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.
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.
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 quickly learned to conduct himself properly with a fine regard for the other members of his family. Dave was born on May 12, 1864, in St. Clair county, Mich. His father was a carpenter and millwright, and built Batchelor's [also spelled Bachelor's in some records] mill on the St. Clair river which was afterwards moved to Bay City, Michigan, rebuilt and renamed the McGraw mill, at that time the largest one in the United States. Dave lived at home and attended school like other boys and girls until he was 12, when he decided that it, was time for him to clear out and support himself, which he did by working on a farm 'where he earned $3 per month, in addition to room and board. During his second year on the farm, at harvest time, he earned 35 cents per day, a princely sum. Tiring of farm work, Dave went into the bakery business at the age of 14 and learned a good bit about that trade which later stood him in good stead when he went into the Michigan woods to have a fling at the lumber business. Starting as a roustabout, he was given a job as a helper in the cookhouse of which he eventually had complete charge. He worked in the woods until he was 23, and then decided that he would have a look at the wild and wooly West, and fulfill his urge to be a cowboy. After riding herd on the plains of Montana and Idaho for six months, Dave came to Skagit county, where once again he took for the woods, working as cook for Pat McCoy on the Samish Flats (McCoy also logged extensively on Bow Hill and owned businesses in Bow after 1902). Marriage in 1894, then Wickersham and Woolley On September 17, 1894, Dave and Mary, the charming daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pat Halloran of Edison, were married, and to them were born five children: a daughter, Esther who died in 1931; and four boys; Cecil and Hubert, who live in Sedro-Woolley, J. Norman of Seattle, and David M. Jr., of Oregon. Mrs. Donnelly died on September 19, 1928, after prolonged and painful illness [her burial record shows Sept. 19, 1926]. Following their marriage, the Donnellys moved to Wickersham, where Dave went into the meat business, and in 1895 came to Sedro-Woolley to establish their home. Dave bought out Burmaster and his partner in the meat business and built a slaughter house, two years later selling a half interest in his business to Carstens. They built up a large trade here and in the surrounding country, supplying 53 shingle mi1ls, 11 sawmills and 15 or 16 logging camps with meat, and for . seven - years they averaged an annual volume of $147,000. They bought a 162-acre ranch on the Cook road from M.B. [Merritt] Holbrook, part of the old [Mortimer] Cook estate, and when Carstens and Donnelly sold out to Frye-Bruhn, Dave retained the Cook road place. He was elected county commissioner from the third district and during his term of office fought for and won the road to Clear Lake as it is now located. Various factions contended that this road should be built a couple of miles up the river above Hankin's mill, insisting that the Skagit could not be ferried successfully where the river bridge now is, and also that the slough trestle would be too costly. Such competition merely stiffened Dave's resolve and he proved that the road could be built by the simple process of getting it done. In his early days here, Dave bought real estate which he developed and sold, including the Bingham and Holland block, and the property on Metcalf from Britchford's to West's grocery, between Ferry and Woodworth. Surprise: bankrolled the Skagit County Courier Unknown to many, Dave bought the [Burlington Journal]newspaper plant in Burlington from a Mr. Baumer [actually Bowmer, moved it to Sedro-Woolley, where he established it in a building at the rear of Condy's jewelry store, with U. E. Foster as editor, the transaction having been handled by Attorney J.H. Smith. He later sold out to Foster. As president of the Skagit county Republican central committee, Dave had some glorious political encounters, one of which particularly gives him much pleasure in retrospect and that was when he routed the Non-Partisan League, which had made great headway n the county. He was also the first chairman who ever won the county over in an off year. During his eight years of presidency of the Skagit County Fair association, Dave established the Skagit show as one of the leading exhibitions of its kind in the Northwest. Dave was postmaster of Sedro-Woolley for 12 years and four months] and since his retirement from that office has devoted himself to his various properties, including mill and timber interests-in Oregon, the Donnelly Motor company of Sedro-Woolley and the Donnelly Meat company of Lyman. Dave made his home on West Talcott street in the house where he and his family have lived for 38 years. Recently, he enjoyed a trip back to his old home in Michigan, where he had not visited for fifty years. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus lodge of Mount Vernon, - the local chamber of commerce, and was a charter member of the Sedro-Woolley Rotary club. Although he is not as young as he used to be, Dave is just as peppery and full of fight as ever. When he slaps the old Stetson on his head, and sets his cigar to windward, he is ready for come-what-may and can still take it in his stride. Always a hard-fighting, straight-hitting Republican, Dave at this writing, believes that it is time for all of us to submerge political bias and put on a united front for Americanism. [Journal ed. note: this last paragraph seems odd, as if it were written while Donnelly was still alive. We suspect that she had already interviewed him and planned a column
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.
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 documentary photographers took thousands of images on the battlefields and in the army camps, often in 3D.
Within this site you will find basic and complex information about Civil War photography and its practioners, as well as reproductions of many war photos.
Center for Civil War Photography
Thanks to a recent article in MyBayCity.com by Dave Rogers, I found out about this site. Bay County had hundreds of people serving in the Civil War in all theaters. Take a look and see what you can find.
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Year 1999 A.D.
LinkThis 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.
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 first reference to Gerritt Smith being in Bay City that I am aware of.
In the fall of 1898 I went before the stationing
committee to see if I would be permitted to remain
at 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 and
try and resurrect the society. I held off, but they
pressed me, declaring that they did not have another
man who could do as well as I. They urged me to
try it. I saw the necessity in the case and although
I was nearly seventy-three years old, I consented to
go. We left our home for another man to step into,
without rent, and we moved up to Bay City. We
found the property in a dilapidated condition. The
window glass was about all out of the parsonage;
the roof was leaking; the house was dirty and black;
the chimney was smoking, and the weeds and thistles
were waist high around the building. When the
church was built there was a good society, but
through bad management, extreme notions and
fanatical freaks, the membership and congregation
had nearly all left. When a preacher thinks he
knows it all and that no one else has salvation but
himself and his clique, it is time to call a halt. At
one time the property was sold to the colored people
on contract, but they failed to meet the contract,
and our people were obliged to take it back. A
good sister gave us the use of one room which we
used as a parsonage. It served for kitchen, dining-
room, bed-room, sitting-room and parlor. We put a
part of our goods in the church. There were no
members to look to; no congregations from which
to take collections, and no means furnished for the
repairing. I had a little money with me which belonged
to another, and a little of my own, but all of
it did not go far; the financial agent called to see
me and gave me two dollars. The chairman and
agent went out to solicit, but received only a little,
as the people had no confidence in the Free Methodists.
I went at the work with a will, working
early and late, and began holding regular meetings
in the church. I paid out five dollars for window
lights alone, and put them in myself. I shingled the
roof and built a chimney; repaired the kitchen; built a
new sidewalk and a woodshed, and, in fact, kept at
it until we were quite comfortable for the winter.
Some of the members came back and a few were
converted during the year.
In the spring I began to work on the outside of
the building. The buildings were quite large but I
nailed the old siding on so it was solid, and then
gave the buildings three coats of paint on the outside
and two on the inside, besides calcimining the
church. I did all the calcimining and painting excepting
two or three days' work. Sister King, from
Saginaw, helped varnish the seats and chairs. My
wife did nearly all of the pastoral visiting and led
one-half of the meetings, besides doing much other
work that rested upon her. Before conference the
work was completed and the bills were all paid; and
the financial agent had collected enough to pay the
debt, so that all was clear.
I was used up, and when I went to conference
that fall was suffering with erysipelas. I told the
stationing committee that my work was done at Bay
City, and they need not return me there, but when
the appointments were read the general superintendent
said, "Bay City, C. H. Sage." For the first time
in my life I backed up and would not go, and I felt
perfectly clear in the course that I pursued. A
change was made and I went back to Marine City.
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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.
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: William Birney (b. 28-May-1819, d. 1907)
Daughter: Margaret Birney (b. 1821, d. 1822)
Son: Robert Dion Birney (b. 1823, d. 1863)
Son: David Bell Birney (b. 29-May-1825, d. 18-Oct-1864)
Son: Arther Hopkins Birney (b. 1827, d. 1833)
Daughter: Martha Reed Birney (b. 1829, d. 1833)
Son: George Birney (b. 1832, d. 1856)
Daughter: Florence Birney (b. 1835)
Daughter: Georgina Birney (b. 1836, d. 1836)
Daughter: Ellen Birney (b. 1838, d. 1838)
Wife: Elizabeth Fitzhugh (b. 1803)
Son: Fitzhugh Birney (b. 1842, d. 1864)
Daughter: Anna Hughes Birney (b. 1843, d. 1846)
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 slavery would end. Some of these people were morally opposed to slavery, believed that it was un-Christian and un-American to own another person. Other slave owners believed that slave labor was becoming too expensive. Birney shared his parents' views. He attended several schools, including Transylvania College and the Priestly Seminary at Danville. Birney graduated from Princeton University in 1810, and he began to study for a legal career in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1814, he opened a law practice in Danville. Birney became a slave owner in 1816, when he married and received the slaves as a wedding gift. In 1818, Birney moved his family to a plantation near Huntsville, Alabama. He became involved in politics and served as a member of Alabama's constitutional convention. He also became a member of the Alabama legislature. His political career suffered when he became an outspoken opponent of Andrew Jackson and called for his fellow slave owners to support the gradual end of slavery. In 1833, Birney moved his family back to his ancestral home in Kentucky. Birney was rarely at home, as he lectured across the South, calling for the gradual end to slavery and the colonization of the former slaves in Africa. He realized that gradual emancipation was not a practical way to end slavery. He began to endorse the immediate end of slavery and freed his own slaves in June 1834. At the same time, he also began to publish an anti-slavery paper in Danville. Residents favoring slavery threatened Birney's publisher. The publisher fled the community, and no other publishers were willing to assist him. Birney moved his family to Cincinnati, Ohio, in October 1835. On January 1, 1836, Birney began publication of a new paper, The Philanthropist, which called for the immediate end to slavery and equal rights for African Americans with whites. Many Cincinnatians opposed Birney's views. Some of these people were former slave owners and believed that African Americans were inferior to whites. Other people opposed slavery but believed African Americans would move to the North and deprive white people of jobs. On January 22, 1836, a group of white Cincinnatians urged the city government to prohibit Birney from publishing his paper. Birney was undaunted. To prevent Birney from printing, a mob of white Cincinnatians destroyed the newspaper's printing press on July 12, 1836. Undeterred, Birney remained in Cincinnati and continued to publish his newspaper. The mob returned on July 30, 1836, and destroyed the printing press again. Birney resumed publication of The Philanthropist in September 1836, and he continued to publish it in Cincinnati. In 1847, he moved the paper to Washington, DC, and renamed it the National Era.
James G. Birney was one of the founders of Bay City and a trustee of the reorganized Saginaw Bay Company that did the land development for the town. The historical archives in Ohio have much information on him but seem to be unaware of his time in Michigan. I regard Birney as our most distinguished resident and a man deserving much more study.
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, added 1952, running water, added 1937, electricity, added in 1937, an electric stove in the kitchen, added in 1951, a computer, added in 1998, and a wireless network, added in 2005. And other changes too numerous to mention.
This is the house my Great Grandfather bought in 1910. It had just been built in this picture which I think was taken about 1908 when the house was built. This home was bigger than average for houses in the area at the time. It was about 800 square feet. Notice that the idea of mowing a lawn had not caught on yet..It would not for almost 40 more years. Wood ruled the day still. There was wood heat for cooking and home heating. Bathroom facilities were outside and would be for forty more years. Light was kerosene and would be for thirty more years. The closest town was Millington which was an hour away by buggy. Life was changing quickly. I live in an expanded version of this house today.
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 their stations and the work done by machinery.
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 .
