Bay County.
pages 83 - 84 |
| This is a county formed three years since,
from portions of Saginaw and Midland; and embracing the whole of what was
formerly known as Arenac county. It is bounded on the north by Iosco and
Ogemaw counties, on the east by Saginaw bay and Tuscola county, on the south
by Saginaw county, and on the west by Midland and Gladwin counties. The
Saginaw river flows for a short distance through the southern part of the
county, and the Coq-a-lane, Potatoe, White Feather, Sagenin, Rifle and Aux
Grais rivers flow easterly through the northern and central portions, into
Saginaw bay. The general surface of the county is level, heavily wooded, and
in some parts swampy. The soil is in most parts a deep rich loam, which
produces abundantly all the crops known in central New York. There are but
six organized townships in the county --Arenac, Bangor, Bay
City, Hampton, Portsmouth and Williams. In Bangor, Bay City and Portsmouth,
lying on the Saginaw river, there are extensive salt works now in active
operation, and several others in process of erection, also large
manufactories of lumber. Owing to the importance and value of the
salt, lumber and fishing interests, in which a majority of the inhabitants
are engaged, but little attention has been paid to agriculture, and for many
years to come the county will be celebrated for its manufactures rather than
its agricultural productions. Bay City, the county seat, has a fine harbor,
and is a place of considerable importance. The present population of the
county is about 4,000,--the census of 1860 shows 3,169. There were in 1860
twenty steam sawmills in operation, cutting 44,850,000 feet of lumber per
season. The number of mills and amount of lumber sawed is now greatly
increased. For a county but recently opened, the educational facilities are
very good, and the improvement in this respect is very marked. The whole
number of pupils attending school in 1860 was 563.
|
BAY CITY.
page 196 |
| An important and flourishing post city, the
seat of justice of Bay county, pleasantly situated upon the east bank of the
Saginaw river, five miles from its mouth, and 16 below the city of East
Saginaw. It is connected with Detroit by a semi-weekly line of steamers
(fare $3.00), and with East Saginaw and Saginaw City by steamboat, three
times each day (fare 50 cents). This town was laid out in 1836, and for
upwards of twenty years was known as "Lower Saginaw," and remained
during that time a small and insignificant village. Since 1856 it has taken
an onward movement, and now bids fair to become one of the most important
towns in the State. A large number of extensive steam saw mills are in
operation in and about the city, while enormous salt manufactories are going
up on every hand. The river is navigable here for the largest vessels on the
lakes, and in this respect Bay City possesses an important advantage over
the towns further up. The location is elevated and healthy, and the soil
peculiarly rich and productive. The city now contains six churches,
representing the Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Episcopal, and
Presbyterian denominations; a Masonic Lodge ("Bay City, No. 129,") a Good
Templar's Lodge ("Bay City, No. 109"), a weekly newspaper, ("Bay City Press
and Times"), issued every Thursday, at $1.50 per year, by W. A. Bryce;
thirteen salt works now in operation, and several in process of erection,
three stave factories, two barrel factories, one machine shop, one iron
foundry, one saw manufactory, one shingle mill, three carriage
manufactories, seven hotels, eighteen steam saw mills, and about fifty shops
and stores. There are but few, if any, towns in Michigan with fairer
prospects of success than this place, and none where capital can be invested
to better advantage. As an evidence of the immense lumber and salt business
carried on at this point, we subjoin a list of the various manufactories in
Bay City and vicinity, with the annual capacity of each, the list having
been prepared for this work by Mr. H. S. Raymond, the present postmaster of
the city. |
Saw Mills
McEwan & Bro 3,500,000
Moore, Smith & Co. 4,500,000
John Taylor 4,000,000
Lord & Whittemore Mill 4,000,000
Samuel Pitts 4,500,000
Henry Raymond 3,500,000
Drake Mill 3,000,000
Grant & Fay 3,500,000
Catlin & Jennison 2,000,000
H. M. Bradley 3,000,000
Angus Miller 3,000,000
William Peters 4,500,000
M. B. Bradley 5,000,000
J. J. McCormick 3,000,000
Braddock & Co. 3,500,000
O. A. Ballou & Co. 6,000,000
Total per season: 60,500,000
Stave Mills
O.A. Ballou & Co. 25,000
James Watson 20,000
| A daily mail is received. Present
population about 3,000. Detroit merchants ship goods to Bay City by
steamboats or sail vessels, direct. |
|
List of Professions, Trades, etc.
|
Alvord H H, ship builder.
|
| Arnold Frederick, baker. |
|
| Barclay Frederick, saloon. |
|
| Beckwith Luther, lawyer. |
Binder & Co, general store.
|
| BIRNEY JAMES, lawyer and judge 10th
circuit. |
|
| Bligh & Vanderburgh, (Theodore M Bligh, A
C Vanderburgh), druggists. |
|
| Bloedon Lewis, cabinet maker. |
|
Bonsteel A E, physician.
|
| Bowerman David, mason. |
|
| Brooks John, mason. |
|
| Bryce W A, prop'r Bay City Press and
Times. |
|
Burden John, machinist.
|
| Carpenter George, ship builder. |
|
| Chandler John M, harness maker.
|
|
Charboneaux J F, saloon.
|
Clark Harvey, blacksmith.
|
| Cook Henry, cooper. |
|
Cummings R W, physician.
|
| Daglish William, lawyer. |
|
| De Bauemfiend V, saloon. |
|
| Drake John, insurance agent. |
|
Eddy Samuel L, blacksmith.
|
Emerich Jacob, boot and shoe maker.
|
| Essex Ransom P, justice of the peace.
|
|
Farmer's Home,----.
|
| Fay William L, justice of the peace.
|
|
Felker Amos, carriage maker.
|
| Forest City House,----. |
|
Freeman Chester B, lawyer.
|
| Freeman Mrs, milliner. |
|
Frost Henry, mason.
|
Gaban T R, grocer.
|
Grier T C, lawyer.
|
Hagy John, gunsmith.
|
| Halsted Joseph, justice of the peace.
|
|
| Hart & Monroe, general store. |
|
Hogan & Montour, blacksmiths.
|
Jennison C E & Bro, general store.
|
Jennison H W, insurance agent.
|
Johnson Frank Rev, (Baptist).
|
Judson J S, insurance agent.
|
| Judson & Stanton, merchant tailors and
clothiers. |
|
Keith J M, saloon.
|
| Keith John, confectioner. |
|
Kinderman Constantine, physician.
|
| Lake & Brother, grocers. |
|
Little J H, general store.
|
| McDowell John, machinist. |
|
| McDowell J & Son, founders. |
|
Marston Isaac, lawyer.
|
Mast C, cabinet maker.
|
| Mather M N Mrs, milliner. |
|
| Maxwell A C, lawyer. |
|
| Michie William, cooper |
|
| Munger & Cook, general store. |
|
| Nichols John J, carpenter. |
|
Palmer Peter L, blacksmith.
|
| Park Edwin, livery stable.
|
|
Perrott Patrick, cooper.
|
| Philip John, blacksmith. |
|
| Putnam John W, livery stable. |
|
| Raymond H S, bookseller and insurance
ag't. |
|
| Reynolds Charles H, physician. |
|
Schuerman Charles, insurance agent.
|
Schutzes H J H Rev, (Catholic).
|
| Shaddick Conrad, carriage maker. |
|
| Sherman House,----. |
|
| Sherman William L, lawyer. |
|
| Sherman W T, banker. |
|
Simons Jane Miss, milliner.
|
| Smith George, physician. |
|
| Smith George E, general store. |
|
Spindler T W Rev, (Lutheran).
|
Stewart E J Rev, (Presbyterian).
|
Stoddard John, cooper.
|
| Strigl J, saloon. |
|
| Trombly Joseph, ship builder. |
|
| Union Hotel,----. |
|
| Walthausen F V, physician and
druggist. |
|
Washington House,----.
|
Watkins George, carpenter.
|
| Watson James, stave dealer. |
|
Weber Philip, harness maker.
|
| Weed John A, carriage maker. |
|
| Wells William, saloon. |
|
Wisner James, lawyer.
|
Wolverton House,----.
|
| Woods John, merchant tailor. |
|
Wortley Jacob C Rev, (Methodist).
|
Zanner L G, physician.
|
| Zehner T Nicholas, jeweler.
BANGOR.
|
| A small village on the west bank of the
Saginaw river, in Bay county, one mile below Bay City. It is a place of
considerable importance as a lumber depot, there being four immense
steam saw mills located here, vix: E. C. Litchfield's, capable of cutting
3,000,000 feet of lumber per season; George Lord, 3,000,000; Bangor mill
(J. S. Taylor), 3,000,000, and Moore, Smith & Co. 3,500,000. Several
salt works are proposed here, though none are yet constructed.
| PORTSMOUTH.
Page 451 -52 |
A flourishing post village of Bay county, on
the Saginaw river, 106 miles, by stage and railroad, and 250 by water, from
Detroit; from Chicago, by water, 500 miles. Fare, by steamboat, from
Detroit, $8 50. Portsmouth is connected by three regular steamboats with
Detroit, and has frequent communications with Chicago, Milwaukee, and other
lake ports, by propellers and sail vessels, also a steamboat connection,
three times per day, with Saginaw City, East Saginaw and Bay City. The
village is located on the east bank of the Saginaw river, below the bars,
and in a high and healthy situation. The soil in the vicinity is unsurpassed
by that of any portion of Michigan and the improved farms in the
neighborhood though but a few years redeemed from the wilderness, will rank
among the most productive in the State. Situated as the town is, in the
midst of the great salt and lumber region which is now being so rapidly
developed, it must, ere long, become a place of much importance. Oak timber
of a quality admirably suited to ship building, abounds in immense
quantities. Several first class vessels have been built at this
point, and others are rapidly progressing. The village contains one Baptist
and one Methodist church, four large steam saw mills, three hotels, and a
large number of stores and shops. The "Portsmouth Salt Manufacturing
Company" has been in operation since July, 1861 and now evaporates 35
barrels daily, having a block of 50 kettles. The "New York Salt Company" has
a block 110 kettles. Several other companies are contemplating the erection
of salt works. Merchants ship goods from Detroit by the Saginaw steamers.
Population 500. A daily mail is received.
Postmaster--Michael
Winterhalter. |
TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.
Supervisor -- Henry Hayden
Clerk -- Edward B. Braddock
Treasurer -- WIlliam Degraw
List of Professions, Trades, etc.
Beebe, Silas C., carpenter
Beebe, William, carpenter
Braddock, Asahel C., manager of the New York Salt, Co.
Braddock Edward B., tobacco and cigars
Braddock, Henry A., lumber and planing mill
Braddock, H. D. & Co., saw mill
Braddock, Henry D., ship builder
Braddock, Jesse N., superintendent Portsmouth Salt Co.
Braddock, J. N. & Co., (Jesse N. and Henry A. Braddock), general store
Burnett, Hamilton, carpenter
Campbell, Daniel, mason
Chambers, William D., carpenter
Crampton, George, blacksmith
Daglish, William, lawyer
DeMay, T., boot and shoe maker
Dougherty, Henry L., mechanist
Gosler, O. L., carpenter
Green, William, grocer
Hayden, H. & Co., salt manufacturers
Johnson, Frank Rev., (Baptist)
Johnson, George, carpenter
Joselyn, C. D., boot and shoe maker
Miller, Albert, real estate agent.
Pattison, Henry A., mason
Scharman, James, mason
Southworth, Charles G., lumber dealer
Stevens, Appleton, lumber dealer
Stevens, John C. C., cabinet maker
Stevens, Pratt & Co., (Appleton Stevens, Henry L. Pratt, and B. F. Beckwith),
shingle factory.
Watrous Ansel, cabinet maker
Watrous Southworth & Co. (Martin Watrous, Charles G. Southworth and H. A. Frink),
saw mill
Winterhalter, George, machinist and blacksmith
Wisner, James, Lawyer
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