Editing Bay City, Michigan (section)

==History==
[[File:Bay City Street Map, 1898.jpg|thumb|Bay City Street Map, 1898]]
[[File:Bay County past and present (1918) (14593126068).jpg|thumb|Third Street Bridge, with Sage Mill in background, 1918. The bridge collapsed in 1976 after being hit by a freighter.<ref>{{cite web | last = Younkman | first = Tim | title = Bay City Changed Forever The Day The Third Street Bridge Broke | publisher = Bay City Times | date = June 3, 2011 | url = http://www.mlive.com/opinion/bay-city/index.ssf/2011/06/bay_city_changed_forever_the_d.html}}</ref>]]
Leon Tromblé is regarded as the first settler within the limits of Bay County, in an area which would become Bay City. In 1831, he built a log cabin on the east bank of the Saginaw river.
Bay City was first established in 1837 and was incorporated as a city in 1865. In 1834 [[John B. Trudell]] built a log-cabin near the present corner of Seventeenth and Broadway. Trudell later purchased land that extended from his residence north along the river to what later became the location for the Industrial Brownhoist, making him the first permanent resident of what has become Bay County.<ref>''Bay County Past and Present'' (Centennial Edition, 1957), p. 49</ref> 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, Michigan|Essexville]] and the townships of [[Bangor Township, Bay County, Michigan|Bangor]], [[Frankenlust Township, Michigan|Frankenlust]], [[Hampton Township, Michigan|Hampton]], [[Merritt Township, Michigan|Merritt]], [[Monitor Township, Michigan|Monitor]], and [[Portsmouth Township, Michigan|Portsmouth]].

Bay City was originally known as "Lower Saginaw," and fell within the boundaries of [[Saginaw County, Michigan|Saginaw County]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=#1libref|title=Bay City, MI|url=https://www.baycitymi.org/|access-date=November 8, 2020|website=www.baycitymi.org|language=en}}</ref> On June 4, 1846, the Hapton, or Hampton, Post Office opened to service Lower Saginaw.<ref name=po>{{gnis|2547318|Bay City Post Office, Michigan}} & [http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gazpublic/getgooglemap?p_lat=43.6005556&p_longi=-83.8866667&fid=2547318 GNIS in Google Map]<br />Citation: directoriesUSA. Michigan Business Directory, 2007/2008. 2007/2008. December 12, 2007.<br />Variant Name Hampton Post Office Citation:  Ellis, David M. Michigan Postal History, The Post Offices 1805–1986. December 12, 1993.</ref> The community was placed in Bay County, when the county was organized in 1857. It was at this time that the name was changed to Bay City.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}} The Post Office changed its name to Bay City on March 22, 1858.<ref name=po/>

While [[Saginaw, Michigan|Saginaw]] had the first non-native settlement in this area in 1819, larger ships had difficulty navigating the shallower water near the Saginaw settlement. 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 [[lumber]]ing, [[Sawmill|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 {{convert|25,000|acre|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 Fitzhughs sold the land to the City of Bay City for [[United States dollar|$]]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]]. when [[West Bay City, Michigan|West Bay City]] was annexed.<ref name=mpn/>

During the latter half of the 19th century, Bay City was the home of several now-closed industries including many sawmills and shipyards. The [[Defoe Shipbuilding Company]], which ceased operations December 31, 1975, built [[destroyer escorts]], [[guided missile destroyers]], and [[patrol craft]] for the [[United States Navy]] and the [[Royal Australian Navy]]. To maintain this strong Naval heritage, the [[Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum]] worked through the Naval Sea Systems Command to bring the [[USS Edson (DD-946)]] to Bay City as a museum ship. It was finally delivered to its temporary home in [[Essexville, Michigan]], on August 7, 2012.<ref name="bctarticle">{{cite web
 | url= http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2012/08/uss_edsons_bay_city_arrival_dr.html
 | title= USS Edson's Bay County arrival draws visitors from near and far for first tours
 | date= August 7, 2012 | publisher=Bay City Times}}</ref> Another important part of the city's industrial history is Industrial Brownhoist, which was well known for its construction of large industrial cranes.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Bay City contained a largely German neighborhood called Salzburg. The German-descended minority became the focus of extreme nativism and [[xenophobia]]. Pastors introduced English-language sermons for the first time in Salzburg but it did not catch on and sermons in Salzburg remained mostly German. The Salzburghers demanded that the rest of Bay City recognize them as Americans first and German-American second but hostility towards them continued.
<ref>Righteous Carnage: The List Murders in Westfield By Timothy B. Benford, James P. Johnson pg. 62-63</ref> The governor of Michigan at the time, [[Albert Sleeper]], sought support from the German-American community but experienced backlash. Even before the declaration of war against Germany, anti-German sentiment was so strong that hundreds of young men from Michigan had gone across the border to Canada to join the [[Canadian Armed Forces]] so as to be a part of the war effort.<ref>Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State by Willis F. Dunbar, George S. May pg. 460</ref>

===Notable events===
{{incomplete list|date=September 2015}}

On December 23, 1906, Bay City's premier hotel, the Fraser House, burned to the ground.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://bay-journal.com/bay/1he/writings/fraser-house.html|title=bay-journal.com - bay journal Resources and Information.|website=bay-journal.com|access-date=May 21, 2020|archive-date=June 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622030207/http://bay-journal.com/bay/1he/writings/fraser-house.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

Bay City's unusual Third Street Bridge was damaged by a freighter on June 17, 1976. The following morning, when the swing span was operated, one half crashed into the Saginaw River blocking all riverine traffic. A river crossing was never reinstated at that location.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/opinion/bay-city/2011/06/bay_city_changed_forever_the_d.html|title=Bay City changed forever the day the Third Street Bridge broke|first=MLive/Bay City Times|last=opinion|date=June 3, 2011|website=mlive}}</ref>

On December 10, 1977, a deadly fire claimed the lives of 10 at the Wenonah Hotel (Wenonah Park Apartments) in downtown Bay City.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/2017/12/the_wenonah_hotel_fire_40_year.html|title=The Wenonah Hotel Fire: 40 years after Bay County's deadliest blaze|date=December 10, 2017|website=mlive}}</ref> The hotel had been built on the site of the Fraser House, which had also succumbed to a fiery end.<ref name="auto"/> The Wenonah Hotel was located at the corner of Center Ave and Water Street, the current site of the Delta College Planetarium. Built in 1907, the four-storey Wenonah Hotel had been converted into apartments at the time of the fire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bay-journal.com/bay/1he/writings/wenonah-hotel-1908nov9.html|title=bay-journal.com - bay journal Resources and Information.|website=www.bay-journal.com|access-date=May 21, 2020|archive-date=September 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914032543/http://www.bay-journal.com/bay/1he/writings/wenonah-hotel-1908nov9.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Strong winds and cold weather hampered the efforts of the fire department. There was some controversy over the cause of the fire (arson, electrical, or grease fire) and it remains the deadliest fire in Bay County history.

On Christmas Eve, 1979, a large Bay City department store of long standing, Oppenheim's, was destroyed by fire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/2009/12/flames_from_the_past_oppenheim.html|title=Flames from the past: Oppenheim's Department store destroyed Christmas Eve 1979|first=Bay City Times|last=staff|date=December 24, 2009|website=mlive}}</ref>

In September 1990, the tankship MV ''Jupiter'' was unloading gasoline at the Total Petroleum Terminal. A passing cargo ship, {{MV|Buffalo||}}, moving at excessive speed, created a wake that caused ''Jupiter'' to break free of its berth. A fire and explosion ensued, and one man drowned. There was considerable legal action taken, ultimately resulting in an adjudication that was subsequently appealed by the owners of ''Buffalo''. The findings of the Court of Appeals upheld the original decision, which assigned 50% of the responsibility to ''Buffalo'' (for her excessive speed), 25% to the dock operator (for rotten wood pilings) and 25% to ''Jupiter'' (for improper procedures in unloading her cargo).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/1991/M91_45.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618143939/https://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/1991/M91_45.pdf|url-status=dead|title=Safety Recommendation|archive-date=June 18, 2010|website=www.ntsb.gov|access-date=March 11, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://continuouswave.com/boats/gemini/|title=Gemini Calls on Riverside Park|access-date=May 7, 2016}}</ref>

In January 2009, Bay City's wholly owned municipal power company, Bay City Electric Light and Power, installed a "limiter" device to restrict the receipt of power to the home of Marvin Schur, a 93-year-old customer who had failed to pay an outstanding bill in excess of $1,000. The Bay City Electric Light and Power policy was to install the limiter, and to notify the customer by trying to collect the amount due. City employees failed to knock on the door, and it was later found that Schur had a check already made out and had failed to mail it. Schur died from hypothermia in his home a few days later.<ref>[http://www.wnem.com/news/18566890/detail.html#-] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317100703/http://www.wnem.com/news/18566890/detail.html#-|date=March 17, 2009}}</ref> The day following his death, Bay City Electric Light and Power removed the limiters from all households. It was later learned that Schur had willed his estate, estimated by his family to be in excess of $500,000, to Bay Regional Medical Center.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/04/freezing.death.folo/index.html |work=CNN |title=WWII vet frozen to death leaves estate to hospital - CNN.com |date=February 4, 2009 |access-date=April 26, 2010}}</ref>

On October 12, 2010, the historic 113-year-old City Hall sustained significant damage as the result of an attic fire which caused the sprinkler system to run for nearly two hours. Most of the damage to the building was water damage from the sprinkler system and water used to fight the fire. The fire started in the midst of a $1.6 million roofing project. After an investigation, it was determined that a worker was using a grinder to cut off bolts in the area where the fire started, and sparks from the work started the blaze. Fire crews were on the scene for nearly five hours fighting the hard-to-access fire.<ref>{{Citation |last=Murphy |first=Shannon  |title=City Hall damage |newspaper=The Bay City Times |pages=A1, A2 |date=October 14, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Murphy |first=Shannon  |title=Fire cause found |newspaper=The Bay City Times |pages=A1, A2 |date=November 4, 2010}}</ref>