HISTORY OF
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PROPRIETORS OF
Were James Fraser, James G. Birney and Dr. Daniel H. Fitzhugh, of whom we make the following biographical sketches.
THE PROJECTOR OF
James Fraser’s business career is inseparably intertwined
with all the important features of a history of Lower Saginaw and
Mr. Fraser
was born at
When quite
young Mr. Fraser engaged in business for himself, and accumulated several
thousand dollars, which he brought with him to
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remnant he went to
Soon after
getting his family settled, he returned to
He cleared
some land and planted an orchard that was afterwards noted as being the most
flourishing in this part of the state.
With true Scotch feeling, he was always averse to parting from that
farm, and held it while he lived. In the
division of his estate it went to Mrs. Paine, of
From this
time on, his business operations outreach the limits of biography and are
traceable through the general history of progress and development in the
In 1864 he
began to feel that he would like a more quiet life, and with his family went to
Brooklyn for a few months and thence to
The life
and character of Mr. Fraser were truly remarkable in energy, persistency and endurance, although in every respect he was a man of marked
traits. It was, however, in his working
faculties that he stood most conspicuously before his fellow men. It is safe to say that there are few men
living capable of enduring even for a short time what he passed through as the
daily routine of life. At a time when
the saddle and canoe were almost the only means of communication, his business
required his presence in almost every part of the valley, and often at the
headquarters of the state in
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a handkerchief. On meeting him afterwards I learned that he had
been all night in the woods, having lost his way, and afterwards his hat, but
he was going to
In the Spring of 1850, his eldest son was sick at Detroit. Growing suddenly worse, his father’s presence was desired as quickly as possible, and a messenger was dispatched to inform him. Mr. Fraser was in Saginaw when the intelligence reached him. Instantly ordering his famous horse “Fair Play,” he was soon in the saddle and away. It was in the month of March, and the toads of those days were worse even than usual, if such a thing were possible. But a better pair never started upon a race for life, even under the graphic colorings of fiction, than James Fraser and his pet, “Fair Play;” and in eight hours and forty-five minutes from the time of starting, the distance of ninety-five miles had been traversed and Mr. Fraser was at the bedside of his dying son, having changed horses two or three times on the way.
Instances similar to the foregoing, of the feats performed by this man, are numerous enough to fill a volume. The horse, “Fair Play,” was an animal of great beauty and endurance, and known throughout all this region. But horse and rider long since halted at the end of life’s journey. The wilderness through which they plunged by day and night has disappeared; the trails they followed have become highways of mighty industries, and the stations at which they stopped are populous centers of activity and thrift.
In his intercourse with the world Mr. Fraser was one of the most genial and pleasant of men. The fervor and enthusiasm of his social qualities are well remembered traits of his character. In his home he was truly hospitable, his house being for a long time headquarters for strangers who came to the valley.
It has been truly said of Mr. Fraser that as a business man he was a class by himself. For many years his head was his ledger and his hat was his safe, yet, with a memory clear and tenacious, even to the smallest details, he transacted his affairs with the utmost exactness. When his affairs extended entirely beyond his capacious mental grasp, he was forced to employ the usual agencies for doing business, but even then he was inclined to continue his primitive methods to a certain extent; methods that had brought him a fortune of nearly or quite a million dollars.
Mr. Fraser was never a member of any church, but during the last years of his life gave his attention to religious matters and observances. He became an industrious student of the Bible and conducted family worship, and at the last met death calmly and peacefully.
Such is an
imperfect outline of the character and career of the man whose mighty activity
flashes across all the changing scenes through which
THE FITZHUGHS
Dr. Daniel H. Fitzhugh, one of
the proprietors of Lower Saginaw, was born in
Charles C. Fitzugh, was born in
Livingston Count, N. Y., in 1821. In
1841 he came to
DANIEL H. FITZHUGH, JR., is also a
native of
WILLIAM D. FITZHUGH, came to Lower
Saginaw in 1850, and in 1851 built a dwelling house at the corner of Tenth and
Washington Streets, at that time in the midst of the forest. Before building this house he lived in the
one built by Daniel Fitzhugh, Jr., until it was destroyed by fire. He remained here until 1856, when he returned
East to reside permanently. During his stay here he was very active in
promoting public interests. He and has wife were the founders of
THE BIRNEYS
The name
and fame of James G. Birney have long since passed into history, and the
connection in which he appears in this work is only a trifling incident in his
life, although the name of Birney has been associated with all the progressive
operations of Bay County for a quarter of a century. James G. Birney was a native of
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pursuing the study of law. He began the practice of law at
In 1889 his
father died, leaving a large estate, consisting of land, money and slaves. His sister and himself
were the only heirs. He requested that
all of the negros might be
computed at their market valuation as a part of his share. This was assented to, and he immediately
emancipated all of them. In 1840 he
visited
It can be
readily understood that Mr. Birney’s large fortune had become greatly reduced
in his conflict with a great but popular wrong.
About 1840-41 he became one of the owners of
“I first
saw Mr. Birney in the Summer of 1841, when he and C. C. Fitzhugh, Esq., made
their first visit to
“ After removing to Lower Saginaw in the Spring of 1842, Mr. Birney, aside from looking after the interests of the Saginaw Bay Company, for which he was trustee, engaged in stock raising and agricultural pursuits generally. He brought here a fine herd of blooded cattle from the stock of Mr. Sullivan, of Ohio, which has been celebrated for its purity. That important has served greatly to improve the grade of stock in Saginaw and Bay Counties. Mr. Birney was a kind neighbor and a benevolent man. Some parties in Bay City are much better off now than they would otherwise have been had it not been for the assistance rendered by Mr. Birney in securing to them real estate in the early settlement of the plat. During the latter part of Mr. Birney’s residence here, after his health failed, he mingled very little in society, and he finally left for the East, where his earthly career was terminated before his earlier anticipation with reference to the growth and importance of Lower Saginaw were realized, and before the day arrived which he would have considered the birthday of American Independence.”
Mr. Birney’s residence here was the building that was originally the block house that the Saginaw Bay Company built on the corner of Fourth and Water Streets, and was fixed over for Mr. Birney’s use. In 1843 Mr. Birney was again nominated for the Presidency, and at the election in 1814 received 62,300 votes, and in 1845 received 3,023 votes for Governor of the state of Michigan.
As elsewhere stated, Mr. Birney used to conduct religious service in the little schoolhouse, and this practice was continued until others came in to carry on the work.
In 1855 he returned East to Englewood, N. J., for the purpose of educating his son, Fitzhugh Birney. He remained there until his death, which occurred November 23, 1857, at the age of sixty-five years. He did not live to see the triumph of the great cause to which his life was devoted, but another generation have witnessed it and given his name its proper place. One of his biographers says of him: “No man ever more mildly spoke the words of truth and soberness than he. He reviled no man.’ Often he has been known to rebuke a disparaging remark concerning his bitterest opponent. His sin was that he was a generation in advance of his day.”
Mr. Birney’s successor in Lower Saginaw was his oldest son, now Judge James Birney, of Bay City. He purchased the interests of his father at Lower Saginaw, and also made large purchases of land from the government. Mr. James Birney is a native of Danville, Ky.
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His collegiate education was obtained at Centre College, Kentucky, and at Miami University, Ohio. At the latter institution he graduated in 1836, and during the two succeeding years was employed in the University as professor of the Greek and Latin languages. During the next two years he attended the law lectures of Judge Storm and Prof. Hitchcock, of the Law School of Yale College, at New Haven, Conn. He subsequently removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, and entered upon the practice of law. He devoted himself to this business, and became distinguished as a successful practitioner. While in New Haven Mr. Birney married Miss Moulton, step-daughter of Nathaniel Bacon, of that city. Of this marriage there were five children, only two of whom are living. In 1856 Mr. Birney came to Lower Saginaw to look after his real estate interests, and in the Summer of 1857 removed his family here, and at once interested himself in the development of the town and county.
His first important public service in the interest of the new settlement was to procure the passage of a bill in 1857 changing the name to Bay City. He was elected a state senator in 1858, being nominated by the Republican Senatorial Convention more as a complement than otherwise, the district, which extended to the Straits of Mackinaw, being Democratic. The portion of Saginaw embraced within Bay had always been regarded as the Democratic stronghold, but Mr. Birney received all the votes of the county but five given for the regular Democratic candidate, and a few scattering votes for a stump candidate. The volume of session laws of 1859 contains some fifty acts he presented for his district, every one of which was adopted. One of the measures which has had an important bearing upon the interests and development of the Saginaw Valley and the Tenth District, which Mr. Birney secured the passage of, was the bill giving a bounty for the manufacture of salt. The bill proposed the payment of 5 cents a bushel, but Mr. Birney presented its merits in such favorable light that 10 cents was granted.
In 1860 Mr. Birney was nominated by the Republican State Convention for lieutenant-governor, and elected by over 20,000 majority. He was received with great favor as president of the Senate. During his term as lieutenant-governor, a vacancy occurred in the office of circuit judge, and the Governor tendered the appointment to him. It was accepted, and he presided as circuit judge I a most acceptable manner during the next four years. The circuit embraced Saginaw, Midland, Gratiot, Isabella, Iosco and Bay Counties. He was unanimously renominated by the Republican Judicial Convention, but the district having a Democratic majority, he was not re-elected, and returned to the practice of his profession. In 1871 Mr. Birney established the Bay City Chronicle, and in 1873 it was issued as a daily. It was published until after Mr. Birney’s departure for the Hague, when it was merged into the Tribune. In 1872 Gov. Baldwin nominated Mr. Birney to President Grant as Centennial Commissioner for Michigan to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. He did not serve upon the commission, having been appointed December 17, 1875, as United States Minister to the Netherlands. He went to his charge in the Spring of 1876, and served his country with distinguished ability ad fidelity until he resigned the post a short time since.
Mr. Birney has always been one of the most devoted citizens of Bay City, and has done all in this power to promote its growth and welfare. Few public improvements have been made that he has not aided. He was prominently connected with the enterprise of securing the first railroad, and also the state and other public roads in the county. He is a gentleman of the broadest culture, and ranks high as an orator.
The eldest son,
James G. Birney, distinguished himself in the army as captain of the Seventy
Michigan Volunteers, and died while an officer of the regular army in 1869.
ARTHUR BIRNEY conducted the Chronicle for several years, but after
it was merged in the Tribune, he
retired from journalism, and in 1879 accompanied his father to Europe. After an absence of eight months he returned,
and went to Montana, where he died in January, 1882.
THEODORE WALKER was a tailor in Brooklyn, N. Y., and came to Lower Saginaw about 1860 from Long Island, where he had been living for some time. His only business here was to look after his real estate. He was a very eccentric man. He continued a resident of Bay City until his death, which occurred about 1870.
FROM 1842 TO 1848
Life in the new settlement during the six years following 1842 was rather monotonous. There were a few arrivals, but a transient visitor was a severe tax upon the larder of the place. The little settlement was hemmed in by swamps and forests, and often there was but a handful of meal in the barrel, but that was common property to all who were hungry. The settlers knew the true meaning of the word “ neighbor,” and no Lazarus ever fed upon crumbs on the floor while there was bounty of the table. In 1842 Frederick Backus brought a stock of goods and opened a store.
In the Spring of 1842, Hon. James G. Birney arrived with his family.
In 1843 the chief event was the organization of Hampton Township and the first election was held at the Globe Hotel. W. R. McCormick’s hat was the ballot box, and its dimensions were ample for the thirteen votes that were polled.
In 1844 the first school house was built, near where the Detroit and Bay City Passenger Depot now stands. After Mr. Birney came, he used to conduct religious services in this building on Sundays, and the irrepressible Harry Campbell officiated as chorister. He was an excellent singer but could not be always relied upon to make a judicious selection of tunes. It sometimes happened that after four or five stanzas of a good old Presbyterian hymn had been reeled off, Harry, with an expression of countenance as intensely solemn as a church covenant, would start with vigorous unction, unto some rollicking melody, and he halted by Mr. Birney, who would reprovingly point out his mistake. Harry would be astonished by the impropriety of his selection and repeat it upon the very next auspicious occasion.
In the Winter of 1846-47 the first saw mill was built by Hopkins Poeroy & Fraser, and during 1846 the Hampton postoffice was established in Thomas Rogers’ house. J. B. and B. B. Hart came this year. P. J. Perrott had arrived in 1845.
Mr. Rogers was a justice of the peace, and a couple, whose names are not obtained, presented themselves at his blacksmith shop to have the solemn rite administered. Mr. Rogers was not familiar with the language of the ritual, but knew that a couple under such circumstances must be “pronounced” upon. So, removing his leather apron, he commanded the radiant pair to join hands, when, with official unction, he said:- “By the power vested in me I pronounce you husband and wife.” There was no marriage bell, no orange blossoms, no ushers, no giving away the bride, no reception, but, so far as known, the knot tied y the sturdy blacksmith at his anvil held firmly until loosened by an unseen hand.
In the Spring of 1846, Hon. James Birney paid a visit to his father. He was then living in Connecticut, and came to Detroit and thence to Flint. There he took the stage, which was a wagon without springs drawn by a pair of ponies. The roads were either mud or corduroy, and each was worse than the other. Arriving at
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Saginaw he waited two days for some way of getting to Lower Saginaw. Finally, he hired an Indian for seventy-five cents to bring him down in a canoe. When he arrived here he found his father fixing a fence about were St. Joseph’s Church now stands, and the mud and water was ankle deep. There were no streets, and but little use for any. There was not much about Lower Saginaw to charm a stranger, and he little thought then that he would, in a few years erect his domestic altar upon its site and live to see standing here the third city in the state.
In the Winter of 1847, Mr. H. W. Sage came to Lower Saginaw to negotiate with Mr. Birney for his interest in the plat of the village. Mr. Sage was accompanied by Deacon Andrew and Jarvis Langdon, of Elmira, and Joseph L. Shaw, of Ithaca, N. Y. They arrived here on Saturday, coming in a sleigh from Saginaw City. They put up at Judge Campbell’s tavern, although the Judge was not keeping it at that time. They found Mr. Birney sick and unable to attend to any business, but it was too late in the day to return to Saginaw. When it came time to go to bed they found the only accommodations at their disposal consisted of a small bed room containing one bed. There were four in the party, and while three might manage to crawl into the bed, four would be entirely beyond its capacity. One must sleep on the floor, and to decide who should have the more spacious but rather uncomfortable berth, they cast lots, and Deacon Andrews drew the floor. He was the eldest of the party and in poor health, so Mr. Sage, being robust and accommodating, induced the Deacon to take the bed, and he wrapped himself up on the floor. Sunday morning Mr. Sage revolved the situation in his mind and concluded he didn’t care to spend another day, and particularly another night, in Lower Saginaw. His longing for salt pork was appeased and he had seemingly exhausted the restful qualities of his bed on the floor. He announced his intention of returning to Saginaw, and all agreed willingly to the proposition but Mr. Sage replied that all days were the Lord’s, and he should improve that particular one by going to Saginaw. The good Deacon couldn’t reconcile the idea of traveling on Sunday with his notions of right, and opposed the arrangement. Finally he went out into the holy calm of a Winter’s Sabbath in Lower Saginaw. There were no chimes of Sabbath bells, no murmurs of anthems stealing softly upon the ear, no procession of hymn books moving reverentially toward a place of worship. Not even a church spire pierced the drooping clouds, and even the great sanctuary of nature was as a barren waste to his vision. Stumps and buildings cropped out above the snow, presenting great similarity of expression and dimension, and the current of the river was hidden beneath a roof of ice. There was a far away look toward Saginaw in the Deacon’s eyes as he turned back into the tavern. A conflict between duty had “taken to the woods” and that the team for Saginaw was at the door. With regretful accept he told the party that, “being so poorly,” perhaps it was unwise for him to remain here longer, and it was noticed that the Deacon was the first one of the party to reach the sleigh.
Thirty-six years later, one of the party-the one who slept on the floor-related to the writer the facts of the incident as given. The Deacon has long since gone to that country whose fields are “dressed in living green,” and “where Sabbaths never end.” The old tavern still remains, though changed in form, while about it have grown up the beautiful busy cities divided by the river, grown to a great highway of commerce, whose traffic is an exhibit of the might industries along its course.
It was during 1847 that Daniel H. Fitzhugh, Jr., arrived and built what was then thought to be an extravagant house on the corner of Third and Water Streets.
FROM 1848
the prospects of the settlement
began to brighten, although it cannot be said with truth, that the arrivals
were sufficiently numerous to seriously disturb the quietude of those already
here.
Curtis Munger
and Edwin Park arrived heavily laden with pioneer experience; Thomas Carney and
wife arrived in pursuit of a pleasant and healthful abode; J. S. Barclay and
wife settled here about that time.
Life in Lower Saginaw about this time was not altogether a barren waste. The female society was composed of Mesdames Catlin, Rogers, Barney, Cady, J. B. Hart, Carney, Campbell, Barelay, and perhaps two or three others. All belonged to “our set” and kept perpetual open house, and disseminated the local news wit conscientious promptness and diligence. A serpentine footpath dodged along among the stumps near the bank of the river, and furnished an ample thoroughfare for the equipages of that time.
The greatest activity, however, prevailed during the mosquito season. The Lower Saginaw mosquito is represented in tradition as being an animal of prodigious size and ferocity, and of a hardy variety. The average fish story of the present day is made to appear exceedingly insignificant when a robust pioneer unfolds one of his favorite mosquito legends. Baking day, however, was the picnic season of these colonized torments. It was the custom of the housewife to “shoo” out the kitchen, and securely fasten the doors and window before beginning the exercises of the day. Then, heaping a pile of brown sugar upon the hot stove, she prepared her bread for the oven, unless driven from her fortress by the smudge of the burning sugar. It is nowhere alleged that these defensive measures ever interfered with the operations of the mosquitoes, but they had all the elements of formidable demonstration, and were therefore comforting to reflect upon in after years.
J. L. Hibbard came in the Fall of 1848, and for a long time was in the Munger store. He is still a resident of Bay City.
The boarding house for the Hopkins, Pomeroy & Fraser mill was finished in 1849, and early in 1850 Mr. and Mrs. Carney moved
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Alexander McKay and family came in 1849. J. W. Putnam came about this time, and built a house on Water Street near Third Street.
1850-51 witnessed a number of arrivals and the introduction of new industries. Dr. George E. Smith introduced the healing art, and James Fox opened a law office. William and Alexander McEwan came and built a mill; also Henry Raymond and James Watson. Charles E. Jennison came and went into the mercantile business with James Fraser in a building where the Fraser House now stands. J. S. Barclay built the Wolverton House, still standing in an enlarged form, on the corner of Third and Water Streets near the bridge, and owned by Mr. Barclay.
The tug “ Lathrop,” owned by Capt. Benjamin Pierce, made its appearance just before this, and was the first tug on the river.
Among the others who came about this time were Henry Here, E. Stanton, Thomas Whitney, Clark Moulthrop, George Carpenter, the Drake brothers, and J. W. Putnam. Capt. Cole was also interested in river navigation.
1852 was marked by the visitation of cholera, which prevailed to a distressing extent, especially among the mill laborers. Upwards of seventy deaths occurred, among the mill laborers. Upwards of seventy deaths occurred, among whom were Thomas Rogers and Mr. Monroe. Men would suddenly disappear from their posts of labor and the next known of them would be that they were dead. This dread visitor found easy victims among the foreign population that had come in here to work in the mills and were living under circumstances calculated to invite disease.
In 1853 the Methodist Church was built “way out” in a swamp, on the present line of Washington Street. Its location was thought to be the means of more boat riding on the Sabbath day than was in harmony with scriptural teachings.
Some time in 1855 or 1856, B. F. Partridge purchased land of James Fraser on what is now the corner of Center and Van Buren Streets. He cleared off the timber and built a house. It was about half a mile from Water Street, and was reached by a crooked path through the woods. People could not understand why he wanted to start a hermitage in the depth of the forest when there was plenty of room and mosquitoes in town.
About 1854 a
schooner was built by J. A. Weed and George Carpenter. It was called the “Java,” and was fitted out
for the fishing trade. Mr. Charles B.
Cottrell located here this year.
In 1856 James Fraser came here to
reside permanently. Judge Birney also
arrived this year.
The foregoing is only a brief synopsis of some of the movements during the period named. The history in detail of the various interests is given in the various departments of the work.
In 1855 or 1856 a well known character named Dodge built a small hotel near the present corner of Saginaw and Third Streets. This locality at that time was a swamp. The hotel was called the “Farmers’ Home” though it is not remembered that it ever had a farmer for a guest. The young folks used to have occasional dances here, and when there was a shortage of girls a shawl would be wrapped about an Indian who would be pressed into service as a belle of the ball.
In 1857 kerosene oil and lamps were first introduced by the Cottrell’s who had a store at the corner of Water and Second Streets, and from that time the glory of tallow candles gradually departed.
Still other settlers and interest came in during those years as appear in the several departments. The next important event was the change of name from Lower Saginaw to Bay City.
Transcribed
by Mindy Rosin
Proofread by Carol Szelogowski
Copyright © 2008
Transcriptions
by the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints, Bay
City
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