Kids Tour: Bay County History / Lumbering

Lumbering didn't become a booming industry in Michigan until the 1860s even though a number of sawmills had been built much earlier. As the growth of the United States spread westward, there was a need for wood to build the new communities. Michigan and Wisconsin had great forest lands which were used to supply wood for making the products they needed. The Saginaw Valley was the largest lumbering center in Michigan, and Bay County had the largest number of sawmills.

Wood was an essential building material used in used in making products. Trees supplied wood used in making boards for homes, planks for roads and sidewalks, staves for making barrels and tubs to bath in, shingles for roofs, posts for fencing, and countless other items used in daily living.

Lumber camps were set up inside the forests where the lumberjacks lived while they were cutting the forests. Families of lumberjacks lived in the villages and cities The families of the lumberjacks livedTrees were cut down using only axes and hand saws. They worked year round, even during the winter months preparing for the warm weather period when they filled the rivers with logs and flotted them to the mills. One of the largest lumber mills in the world was the Sage & McGraw Mill on the west bank of the SaginawRiver. (Picture is the white pine tree, which was the number one choice of lumberjacks, because it was huge and very straight providing the the most useable amount of wood.)

When railroads were built, lumberjacks were able to cut deep into the forests and trains hauled them to the mills year round. Soon railroads were hauling lumber products and taking people to far away places like Detroit and Chicago. Lumbering created many new jobs bringing many people here for work and adding to new businesses to supply their needs.

Lumbering: When the first pioneers came here, tall forests covered the land right up to the rivers edge in much of the area. By the late 1800s, lumberjacks were clearing these forests and sent the timber to sawmills that filled the shoreline of the Saginaw River. Logs were floated on the river or taken by train to these mills where they were shaped into useable lumber for building homes, plank roads, roof shines, and many other things.

By the 1900, the lumbering boom was beginning to slow down as the forest were being cleared of its trees. However, the lumbering boom gave birth to many other industries that provided plenty of work for settlers. Bay City was growing so fast that many predicted it would become a major city like Detroit or Chicago.

Many of those that invested in local businesses became very wealthy and remained here. You may even have school friends that are relatives of these early families such as Trombley, Miller, Birney, Fraser, Trudel, Campbell, Shearer, Davidson, Defoe and many others. Some of the houses, churches and business buildings they built are still standing in the older areas of the city.

One of the biggest lumber barons was Henry W. Sage. He and a friend, John McGraw built the world's largest sawmill in 1865 on the west bank of the Saginaw River in Bay City where Veterans Memorial Park is. At that time the land the land was still wild. The mill had so many workers that a village was grew up next to it. Many of the buildings along Midland Street were built during that time. The Sage Library at Midland and Wenona streets is named after Mr. Sage who gave the money to have it built.

1872: View of Sage McGraw Mill on Saginaw River. View: {Historical Midland Street Buildings} and {Henry W. Sage}

The lumber industry helped our area grow very fast but it also dramatically changed our environment. The forest, vegetation and animals that once dominated the landscape here disappeared causing the decline of lumbering, mills and the jobs they provided. Many who depended on lumbering jobs moved onto other places in search of work.

	More Photos: This lumbering picture is of a mill that was located in Essexville. We have more lumbering photos..., to view them now -- {Click Here}

From Lumbering The Forests To Farming The Land.

The fields that looked like a graveyard of stump monuments were turned into farm land through the hard work of many who came here to raise a family. They worked longs days, weeks and months to clear the stumps -- digging, chopping and finally pulling them out with a team of horses. Their hard work work was rewarded by a rich and fertile soil able to grow a wide variety of crops. Many had worked first in lumbering to save money to buy thier farms. And, many of the children of these pioneer farming families continue to till the same land.

	Hampton Township: Shown here is the Beslaer family with a harvest of onions from their farm. Early Hampton Township farming family.

What fun things can you do related to Wood? -- Here's a suggestion... Have a contest with a friend and see who can name the most things made out of wood? Then, work on a project with your friend to make one of them. <<<<< Make sure it's okay with your parents first! >>>>>