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Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 36,817. It is the county seat of Bay County6. The city is geographically divided by the Saginaw River, and travel between the east and west sides of the city is made possible by four modern drawbridges which allow large ships to easily travel down the river.

The city is served by MBS International Airport, located in nearby Freeland. Bay City was once the home of several now-closed industries including many sawmills and shipbuilders during the latter part of the 19th century, the Defoe Shipbuilding Company (ceased operations December 31, 1975), which built destroyer escorts, guided missile destroyers, and patrol craft for the United States Navy; and Industrial Brownhoist, which was well-known for its construction of large industrial cranes.

History

Bay City was first established in 1837, and was incorporated as a city in 1865. Twenty-five years after Leon Trombley became the first permanent settler to build a log-cabin along the river at what is now Fourth Street, Bay City became the largest community in the county and the location of the county seat of government. Most of the county's agencies and associations are located here. The city shares common borders with Essexville and the townships of Bangor, Frankenlust, Hampton, Merritt, Monitor, and Portsmouth.

Bay City was originally known as "Lower Saginaw," and fell within the boundaries of Saginaw County until Bay County was organized in 1857. It was at this time that the name was changed to Bay City. While Saginaw had the first white settlement in this area in 1819, larger ships had difficulty navigating the shallower water near the Saginaw settlement. Due to this fact, many of the early pioneers moved to Lower Saginaw as it became clear its deeper waters made it a better location for the growth of industry which relied on shipping. By 1860, Lower Saginaw had become a bustling community of about 2,000 people with several mills and many small businesses in operation. In 1865, the village of Bay City was incorporated as a city. Rapid economic growth took place during this time period, with lumbering, milling, and shipbuilding creating many jobs. The early industrialists in the area used the Saginaw River as a convenient means to float lumber to the mills and factories and as a consequence amass large fortunes. Many of the mansions built during this era are registered as historical landmarks by the state and federal government.

In 1873, Charles C. Fitzhugh, Jr., a Bay City pioneer, and his wife, Jane, purchased land and built a home on property bounded by Washington, Saginaw, Ninth and Tenth Streets, which later became the location for City Hall. Fitzhugh dealt on a large scale in wild lands and farms, being an agent for over 25,000 acres (101 km²) of land in Bay County. During this time, Washington Avenue was primarily developed with residential homes. Businesses were concentrated along Water Street near the Saginaw River. As time went on, businesses started to expand along Washington Avenue. In 1891, the Fitzhugh’s sold the land to the City of Bay City for States dollar|$" target="_blank" >*8,500 "to be used for the erection of a City Hall and offices and for no other purposes whatever."

Until 1905, the City of Bay City was limited to the east bank of the Saginaw River. Previous to that date, the city occupying the west bank of the Saginaw River was a separate city known as West Bay City. The unified Bay City celebrated its centennial in 2005.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.3 km² (11.3 mi²). 27.0 km² (10.4 mi²) of it is land and 2.4 km² (0.9 mi²) of it (8.12%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 36,817 people, 15,208 households, and 9,322 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,365.5/km² (3,537.1/mi²). There were 16,259 housing units at an average density of 603.0/km² (1,562.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.19% White, 2.72% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.47% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.72% of the population.

There were 15,208 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,425, and the median income for a family was $38,252. Males had a median income of $32,094 versus $21,494 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,550. About 10.3% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Bay City is well known in the greater Saginaw Bay area for the numerous festivals and celebrations which take place during the summer months. The first of these events, the known as the River Roar, takes place in June and is sponsored by the Labadie Automobile Dealership. In July, there is the annual Fireworks Festival which features numerous events over a three day period and nightly fireworks displays which are considered by many to be the best in the region. In early August, the Labadie Pig Gig Ribroast features a rib cook-off and other entertainment. The River of Time living history reinactment takes place in September. These events all take place along one or more banks of the river, often in Wenonah Park on the east bank or the larger Veterans Memorial Park on the west bank.

The Bay County Historical Museum, located on Washington Avenue, is the designated repository for the records of the Patrol Craft Sailors Association and also contains numerous displays on local and regional history. Over the past several years, the museum has expanded significantly. It is housed in the former armory building on Washington Avenue, adjacent to the historic City Hall.

The Scottish band the Bay City Rollers were named after this city based on the results of a dart thrown randomly at a map.

Legend and Folklore

It is the contention of many local residents that the fictional lumberjack, Paul Bunyan, was based on an infamous lumberjack Fabian "Saginaw Joe" Fournier, a lumberjack who frequented the Bay City waterfront.

It has been rumored on several occasions that the remains of former Teamsters union president Jimmy Hoffa, who mysteriously disappeared in 1975, is buried somewhere in the Bay City area. In July 2003, acting on a tip from convicted killer Richard Powell, authorities excavated the area beneath a swimming pool in the backyard of a home in the adjacent municipality of Hampton Township. No remains were found.

Education

Bay City Central and Bay City Western are bitter cross-town rivals and have a major football game at the end of football season that attracts thousands of fans in the area.

Business Districts

  • Banks Business District - Runs along Marquette Avenue from Ohio Street north to Harry S. Truman Parkway
  • Broadway Avenue Business District - Extending from Lafayette Avenue south to McGraw Avenue
  • Columbus Avenue Business District - Home to the Bay City Players
  • Downtown Bay City - Between Madison Avenue and the Saginaw River. You can find art galleries, specialty shops, pubs, and cultural venues here.
  • Johnson Street Business District - Fresh vegetable markets, and home to the best wine in the State of Michigan.
  • Lafayette/Salzburg/Kosciuszko Business District - Extends along Salzburg east to Kosciuszko (Lafayette turns into Kosciuszko). You can find cappucino, furniture, women's clothing and pharmacies here.
  • The Midland Street Historic District - Located on the West side of the city near the banks of the river. Home to very popular bars in the city. You can also find marinas and unique shops here.
  • Industrial Districts - Morton Street, Harrison Street, Woodside Avenue, and the Marquette Industrial Center. Home to companies such as: General Motors Powertrain, SC Johnson & Son, Carbone of America/Ultra Carbon Division, Kerkau Manufacturing, Gougeon, and York Electric

Sites of Interest

Notable natives

Sister Cities

Bay City has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

References

External links

Bay County, Michigan | Cities in Michigan | County seats in Michigan

Bay City (Michigan) | Bay City (Michigan) | Bay City (Michigan) | Bay City, Michigan

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Bay City, Michigan".

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