achievements including his term as mayor had just disappeared. Thanks to the internet and knowledge of where some of our lumbermen had gone, I found someone with the same name in Little Rock, Arkansas. Great, now, how do I know it is

Bay City Dragline at work in Everglades

2007-04-18T12:03:00.001-05:00

http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/prints/edd095.jpgBay 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.Powered by QumanaTags: Everglades, Bay City Shovel, Bay City, shovel

Congressman Loud to Dedicate Battery Park Cannon

2007-04-13T13:17:00.001-05:00

Cass City Chronicle Article June 14,1907Big G. A. R. Parade at Bay City.Bay City, Mich., June l:2.--~Mayor Heine opened the G. A. R. state co,nventionTuesday 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

Cannon in Pershing Park at Sage Library?

2007-04-13T12:59:00.001-05:00

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,

Cannon in Pershing Park at Sage Library?

2007-04-13T12:46:00.001-05:00

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

2007-04-12T18:41:00.001-05:00

Tags: Wheat, Napolianic Wars, Cost of LivingLink to Cost per Bushel DataPowered by QumanaThe 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)

2007-04-12T18:38:00.000-05:00

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p3K4i63z7JJwDk8hS9XOcKAPowered by QumanaThe 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.

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

2007-04-08T14:26:00.000-05:00

"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.

Washington Street

2007-04-05T14:54:00.000-05:00

Click LinkThe 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

Pine Ridge Cemetery Cannon

2007-04-03T14:22:00.000-05:00

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,

Bay City's Civil War Cannons

2007-03-30T14:12:00.000-05:00

Bay City's City Hall remains a remarkable building. From the clock tower observation room located just under the area that in former times held the bell, you can see all the way to the Zilwaukee Bridge just outside of Saginaw. Fire watches were held there in the years before modern communications were available in the city and during the dark days of WWII, the skys were scanned for the approach

Steven Johnson on TED Talks

2007-03-28T10:04:00.000-05:00

Steven Johnson on TED Talks: "Author Steven Johnson takes us on a 10-minute tour of The Ghost Map, telling the story of a cholera outbreak in 1854 London, and the famous map that physician John Snow made of the disease's path - a map that not only convinced the world that cholera was a waterborne illness, but ultimately brought about profound changes in science, cities and modern society."Cholera

James G. Birney and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in England

2007-03-13T12:27:00.000-05:00

Books.live.com came up with another gem. The link tells the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the great sufferatette, and James G. Birney on their trip to England in about 1840. The books says that Birney was a man of very conservative manners and that he spent a good deal of time on the voyage training the young Stanton in how to be a proper lady. In doing that, he had a hand in yet another

Bay County Map from Mel

2007-03-08T10:32:00.000-05:00

The Michigan Electronic Library exchange has excellant maps of the Bay City/Bay County area. Click the link above to access one dealing with the county.

Bay County Atlas

2007-03-08T10:18:00.000-05:00

BAY COUNTY. Bay county was laid out in 1831 and was at that time called Arenac. In 1857 it was organized and took the name of Bay, because of its location on the,:bay of Saginaw. The total land area of the county is 284,626.69 acres, of whic h-about 215,000 acres are in good.farms. Bay county is located in the eastern part of the Lower Peninsula and is bounded entirely on the east by Saginaw bay

James B. Shearer and Family

2007-03-08T09:17:00.000-05:00

James B. ShearerJames B. Shearer was a driving force in Bay City from 1863 thru the 1890's. The Bay-Journal has a great write up on his family and him. The James B. mentionned in the link below would appear to be a son on the original James and is mentionned in the family information on the Bay-Journal post.

James B. Shearer and Modern Biology

2007-03-07T15:02:00.000-05:00

Microbiology and the Shearer FamilyJames B. Shearer, who lived on Adams Street has a very modern interest. He was involved in The American Microscopical Society. The link will show his presentation to that group given at Cornell University in 1895.

Michigan's Lumbertowns: Lumbermen and Laborers in Saginaw, Bay City, and Muskegon, 1870-1905 By Jeremy W. Kilar

2007-03-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

Felling Operations in the WoodsIn the 1840's,teams of four men worked in the woods. A tree was cut by two ax men. These men, called choppers, would fall the tree parallel to the skid road Once it was on the ground, two men working as swampers would trim the tree, cut off all the branches and top, and remove the bark from one side. At this point, a teamster using a 'go-devil' which was often

2007-03-04T06:14:00.000-05:00

Modern Bay City Map Bay City Street Mapbaycitymi.org is a helpful site for information about modern Bay City. The link points to a map that will be helpful in many research situations.

2007-03-02T14:36:00.000-05:00

Bay City's Role in the Western Frontier Frederick Jackson Turner on Michigan's ContributionA great deal of the billions of board feet of lumber that was shipped from the forests of Michigan went to build the towns of the plains states. Just as many of the citizens of Bay City came from New York state, many from the region went west. Many graves in this city are filled with people who were part

2007-03-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

History of the Saw Saws Saws made Bay City what it is today but little is known about them by the average historian. This book will change how you look at this important piece of technology. No sound would have been more common on the river in the years from 1850 to 1900 than the whirr of this device. Here, you will find out how these blades were used, repaired and created. Get ready to know

2007-03-01T13:48:00.000-05:00

1820 Transportation CostsTransportation Costs from New York to BuffaloI am always interested in the nearly miraculous drop in prices over the last two centuries. The link above states that the writer spent $30.00 going from Buffalo to Albany by stage. It took ten days. According to the Currency Convertor you can find in the Links on this page, that is about $530 in 2005 dollars

2007-03-01T12:29:00.000-05:00

Founding Bay CityGansser LinkIt appears that the driving force behind the founding of Bay City was James Fraser. Fraser was involved in the founding of the Saginaw Bay Company. The company purchased the land on the east side of the river from John Riley for $30,000. They platted out the city, built a dock and a warehouse. In 1837, there was a depression and all development ceased for a time.

2007-03-01T11:26:00.000-05:00

History Books Freehttp://books.google.comSearch engines are a great help to the local historian. One of the best sites is books.google.com . Click on the link. When you get there, run a search for Gansser. Just type it in the box provided. You will be amazed. Gansser wrote one of the standard histories of Bay County. You will quickly have the entire copy of the 1905 History of Bay County before

2007-03-01T10:15:00.000-05:00

Michigan Counties and Railroad RoutesBay City became a rail hub in the last years of the ninteenth century. The 1895 map shown in the link on this page deplays the city as a hub of a wheel with spokes in all directions.