Bay County Atlas

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. Itfhas a population of 68,238 (1910 census). In 1911, the state board of tax commissioners., placed the value of taxable land throughout the county at $39,331,544. There are a total of 93 schools, with an enrollment of 12,085 children, requiring 322 teachers. " "The county has 17-banks, 8 newspapers, telegraph, telephone and rural route service. Bay City is the county seat and has a: population of 45,166 (U. S. census 1910). i It is a natural railroad, deep water and manufacturing center, and occupies an Sideal location at a point 'where the Saginaw river flows into Saginaw bay, and is surrounded by a rich and productive farming section. It is a little more than 100 miles north of Detroit, the chief city of the state. It has nearly 200 miles of streets; 35 miles of paving, over:100 miles of sewers, 25 miles of-electric. street railway, 50 miles of gas -mains, 10 public parks covering 35 acres and -valued at. - $600,000, a water works plant valued at $1,000,000, 100 miles of water mains, a $147,000 municipal electric lighting plant, a fire department comprising ten station -t houses, a police department, 18 public school buildings;::19 parochial schools, public Slibrary, theaters, 3 hospitals,- first-class hotels, 8 banks, a $300,000 city hall, State S...... armory,: an.$80,000 Y. M. C. A. building, a $200,000W:postoffice and beau-tiful churches = ~. of nearly every denomination. There are two daily and three weekly newspapers j.. published in Bay City.:In 1860, the inexhaustible salt basin that underlies this section was tapped, the wsuccess of which resulted in the manufacture of salt,, which has since developed into immense proportions: The first beet sugar plant to be erected in the state was built in Bay City in 1898. Since then other.large and modern beet sugar plants have been put into operation. The beet sugar industry has proved to be a large factor in the success of this locality as a manufacturing community. Close to the limits of the city are coal mines, with a large annual.output, which are now supplying some of the railroads and many manufacturing plants. The fishing on Saginaw Abay gives employment to a large number of people. Pickerel, bass, white-fish, perch, catfish, sturgeon and other fish are caught. The city's industries include saw-mills, sash and door factories, largest plant in the United States for making wooden pipe, large woodenware factory,, veneer works, hardwood flooring mill, large Portland cement plant, railroad locomotive wrecking crane works, denatured alcohol plant, chemical company, etc. Other important cities of the county are Pinconning and Essexville. Pinconjing, with a population of about 800, islocated on the Michigan Central and Detroit & Mackinac Railroads, and on the Pinconning river, one and one-half miles from Saginaw bay and 19 miles above Bay City. It is lighted by electricity, has Catholic, German Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, public school, library, two banks, a weekly newspaper, water works, etc. Essexville is a town of about 1,600 and is located on the east bank of the Saginaw river near its mouth, and about three miles below Bay City, of which it is, in fact, a suburb. Hais Baptist, CongregationaT and Catholic churches, sugar S.factory; chemical works, shlingle-mill, etc. A street railway affords communication.with Bay City. ". -.. The transportation ficilities of the county include the Michigan Central, Pere Si'Marquette, Grand Trunk,:Detroit & Mackinac Railroads, the Erie & Michigan RailW; ay and Navigation Company, and the Saginaw & Bay City Electric.

Bay County was described this way in Bowen's Michigan State Atlas